Stephen Elop Hints at the Idea of a Nokia Lumia Tablet

For Nokia fans, the idea of a Nokia-made tablet is certainly an exciting one. For those that are happy with the Microsoft-Nokia partnership, the idea of it running some variant of Windows is even more interesting.

We’ve all heard the past rumors about a Nokia tablet, and even internal mentions of such a Nokia tablet project. In fact, Nokia’s chief designer Marko Ahtisaari has said in the past that he has spent a considerable amount of time working on the Nokia tablet design project.

So why no tablet yet? Honestly, it probably comes down to a matter of dollars and cents. The Nokia Lumia 920 and other members of the Lumia family have certainly helped them get back in the right direction– but jumping into another risky endeavor like a tablet isn’t something that is cheap, and so the time just probably hasn’t yet been right.

Still, I think we can all agree that if things continue to go in a positive direction for Nokia then a Nokia tablet will eventually surface. Now even Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO, has mentioned a bit more about the idea of a Nokia tablet in a recent interview with Australian Financial Review:

We haven’t announced tablets at this point, but it is something we are clearly looking at very closely. We are studying very closely the market right now as Microsoft has introduced the Surface tablet, so we are trying to learn from that and understand what the right way to participate would be and at what point in time.

Later Elop even mentions the possibility of other operating systems like Android, saying “we would consider any option [Android or Windows] but then he returned conversation to the close relationship with Microsoft:

It is important to note that the opportunity for companionship is something that any user is looking for. So, when you think about the Lumia 920, running on Windows phone, having a Windows tablet or PC or Xbox is something that will give us the opportunity to have a pretty integrated experience. Our first focus on what we look at is clearly in the Microsoft side.

While rumors continue to swirl around a possible MWC unveil of a Nokia Lumia tablet, Elop seems to suggest it will be quite a bit further down the road before we see such a thing. “It is the case that in the months and years ahead, you will see us broaden out the portfolio, which means pushing to lower and lower price points, in some cases smaller form factors and so forth.”

While smaller form factors and lower price points could be talking further about phones, I’d like to think that he is actually still talking about the tablet market.

Let’s face it, Microsoft NEEDS a 7-inch tablet. Either a Surface-branded one or one (or more) by its partners. It doesn’t matter who makes it, as long as it exists and isn’t too expensive. With Microsoft Windows 8 Blue rumored to bring a few customization changes and other ‘minor updates’ to Windows 8– this could be the perfect timing for a Nokia Lumia 7-inch tablet.

For those who don’t know, there has even been talk about Windows Blue having optimization for smaller screens.

I’ve said before that a 7-inch tablet is a good idea for Microsoft. I think that Nokia launching the 7-inch form factor would be a brilliant move. If Microsoft would guarantee Nokia that they were the only 7-incher for at least 3-6 months, it would give Nokia the confidence to launch such a product.

It would save Microsoft money from making their own, at least until later in the year if/when they decide to further expand the Surface line. Additionally, it would generate attention since it would be the first Nokia tablet and there are actually quite a few Nokia fans across the globe. Such a device could certainly have potential both in the enterprise world and everyday consumer market, especially if it could price under the iPad Mini.

I think it certainly makes sense. Does that mean that it is going to happen? Maybe, maybe not. What do you think, would you like to see a smaller sized Nokia tablet running Windows RT perhaps with additional changes that rely less on the desktop side of things? Share your thoughts below.

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