Nokia is set to focus on Lumia smartphones at the soon approaching Mobile World Congress 2013. We're likely to see more advances in the same product line, or not depending on whether we see a new family of devices announced. But what about tablets? Nokia was rumoured to be heading into the tablet market, right? Correct. But slow down, ol' chap.
We're looking at new Windows Phones from the manufacturer at the event in Barcelona, and we'll place some light bets down that Elop and co. will bring forward a tablet product later on in the year. Strategy Analytics have also stated they expect Nokia to stick to phones at MWC (according to channel checks), further adding weight to the tablet-later-in-the-year basket.
Reason for the tablet delay? We've heard from some industry insiders who believe Nokia, like Samsung, are moving away from an RT tablet strategy and instead are opting to 'go Pro' meaning a full Windows 8 device. That certainly seems plausible as the Surface RT appears to have locked up that market.Suh a change in focus could also explain the delay as presumably Nokia would need more time in working with a full--fledged desktop OS.
This also makes sense as Nokia can further reinforce its lead within the Windows Phone ecosystem (last check at 76%). We're already seeing the likes of Huawei jumping on the Microsoft train, and we can see the Finnish manufacturer looking to secure its future with Windows Phone 8 - hello, 41MP EOS. If you're eagerly awaiting for both a new smartphone and tablet from Nokia, you'll have to be slighly more patient for the latter.
Fear not though, fellow WPCentralites as we'll be on the floor bringing you the latest headlines straight from the event.
Source: Strategy Analytics; thanks, Eric, for the heads up!
Reader comments
Nokia to focus on Lumia phones in Barcelona. Windows 8 Pro tablet to follow later?
There won´t be a Lumia 920 successor at MWC, only some ne Mid and Low Range Lumia´s. The Successor will be released later this year... this is the info we got from nokia today.
gods, i woud buy those noka tablet renders if it released. so damn sexy.
Nokia can go Windows 8 Pro with a good Intel Atom CPU. Make a nice around 8 inch device and offer a competitive price. It does not have to me a i3 or i5... An Atom will offer better performance as a Tegra3 with RT and cost just liitle more but enable users to run legacy software. What Nokia should do is to ship such a tablet with a build in Anti-Virus so consumers don't have to deal with that!
I have the Samsung ATIV S & Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro XE700T1C and I love the Eco system of MS Windows 8!!! I just hope next time around with WP9 That MS should use Intel Atom "22nm/14nm" Instead of ARMv8 technology!
The only advantage for WP9 to use ARMv8 is for backwards compatibility with WP8 ARMv7 technology software.
I hope Nokia and other's move to Intel eco system on NT 6.2 or future NT 7.0 "Windows 9" only! A world without software using ARMv7/ARMv8 technology.
Nokia has 4 tiers of Lumia now (6xx - 9xx). Even if they start out with a Pro, I'm sure they'd have a RT planned, too. However, I'm skeptical about whether they're really trying to enter the tablet market just yet, too. I think they have some more stabilizing/regrowth to do in the smartphone arena before adding more "risk." Maybe the next iteration.
Why doesn't Microsoft define Pro as a PC OS that can run on a tablet, and RT as a phone OS run on a tablet. That's essentially what they are anyway. I think people would grasp that concept fairly easily, and then price would be the second defining factor after performance.
They need to cut ARM out of the equation all together, soon as the 22nm Atom come to market this fall there is no need for the ARMv7 32-bit technology any more!
So it makes sense Nokia move to Intel x86 64-bit technology so they can have 4GB RAM if they want instead of limited 3GB RAM of the 32-bit ARMv7 technology.
Nokia should look at an 7in wp8 tablet
I think skipping an RT tablet would be a big mistake for any manufacturer hoping to push a Windows 8 device.
People have to realize something. The reason for ipads and even android tablets succes is that people buy them for the main purpose of MEDIA consumption.
They don't care and certainly don't want to spend $1000 on a surface pro to be able to run PhotoShop better. They want Netflix streaming and social networking, they want successors to Temple Run and other great tablet games, and they want to do it with a bad ass HD display with 0 instability issues.
If Windows wants its tablet market to be successful at all I think that's where they need to really focus on because that is where they're going to get the majority of sales.
