Nokia Wants a Slice of the Tablet Pie Too
During the netbook boom, Nokia sat on the sidelines for most of the time and watched as everyone else raked in the profits, however slim those profit margins might have been. This time around, the Finnish corporation appears to paying closer attention to the market. As such, expect Nokia to introduce a tablet to compete against Apple's iPad, perhaps as early as this fall.
"Nokia hasn't fielded any breakaway products in years," says Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman Renshaw. "This is a new window, and Nokia had better be at the starting gate if and when the product category takes off."
Nokia Booklet 3G shown, which was more than fashionably late to the netbook party.
Kumar may have been playing his comments a little conservative, in that it's hard to argue that the tablet market hasn't already lifted off the ground, and in a big way. On the day of its release, Apple said it sold 300,000 iPads (including pre-order sales), which represents a bigger launch than the iPhone.
Going forward, several companies have already announced plans to jump into the tablet market, most notably HP and its highly anticipated Windows 7-based Slate. Microsoft, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and even MSI have shown interest, to name just a few.
According to Kumar, Nokia is currently working with suppliers and design manufacturers to make this happen. The goal, he says, is for Nokia to have a tablet ready in time for the back-to-school rush.
"Nokia hasn't fielded any breakaway products in years," says Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman Renshaw. "This is a new window, and Nokia had better be at the starting gate if and when the product category takes off."
Nokia Booklet 3G shown, which was more than fashionably late to the netbook party.
Kumar may have been playing his comments a little conservative, in that it's hard to argue that the tablet market hasn't already lifted off the ground, and in a big way. On the day of its release, Apple said it sold 300,000 iPads (including pre-order sales), which represents a bigger launch than the iPhone.
Going forward, several companies have already announced plans to jump into the tablet market, most notably HP and its highly anticipated Windows 7-based Slate. Microsoft, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and even MSI have shown interest, to name just a few.
According to Kumar, Nokia is currently working with suppliers and design manufacturers to make this happen. The goal, he says, is for Nokia to have a tablet ready in time for the back-to-school rush.
