Nokia to release Windows 8 tablet by end of the year?


12 Mar 2012

Nokia may be preparing to launch a Windows 8 tablet in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to reports citing component suppliers.

DigiTimes reports that Nokia may release a 10-inch tablet running on Windows 8 powered by a Qualcomm dual core processor.

The company could outsource production to Taiwanese manufacturer Compal Electronics, aiming to build 200,000 units for the first batch of shipments. Nokia recently cut 4,000 staff in factories in Hungary, Mexico and Finland to move device assembly to Asia in order to be closer to its component suppliers.

This rumoured Windows 8 device would be the latest tablet to enter the market, which Apple’s iPad dominates. Microsoft’s new OS Windows 8 has been designed for both tablets and PCs, featuring live tile icons, touch-first browsing and full-screen apps.

Nokia recently dropped Symbian as its primary mobile operating system for smartphones in order to move to Windows Phone 7.