I'm hoping and waiting for a Windows RT tablet to sync with my Lumia 920, compete and obliterate the iPad.. Not a laptop or my desktop.
windows 8 or windows phone ecosystem already lags on apps and RT has even lesser apps. I dont think windows 8 RT will succedd untill BLUE update, that too if BLUE update indeed does whats being speculated. Till MS gets it right ppl should wait n watch so as to not burn fingers like WP7.5/7.8. windows 8 is much safer option than 8 RT as of now.
RT is fantastic. After a day of travel, watching movies on the flight south, browsing in the airport and instant on/sleep with fantastic portability I still have 60% battery life left. Built in office and no malware. Love our Surfii!
If Nokia is smart, they make a 7.x inch RT tablet with 64 and 128Gb and a 8.x inch Win8Pro with 128, 256 and 384Gb. Better to not go into low end where Apple and Samsung dominate. I rather make less and be profitable. A atom based tablet with 4Gb of Ram and 64 to 256 would also sell well. Nokia should offer more RAM and SSD plus a cool design.
everyone says how better the pro version is than rt but they are neglecting a fact: the desktop environment is not optimized for touch. Yes you can connect a mouse or use a type cover but on a 10 inch screen you can't be productive. I have a surface RT and i've tried to be productive with the type cover via remote desktop. I connect to my laptop at full screen, the response is great but on 10 inches it's just not the same. Nokia should NOT get their hards dirty with the pro version. The pro version is doomed to oblivion. The RT version is the future
Windows RT is great, the biggest issue is confusion caused by adding the desktop. But this is required because Metro is not complete. Windows RT 2.0 should not have a desktop, come with a touched based version of Office and all advanced options from the desktop should be available from the Metro interface. This has to happen this year or RT is dead.
I hope they come out with both an RT and Pro model. I prefer an RT for tablets, but I know many of you would rather get a Pro.
I'd like for them to not get too involved with tablets at this point. They are a phone company and need to have that area in the green before venturing out to other areas - it just makes little business sense to pour resources into two different markets when the profits aren't really where they should be. They have finally managed to gain some traction with their phones and they have great momentum with them so I'd rather have them focus on that and give some real competition to Samsung and Apple than venture off into tablets. If they succeed in establishing a credible phone brand, they'll have no problem selling tablets and I think the company realizes this too hence why they are scaling it back a little. HTC got burnt trying the same thing (amongst many other erratic strategies) so might as well learn from their mistakes.
+1 god point, focus on what you know and make profits, sounds like a winner to me
Already got Lumia 710 and loving it.
Gonna buy that Tablet once its available, Nokia FTW
That and a new Laptop to run some new games and will Windows 8 PRO :D
Windows 8 has put my OLD Laptop Ultra-Fast again but this cant run proper games.
The problem I have with pro tablets is that despite improvements in the atom processors, they are still not as frugal with power as ARM processors. Now I know that people will cite x device with y battery life that is equal or better than surface, but keep in mind those devices have a bigger battery than surface. All things equal the ARM processor still creams atom for battery life.
The other point is that tegra was not (when surface RT was launched) and is not a good example of an ARM processor. Stick an S4 pro or, even better, one of the new snapdragon 800s (due in a couple of months) and the performance is bolstered enough to run some impressive 3D content at 1080p, with battery savings to boot. You might note than none of the current crop of atom-based windows 8 tablets has a 1080p panel. That's because the current atom's gpu is not up to the task. I'm not too familiar with intel's next gen plans, but I know they have always underdelivered on graphics and don't expect the next generation of atom will quite rival the new qualcomm.
I do appreciate the ability to run every app ever made for windows, but in 3 months of surface RT use, I havent really felt the need to. The only thing I've missed is a good image editor. I think it'd be interesting to see microsoft open up the desktop on RT for select apps like photoshop elements or similar, or even bundle their own solution developed in house. This would solve another issue I have with pro: desktop apps UIs were never designed to be run on a small high pixel density screen. If selected apps were developed for the RT desktop they would be designed for their target device form factor.
