Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) will reportedly unveil the next Windows RT tablet sometime next month. The Verge was the first to report this as they cited sources close to the matter. The new tablet will be launched during an event in New York City on September 26th. Nokia is prepping for the event by courting developers for the event.
The tablet is predicted to feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, Windows RT, and LTE support.
Nokia tablet meets doubt from industry reviewers
Not everyone think’s Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s plans to release another Windows tablet is a smart move. Analyst for Informa Telecoms & Media Malik Saadi explained, “First of all the OS has been a flop, there is no doubt about that. So the choice to go with Windows RT is bizarre. At this stage it is really risky for Nokia to enter the tablet market.”
There was a total of 200,000 Windows RT tablets shipped during the second quarter.
Is Nokia RT filling a niche?
It’s also important to point out that Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) is already struggling in the smartphone market, entering the tablet market could be a risky move. Saadi isn’t the only analyst to feel this way. Ben Wood from CCS Insight explained, “have to say I find it highly surprising that Nokia would want to launch a Windows RT tablet … A more important priority is a smartphone with 5-inch plus screen.”
Wood suggested that the reason Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) plans to introduce the RT tablet is perhaps they had a large order from an operator with such type of product. If Nokia really wants to release a new tablet, maybe they should have considered a Windows 8 tablet instead.
PC World added, “During the second quarter, the number of tablets running regular Windows increased to 1.8 million, according to IDC. To date, Android has been far more successful than the Windows 8 platform. However, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)-based products are starting to make notable inroads on the market, it said. The number of Android-based tablets increased year-on-year by over 160 percent to 28.2 million during the second quarter, while Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shipped 14.6 million iPads, a 14 percent decrease.” Only time will tell if Nokia’s Windows RT tablet succeeds.