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Design chief says Nokia is planning to re-enter the tablet market

Summary: In a comment that should neither surprise nor excite anyone, Nokia's design chief Marko Ahtisaar (pictured) told a Finnish magazine that the mobile giant is readying a tablet to take on the iPad -- and every other tablet that is taking on the iPad.Ahtisaar says he's spending about a third of his time working on the Nokia slate, which presumably would run Windows 8, given the cell phone company's partnership with Microsoft.

Sean Portnoy

By for Laptops & Desktops |

In a comment that should neither surprise nor excite anyone, Nokia's design chief Marko Ahtisaar (pictured) told a Finnish magazine that the mobile giant is readying a tablet to take on the iPad -- and every other tablet that is taking on the iPad.

Ahtisaar says he's spending about a third of his time working on the Nokia slate, which presumably would run Windows 8, given the cell phone company's partnership with Microsoft. Though he provided no specifics about the device, he says that Nokia will need to take a different approach than competitors to fight the iPad tidal wave. Nokia had previously released the N800 Internet Tablet series, to limited success.

What do you think that "different approach" would be? Do you have any interest in a Nokia tablet? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

[Via Reuters]

Topics: Hardware, Laptops, Mobility, Nokia, Tablets

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26 comments
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  • MeeGo with Debian package management?

    OK. Kidding. I know that's not going to happen.
    KDE Active Plasma with Debian package management?

    We all know Nokia has plenty of experience with touch screen Nokia Internet Tablets; I have an N800 which still is an engineering marvel.

    So, there is no reason to not believe Nokia will engineer well, but the software side has a question mark.
    Dietrich T. Schmitz *Your
    Reply Vote

    • Why would there be a question mark on the software side?

      MeeGo was an unpopular software choice, it looks like it didn't help move many products.
      William Farrel
      Reply Vote

      • it looks like it didn't help move many products

        MeeGo wasn't even given a decent chance, why? because Nokia got in bed with microsoft, and we all know how microsoft doesn't like competition.
        guzz46
        Reply Vote

      • MeeGo unpoular - no

        Nokia took Microsoft's 30 pieces of silver, before MeeGo got a release, killing it dead.

        Considering Intel was a major partner in MeeGo, and their current mobile push, Nokia have backed the wrong horse. MeeGo was a Unique Selling Point, not a late also ran which the Lumia phones are months after Samsung and the rest lauched to a muted public demand.

        Nokia Lumia 900 - 4G and 16Gb memory, with no SD slot - LOL
        neil.postlethwaite@...
        Reply Vote

    • MeeGo with Debian package management?

      I don't think the Hardware or Software side has a question mark. Nokia makes stunning hardware with WOA being a nice fit. Windows 8 is here whether you like it or not. I personally like Metro and see how it can be a huge player on the tablet side. As the PC industry evolves look for every PC laptop/desktop to ship with a touchscreen which will make Metro easier to navigate and you'll still have a mouse and keyboard for the precision work.
      Rob.sharp
      Reply Vote

  • The bar was just raised...

    Nokia has the talent and ability to pull out a decent and affordable tablet that could actually rival many products.

    Unfortunately for Nokia and many other OEMs, Apple just raised the bar sufficiently with the new display to make [u]most[/u] upcoming products appear obsolete.

    The tablet market is in for a tough uphill battle with the leader.
    TheCyberKnight
    Reply Vote

    • Nokia is no slouch when it comes to touchscreens

      It'll be intersting to see what they have up their sleeve.
      William Farrel
      Reply Vote

    • Agree

      Tablet market is overestimated and iPad is just exception that proofs it. Actualy we do not need tablets, but hype will make us buy them.
      Wrda
      Reply Vote

      • Backfire

        The number of tablets sold worldwide makes the "it's all stupid people being manipulated by hype" argument seem positively stupid.
        Robert Hahn
        Reply Vote

    • Samsung is the sole supplier of the Retina display

      Three guesses who will be coming out with a competing product. First two guesses don't count. :/
      Dietrich T. Schmitz *Your
      Reply Vote

      • Probably Asus

        Yes, I know you were thinking Sammy. But Asus is proving among the swiftest of the Android product developers and they're hitting all the right spots.
        symbolset
        Reply Vote

      • Samsung?

        I expect Samsung to come out with a super "retina" quality display next, but this alone won't help there chances against the iPad. Apple will continue to own the 'premium' space for years to come. It's not just the hardware competitors need to compete with, it's also the smooth UI, the quality Mac Apps, content ecosystem, accessory and after market products.....
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

      • We're hosed

        Either way, it won't be Nokia. This is unfortunate, because it means that we here at ZDNet will spend a year being bombarded by notes from Munchkins telling us that no one needs or wants a high-resolution display.

        And then, once it's obvious that the Win 8 tablets are not doing all that well, the Munchkin script will be changed to read that we can't expect Win 8 tablets to sell well until the hardware OEMs offer high-resolution displays.
        Robert Hahn
        Reply Vote

    • I have to disagree

      The new iPad's display IS a technological marvel, but is it really that big of a deal for majority of consumers? I doubt it. The only reason the HD TV was such a hit was due to the fact that it doesn't have to be mobile, doesn't run off of a battery, and receives its data from non-mobile sources. The iPad, however, has to do all of these things. I'm still a little skeptical regarding the 10-hour battery life (maybe with the display turned off and no 4G?), and you think those hi-def, 4G apps won't eat up your 2gig monthly limit in no time? Good luck. I, for one, am looking forward to a 300$ tablet that can be my mobile productivity center when I'm away from home; I have yet to see this in any other tablet.
      lawliss
      Reply Vote

    • Riiiight ...

      A high-def screen is unique to Apple, right? Right.
      bitcrazed
      Reply Vote

  • If the tablet is hobbled by Windows

    It will be a mediocre product at best. Being the Nokia WP 7phones offer no upgradeable storage, the tablets will more than likely follow suit. How do you justify the high price of Windows, with out upgradeable storage?
    Jumpin Jack Flash
    Reply Vote

    • How does Apple justify the high price of iPhones without upgradable storage

      ? And iPads? This hasn't hurt Apple's sales. Besides, who said the Nokia tablet won't have upgradable storage? Windows doesn't prevent this. I added 32 GB to my Samsung Focus.
      mark.cooper@...
      Reply Vote

      • Cost?

        .. and what did you pay - around $20-30 bucks retail/delivered for the MicsroSDHC ? Not the +$100 dollars Apple fleece people for.
        neil.postlethwaite@...
        Reply Vote

    • Hobbled by Windows? It will automatically be superior with Windows,

      an OS which is, by all measures, much more feature rich and more powerful than the very limited iOS stuff in the iPads.

      So, in reality, the reverse is true, with iOS hobbling any device which uses it as an OS.
      adornoe
      Reply Vote

  • iOS's weak spot is custom applications

    Windows 8 will allow for personal app stores, which gives companies a good way of controlling what goes on their managed devices. No company wants to hand over their internal applications to Apple for "review." Especially if their internal apps actually break some of Apple's guidelines. Apps that manage internal data centers or extend internal sales management system don't have a place in Apple's marketplace.
    A Gray
    Reply Vote
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