There are a lot of other advantages to RT - cheaper hardware (intel is expensive), install footprint is a lot smaller (someone mentioned a 32GB acer w8pro above - that'd have under 10gb useable space), comes with free office. I really think the next gen surface RT (hopefully there is one) will solve any performance problems (mostly already solved with software updates) and bring premium features like 1080p screens and even better battery life.
Then there's the issue of smaller devices. Windows 8 is going to have to go down to 7", and I'd bet it'll happen sooner rather than later. I'm not sure you'd get an atom + a big enough battery in a slim 7" device. In fact I havent even seen any 10" atom tablets, though that may be more down to standard LCD panel sizes than anything else (if there is one I'd like to know).
Keep in mind that the average consumer leaning towards an ipad isnt looking for compatibility with old desktop apps, they want a light device with good battery life that they are solely buying for touch, so the selling point of windows pro is largely moot to them, they dont want to poke around at tiny UI elements on their touchscreen, they just want an excellent touch experience. ARM can do that without compromising on battery life or performance (I say again, tegra 3 is a really bad example), and it can be achieved right now, rather than waiting for the next gen from intel and hoping the graphics performance is good enough for 1080p. And it has the advantage over the ipad of more diverse hardware, plus office and a more modern UI.
So that's why I'd like to see a 7" nokia RT tablet. I think it'd be the perfect device to a) flesh out microsofts windows 8 range and b) be something unique that would do well for nokia
They should have started having pro first and not even have an RT. Seems like Pro sold out more faster than RT first lunch
an 8 inch colorful Lumia tablet with NFC would be amazing. I don't think the are making a tablet this small though since they plan on having a dock for it.
If Nokia really wants to get into the Win 8 tablet market and succeeds, it should either comes up with a 7" RT tablet selling at $300 or a new Haswell chip based 10" Win 8 Pro tablet selling at $700. The 7" RT tablet would pair well with Xbox 720 and become an interesting home entertainment center package. The Haswell Win 8 Pro tablet will be thinner, lighter, faster and cheaper than the current generation of tablets while with 9-hour battery life. Nokia can add colors, phone capability and Pureview camera tech to make it more attractive than than their competitors, Surface Pro included. The Haswell based Windows 8 Pro tablet/Ultrabooks will prove to be very successful offerings and the Win 8 devices will finally start flying off the shelves. Nokia can join that party and/or add a low end 7" RT tablet for the consumer market as well. The last thing you want to see them do is to build a me-too 10" RT tablet, like the Surface RT, selling at $499. It would fail.
Too bad people still think Atom processor is slow. I have the Samsung Ativ 500T tablet and is faster than RT. The first time I shown my IT coworkers and boss this tablet they made fun and said Win8 tablet is crap, and why I buy it. When I first took it to a meeting and use the Wacom pen in OneNote, I know they are envious, but they don't want to admit it. I used to dread going to meetings, now I can't have enough of them so I can rub it to their face. Is usually best to show examples than trying to defend it.
i prefer surface over any tablet
While I look forward to what Nokia will bring to the tablet market, MS gets my money for their Surface product line. I don't care about the other h/w partners tablet offerings. If/when MS releases an Ultrabook it's mine!
The way I see it, the biggest challenge of Win RT is the processor. The current NVIDIA processor in Surface RT is clearly not enough for the OS. My old first gen i5 laptop runs much faster on full Win 8 Pro than that. I think Office 2013 runs faster on a 5-year-old Core 2 Duo laptop with Win 7 than on Surface RT. From NVIDIA's bullishness on RT, perhaps they have a capable processor in the pipeline. But if you ask for my opinion, I would bet the power consumption comes down faster on the Intel side than performance goes up on the ARM side.
To be honest, I'm not waiting for new Lumia phones (I just got the 920 and this time I'm sticking with it for the 2 year warranty). BUT I am eagerly awaiting for a Nokia tablet, specially since the "Surface" ones are a gigantic flop (the good one runs RT, the bad one runs Pro...).
So if Nokia will be developing the Lumia Tablet with W8, I will gladly wait for it a bit longer. I will be angry if after that they come up with an RT version though...
Aren't they *fundamentally* the same tablet adapted to accommodate two different OS's? The pro is heavier, thicker (not by much) and faster than the RT but that's to accommodate the full OS and its demands. I don't get your point. After seeing many comparisons, they look pretty similar to me so what are you getting at here?
