Nokia launches Lumia tablet, joins large-screen smartphone race

Matt Smith in Abu Dhabi

Nokia has unveiled its first tablet and large-screen smartphones, which will form part of Microsoft's global push to become a leading player in consumer devices when it takes over the Finnish company's handset business.

The Lumia 2520 tablet, along with the Lumia 1320 and 1520 phones are among the last products Nokia developed before deciding to sell the devices unit to Microsoft in a deal that is due to close in the first quarter of next year.

Nokia, once the global leader in mobile phones, arrived late to the smartphone race and has struggled to catch up with Apple and Samsung, who dominate the increasingly crowded market for large-screen smartphones, known as phablets.

The Lumia tablet, which has a 10-inch screen, will also face tough competition from the likes of Apple, which is expected to unveil slimmer, faster iPads on Tuesday.

The phablets, which both have 6-inch screens, will take on a multitude of similar devices from Samsung.

Analysts said the new products, which will retain the Nokia brand after the Microsoft handover, are priced low enough to attract interest.

The Lumia 2520, which comes in glossy red and white as well as matt cyan and black versions, is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter for about $499.

"The tablet is a nice design, it's a good-value proposition," Gartner analyst Annette Zimmermann said, though she doubts that Nokia's first foray into the tablet market will bring billions in sales.

Possible Clash

Others also questioned whether the new launch is enough to lure consumers back to Nokia and Microsoft, while Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said the Lumia 2520's position for Microsoft is unclear, particularly after the software giant launched its own tablets.

At midnight on Monday, Microsoft started selling its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Still feeling its way in the computer hardware business, the company is banking on the lighter and faster models boosting the lacklustre sales of its touch-screen devices.

"Despite a more affordable price, the respective positioning of Nokia's tablet versus the Surface 2 is not obvious and will have to be dealt with after the Nokia acquisition," Husson said.

The new devices will help Microsoft to increase the number of Windows users, but Husson said he expects it to remain a long way from "a significant installed base of consumers".

Nokia's former chief executive Stephen Elop, hired in 2010 to turn round the company, decided in early 2011 to drop Nokia's own operating system in favour of the Microsoft's untested Windows Phone software.

The Lumia devices have been well received by technology blogs and critics, but sales have been slow to pick up, partly because of a lack of Windows Phone apps and a limited marketing budget.

Lumia 2520 tablet specification

Operating System: Windows RT 8.1

Processor: 2.2GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 800 by Qualcomm

Memory: 2GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory, micro SD card support up to 32GB

Display: 10.1-inch 1080p full HD (1920x1080) AH-IPS with Gorilla Glass 2

Primary camera: 6.7MP

Secondary Camera: 2MP

Battery: 8000 mAh

Standby time: up to 25 days over WiFi

Video playback: up to 11 hrs

Colours: Red and white (gloss); Black and cyan (matte)

Lumia 1520 phablet specification

Operating System: Windows Phone 8

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (2.2GHz Quad Core )

Memory: 2GB RAM, 32 GB internal user memory; micro SD card support up to 64GB

Display: 6-inch full HD 1080p with Gorilla Glass 2

Primary camera: PureView 20 MP with dual LED flash and optical image stabilisation

Secondary Camera: HD 1.2 MP wide angle

Battery: 3400 mAh

Talk time: up to 25.1 hrs (on 3G)

Colours: Yellow, white, black and glossy red

Lumia 1320 phablet specification

Operating System: Windows Phone 8

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (1.7Ghz Dual-Core)

Memory: 1GB RAM, 8 GB internal user memory; micro SD card support up to 64GB

Display: 6-inch HD IPS (1280x720) with Gorilla Glass 3

Primary camera: 5MP

Secondary Camera: 0.3MP VGA

Battery: 3,400 mAh

Talk time: up to 21 hrs (on 3G)

Colours: Orange, black, white, yellow