Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) is planning the release of a six inch smart phone nicknamed the “Bandit” according to rumors. Pictures surfaced on Windows Phone Central that purport to show pictures of the device out in the wild. The six inch “phablet” is rumored to see a launch some time at the end of September.
Windows Phone Central has taken the lead on much of the rumors circling around the Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) Lumia 1520, or “Bandit.” The website published a list of specs from “verified sources” last week. According to the spec sheet, the device will have a six inch 1080p display, and will include the latest version of Windows Phone 8. That bump will be important for some of the phone’s most attractive features.
More room for Windows tiles
While Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) get to use the standardized iOS layout, and Android users get to have whatever they want, Windows Phone 8 users get something a little different: Live Tiles. The GDR3 update to Windows Phone 8 will allow users to have three rows of tiles on their screen for the first time.
The Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) phablet, the Lumia 1520 or whatever it’s released as, will leverage this feature as one of its most attractive. Live Tiles are great because of the amount of information they relay to users at a glance. More live tiles means more information—that’s a win for Windows Phone 8 power users.
Nokia Lumia 1520
Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) is a little behind in the phablet race, but the unique attributes of Windows Phone 8 may make this particular phablet attractive to consumers. Despite some releases, there has yet to be a really good small Windows tablet. For some users at the very least, this device may fit that hole until Microsoft partnered OEMs get their act together.
Nokia will release the “Bandit” on AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) first, according to rumors. The move continues the Finnish handset maker’s partnership with the carrier. However, it is likely that those on other carriers will be able to get their hands on the phone at a later date.
Today’s market share in Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) rose a fraction. The company’s stock was trading at $3.99 per share at time of writing, up 0.63% so far on today’s market.