Not really, no. The Pro while having the better OS version, is bigger, heavier and the battery life sucks BIG time. That's all negative. The RT has better dimensions, is lighter, the battery is better. However it runs the worse version of the OS.
The RT also has the advantage of having the capability of adding memory through a microSD. The Pro doesn't have that. In its place, it has a USB port for you to connect an external drive...and that alone defeats the purpose of a tablet.
And let us not forget the price. The Surface Pro is way too expensive for what it is. And since it will be competing with the iPad (whether we like it or not), it stands no chance.
Therefore I'm eagerly awaiting for Nokia to develop their tablet with W8. Because I know they'll do a way better job than Microsoft when it comes to hardware.
DJCBS says: "The RT also has the advantage of having the capability of adding memory through a microSD. The Pro doesn't have that."
Some of your points are definitely valid but to correct a point of misinformation. Surface Pro has the same memory upgrading ability using microSD. Please note the tech specs in the link, and I have confirmed it by touching the physical product.
http://surface.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/Content/pbpage.Surface_Pro?ESICaching=off
"Ports: Full-size USB 3.0 • microSDXC card reader • Headset jack • MiniDisplay port • Cover port"
Nokia is the reason why I haven't got a Surface or the HP Envy. Now the envy is a convertible laptop, but I do like that fact that I can still get Pro at a nice affordable price. I do feel that Nokia will still come out with both......ijs
I see the future is an Intel world! The ARMs War vs Intel will be won by Intel in the end. With in two years the Intel 22nm Atom move to 14nm Atom way beyond ARMv8 technology.
Windows RT Is 32-bit ARMv7 technology with the maximum 3GB of RAM limited till they make Windows RT 64 and use 64-bit ARMv8 technology!
Using Intel's x86 technology with NT 6.2 a real Windows destroys limited ARMv7 based Windows RT.
Good to see W510 getting some props in the comments. But don't forget about W700. You get about 7-8 hours battery with i3 performance. It costs a little more but in terms of battery to performance ratio, W700 may be the best.
I love everything about the Acer W700 except it doesn't support digitizer pen. This is a deal breaker for me. I love the Wacom pen on my ATIV 500t.
What date will Nokia showcase their wear?
I hope that is not true. I'm really hoping for a Nokia Pro tablet with cellular and GPS, PureView and that rumoured Nokia keyboard with extra juice. I just cannot find anyone to take my money these days. There is still no option of buying an unlocked/unbranded yellow/red/cyan L920 LTE. Maybe Nokia is a curse for Windows Phone--they make you not want any other brand but their availability totally blows with no end in sight. I stopped buying apps or using my phone for anything but calls/text because I cannot stand my HD7. But there is no option for me getting a Lumia 920 unless I sign a 3 year contract with fracken Rogers and no way I'm doing that. Why couldn’t I have gotten enamoured by iPhone like so many--it would be so much simpler.
I'm pretty sure I saw them available unlocked on Expansys Canada. They cost you a pretty penny but you definitely have that option.
And I'm certain you could get them from down south or the European market if you really wanted to.
With that said. I agree wholeheartedly, their distribution has been awful. Yellow is still "coming soon" here and there is still limited stock for the Black, white and red. Meanwhile, every store I check is stacked with Galaxy S3s.
I know they are expensive but I still check Expansys Canada a few times a week. They keep saying usually available to order in 5 - 10 days but they have never got any in yet. They do have unlocked Rogers-branded black phones but if I'm going to spend that much out of contract because of Nokia's lousy availablity I'm at least not going to settlle on the colour and branding. They have had unbranded/unlocked yellow ones listed for a couple of months now but no sign of when they are going to get them.
RT is stupid. Ms needs to immidiately abandon this drag of a system.
The purpose of RT was to get Intel to seriously focus on the ultra low power space (back in the day, the real point of non-x86 versions of NT was basically the same; to get Intel to build the parts Microsoft wanted). Silvermont (next-gen Atom) should improve performance a lot and stay in the same (or lower) power envelope, while Haswell should radically reduce power consumption for their 'regular' CPUs, so I'd say it did exactly what MS wanted.
