Nokia preparing to launch a phablet of Galaxy Note proportions?
Nokia is reportedly planning to launch a phablet similar in size to Samsung's 5.5-inch Galaxy Note but with better specs.
Nokia's current flagship device is the Lumia 920, which has a 4.5 inch display. The Windows Phone handset could soon have a bigger brother, which the company is gearing up to release later this year, the Financial Times reports, citing sources familiar with the Finnish company's plans.
While the FT's sources say the device will have more "advanced specifications" than the Note, the paper doesn't provide further details on the hardware.
The report claims the Nokia's new phablet will be part of its Windows Phone 8 Lumia family, which Nokia will be adding several high-end models too this year. Despite persistent rumours, the Lumia line is yet to be joined a tablet. Nokia has said it's keeping its options open on that front, however.
A Nokia spokesperson declined to comment on any potential phablet when contacted by ZDNet.
Nokia's claimed move towards a phablet follows Samsung's announcement last week of the LTE Galaxy Mega, which will be will be available in Europe and Russia from May, and pushes the boundaries of the emerging phablet category.
The smaller of the two will have a 5.8 inch display and have 8GB on board storage, while the larger phablet sidles up to tablet dimensions with a 6.3-inch HD display in 8GB or 16GB flavours. The displays are closer to Apple's 7.9-inch iPad mini than its 4-inch iPhone 5.
Nokia is announcing its first quarter 2013 results today, which will reveal whether it has made progress on its better than expected results in the fourth quarter of 2012, when it sold 4.4 million Lumia smartphones.