A Nokia Android device is the wet dream of many former Nokia handset owners that have bought a device powered by Google’s operating system. But Nokia decided to choose Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform as its dominant smart OS for its smartphones instead of going the Android route. Will the same thing happen with tablets?
Talking to the media in Sydney, Australia, Stephen Elop offered a few details about Nokia’s plans going forward when it comes to producing its own tablets. The former leader of the mobile business is very interested in the tablet landscape as well, and we could see a Nokia tablet hit stores in the not too distant future. Will it run a Windows version?
That seems to be the most probable course for the company, but Android is not completely ruled out. While Elop would not offer too many details about Nokia’s upcoming tablet plans, he did say that the company is considering all possibilities when it comes to tablet OS:
“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.”
“We would consider any option [Android or Windows] … 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,” Mr Elop said.
“But we have made no decision or announced nothing.”
Microsoft’s own Windows 8 tablets aren’t too hot right now, and it would certainly interesting to see which way Nokia will go. Choosing Windows makes a lot of sense, but what if Nokia wants to produce affordable tablets – something it’s planning to do with its smartphones as well, as per Elop’s statements – will we then see a Nokia Android tablet in stores?
Elop also made some comments regarding Nokia’s Windows Phone choice instead of Android. Apparently Nokia did not want to enter an overcrowded mobile ecosystem two years ago:
“If we look back two years to when we made the decisions, then Samsung was big, HTC was pretty big and Motorola was pretty big. Of course what has happened in the two years is that Samsung has captured the lion’s share of it and the others have been squeezed down to much smaller market share. We were worried about exactly that pattern forming.”
Would you buy a Nokia Android tablet? What about a Windows-powered one?
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