That's just not true - in fact it's been Apple who has been pushing Intel for years over power consumption (something that Intel has publicly admitted):
http://www.slashgear.com/intel-apple-threatened-to-dump-us-over-our-gree...
There is no way the lackluster demand for RT is putting any pressure on anybody. RT was all about attempting to slow the adoption of iOS and Android tablets.
Nokia is suffering from Microsoft's laziness with Windows Phone (slow updates, lacking functionality, Xbox live games) so why stretch themselves any thinner by jumping on another poorly supported Microsoft OS (RT). As a windows phone user, all I want to see is Microsoft up its game with OS updates and Nokia continue to improve their software/services offerings. Nokia should leave the tablet for now, even if it would be great looking.
RT is definatly not a poorly supported os from mS, it has been receiving updates at a regular pace. As I have said before the reason why we have RT is for smaller devices like a 7 inch tablet, who in there right mind would want windows 8 pro on a 7 inch tablet.
To me, RT has always been pointless because right from the start Microsoft's stated aim was to produce an OS that allows you to have the tablet experience and also have access to PC applications that have been available for years and uses by hundreds of millions and that distinction was what set them apart from ios and android which restricted you to mobile apps. RT negates that advantage and tries to compete on the same level as ios and android but that battle cant be won because that battle is all about apps which RT still doesnt have today. So it will always be seen as inferior.
With Windows 8, you can have one device that does it all for you but the problem is the hardware hasnt fully caught up with the software yet. Intel's Atom get the closest today but still lacks power but from mid-2013 with Haswell and Bay Trail we will finally start seeing devices that can do it all and also boast the ios and android advantages of long battery life, thinness and low weight. Couple that with better hardware and RT's only advantage would be cost and with the likes of Acer's W510 and Asus' Vivo Tab Smart going for typical tablet prices of $500 the argument for RT becomes even harder.
RT is good but its looking like its advantages are already being eroded so its no surprise that OEM's are moving towards x86 for their tablet offerings.
Agree.
If you go for RT, there honestly no reason to go for iPad or Android tablet.
:( I wanted a 7" Lumia, RT tablet.
Why would Nokia produce a Pro tablet? That's entering the whole competitive PC market which is a massive change. An RT tablet is more inline with ARM based phones, just with a bigger screen, and given their mobile experience I'm sure it would include cellular options which the Surface doesn't provide.
Perhaps Nokia will start to get more in bed with Intel and produce x86 phones and tablets... but ARM still has the power/performance edge whatever Intel would like you to believe.
I'm guessing because it's a huge PITA to distinguist RT from Pro to customers, especially since MS has done such a poor job themselves in explaining it. Also the price difference between an RT and Pro just isn't drastic enough to warrant investment by some companies.
They are probably waiting for Intel Bay Trail Atoms with 2x the performance of current Atoms
Boooooo!!! True a Pro tablet is the beesknees, but no one is looking to buy an $800 tablet with the kind of volume Nokia needs. Even apple can't sell those. They should roll out the RT tablets with the S4 Pro and 4GB of memory. At that point, waiting for a pro won't be necessary. We already have laptops but we need a super powered consumption device with candy coated colors and enough juice to kill any slowdown in the UI. The S4 Pro with mega amounts of memory is the sweat spot. Throw in a 7inch and 10 inch model with 1080P screens and take our Money!! Put the android tablets out of their misery already won't you
I don't think people realize that Atom tablets exist. Many, including myself, always thought that there is 2 categories: ARM tablets where you get excellent battery life and no x86 compatibility, and i5-tablets that give you excellent performance, x86 compatibility, and crappy battery life. I only recently found out about the middle-ground called Atom, which is basically as far as I can tell, x86 compatiblity, good CPU performance, bad GPU performance, and excellent battery life. You should write an article about this :)
Totally agree. I thought the Atoms were for the graveyard.
Intel should have made a new name for Clover Trail CPUs onward.
Agree. My Samsung Ativ 500t get at less 9 hours on a single charge. It ran two youtube in 1080 at 50-75% cpu usage. I'm very impressed. Can't wait for the next gen Atom and Haswell processors.
There are two atom tablets (Acer / Lenovo) that hit the magic battery life number, but all ARM Tablets hit the magic battery life number. The S4 Pro is sweet because it gives you performance like that Atom but it scales for volume at a much cheaper price than Atom processors. that means that if Nokia can pump out enough of these things at a decent price, they can get their tablets subsidized via carriers with LTE modems. Also, Nokia has a lot more experience with ARM chips than they have with intel chips, which means when you throw in an LTE modem you're leveraging all their engineering know how and All their performance know how. intel is a new world for them. You have also also consider that intel isn't pushing atom tablets because they don't want to discourage manufacturers from adopting their Medfield chips that are coming out this year for mobile. The super ARM chips are your best all around option for consumption tablets until the Medfield chips show us what they can really do, because the Atom chips are end of life.
My Vivo Tab got better battery life than my iPad 2 and device is faster than any ARM device i have ever tested.
I would also make a nice Intel Atom based Tablet, with 4Gb of RAM and between 64 and 384 of SSD disk space. This would provide averything needed at a price point people can afford.
RT is far from doomed - but I think Microsoft could make it more sucessful if they did open up the ability for developers to recompile desktop apps.
Not many would, but it would make the ARM platform much more broadly usable by all users, and would definitely appeal more to techies who use a lot of open source apps (putty, notepad++ etc.)
That is disappointing news indeed. If they only go pro, I would certainly not be getting a Nokia tablet. I am only interested in RT tablets, and if they ignore it, it would be a mistake.
SAME HERE! RT or Stick with my BB Playbook! I was really hoping for a 7" Nokia RT tablet.
Win8 Pro tablets doesn't mean expensive or that it requires fans. Look at the Thinkpad Tablet 2 or the Samsung Ativ tablet.
+1 add Acer W 510 to that list. :)
As much as I want a lumia tablet today, I think they should wait for W8 to gain some traction. Else it will affect their financials, and naysayers will add another " I told u so" to the whole ecosystem. Having said that, they should be almost ready with the design, apps etc for RT. So they can release the tablet RT or PRO with a big bang.
RT table was always doomed. Nokia scrapping it to go Pro is great news indeed. I had no plans to buy an RT tablet, but a Pro tablet from Nokia? Shut up and take my money.
RT Tablet. Cheaper model, Quick access apps. I have a Laptop for EXEs.
A cool 8" Nokia RT on different colors would be killer.
I don't understand that, RT is very good.
CPU Power, Heat, Battery life. All things ARM excel at.
And ARM _IS_ good enough to run a corporate PC all day... as well... I do!
RT was (and isn't yet) doomed.
The good news will be if Intel can make a more powerful CPU but can match the cool temperature and battery life of ARM. That is Intel's challenge. MS gave themselves 2 options in case Intel has (or do) fail.
I would like to see an NVIDIA SOC powered RT
The Surface RT has an Nvidia SOC. I would like to see the next version of Surface RT with a Qualcomm SOC.
How has the Surfact RT locked up that maket? The RT doesn't seem to have been a home run at all. In fact the Pro seems to have been more successful, at least from a reviews perspective. It feels that the Pro market will have a lot more competition from traditional laptop OEMs and it's further away from the market the Nokia knows. RT would make more sense to me.
Agree. I don't think the Surface has locked up the market either, primarily because it isn't available everywhere (only at http://Microsoft.com, BB, and Staples in the U.S.). I think if Nokia can fill in the distribution gap (in the U.S. and in Europe) as well as offer a RT device at a lower price than the Surface RT, I think that their device would be successful.
I think Nokia should tread lightly and test the waters with a RT device first, but at the end of the day, Nokia knows best :)
Okay, forget locked up. The RT market is not where OEMs are heading and they would rather make Pro devices. RT ones have a limited appeal with minimal cost savings compared to a Pro.
RT tablets come with free Office 2013. It's great for someone needs ipad like tablet with added Office functionality. The only reason they did sell many RT tablets:
1. Priced pretty high at $500+
2. App store was weak at the beginning.
Both are no longer true. The other day I saw Asus Vivotab RT selling for $350 w/ battery keyboard! They sold out quickly but you can get one for $400 now. There are tons of decent apps now too.
I can't wait to see what they will show at mwc. My lumia 900 is great but im looking forward to see what the next pureview tech will be and the advancements made to the os
Funny,, I've been feeling sorry for you 900 guys, with the innovations that my 920 has, but soon you guys will be feeling sorry for me because I'm going to be stuck with this out of date 920. Lol!! But, that's ok, and I hope what comes out next absolutely makes my 920 look like a first Gen Samsung focus. That's right, please Nokia kill the 920 with with the next version... Funny, I'm at the airport, and right now, while I'm typing this, a guy just passed me with a cyan 900!! Cool!!
For my tablet uses and my wallet, I'd rather have an RT like device. I can't justify spending nearly $1,000 on a tablet that will not be my primary productivity tool.
I fully agree with this. My wife has a Surface, and is perfectly happy with RT. It would be nice if the processor speed could be pepped up a bit, maybe a little more memory... not a fan of the non-adjustable stand. Love the keyboard.
I think Nokia could make a really great RT tablet.
Fact: Acer W510 with Windows 8 Pro with an Atom processor bought from Microsoft Store for $399. Performs like a champ.
Just because the Surface Pro is $1k doesn't mean a Nokia Tablet needs to cost that much either, just saying.
But, why are the surface tablets so expensive? Are they really that much better than other RT/Pro tablets? And, if so how? I haven't had a chance to pick up one and check it out.
Surface Pro $1000
128 GB SSD
i5 Processor
4 GB RAM
USB 3.0
10 point multi-touch screen
VaporMg case = molded magnesium = metal case
Iconia W510 $500 on 2/15/2013
32 GB SSD
Atom Processor
2 GB RAM
USB 2.0
5 point multi-touch screen
plastic case
There is a reason for the premium-priced Surface Pro.
Lets also add a wacom digitizer and a full 1080p display (Iconia has 1366x768. The ssd aren't the same either. The surface has the faster esata SSD. The Iconia has netbook specs and the surface has ultrabook specs and is priced accordingly.
How on earth did you get that price? The average price is $710-$900!! Actually, that's with the dock... it's still $600 without!
I'm not sure why you people keep ignoring the Atom tablets. Fanless, run full windows, more powerful than ARM, and just about as cheap.
I haven't tried the latest atom processors, but if their anything like the previous ones installed on netbooks, I want nothing to do with them. I have a dell duo. The screen is awful and the performance is poor. If the new atom devices get a better screen and considerably improve performance, I would consider it.
I'm with you on this, ymcpa. I have an HP netbook with atom and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe these new ones are improved?
For the difference in cost; I would rather see RT tablets from these OEMs. The Pro tablets are nice but they are heavier, more expensive and require a fan. The RT version will do everything I want it to do because of the Office Apps. On Board memory is the only issue I see on the RT versions rigth now.
My Acer W510 is Full Win8, no fans. Just saying.
Yes, not all pro tabs have fans. Thank god!!
You may be surprised at what Pro tablets can achieve when lower power Haswell chips launch later this year. If they don't achieve fanless design, they will sure as hell come close. Besides, even right now the current (fanless) Atom CPU's outperform ARM on WinRT. I've been wondering for a while whether MS wasted their time and resources porting Windows to ARM at this point in the game.
I hope they go pro as well. RT is basically a dead end with Intel ramping up Atom chips with full x86 functionality and ARM-like battery life
Intel is still weak on cellular modem side. For now nobody beats Qualcomm on integrated LTE solution. That and other reasons, RT is here to stay. RT also keeps Intel on their toes.
RT also keeps the malware out!
Well, that's about the only advantage IMO.
Battery. I don't see x86 getting as good as ARM on that front so soon. Also the x86 apps are far from optimized in regard to energy consumption.
If nokia tablets will run RT then its a fail and i wont even bother to think about buying it! Either Pro or andriod and ill for sure buy one!
A Nokia RT with added program support would be great.
There is only one thing clunkier than an Android phone: an Android tablet.
The best part about RT tablets is that they don't run legacy applications. Anyone that makes a big deal about them not running desktop applications has never used one.
i dont think RT is dead, i can see this powering smaller surface devices in the near future.
The colored Lumia tablet just looks so sexy.