Nokia was working on a Surface-like tablet before it was cool

Since first being captivated by the beauty and excellence of Nokia's Lumia family of Windows Phone devices, people having been wondering if Nokia would follow Microsoft's lead by creating a Windows-based tablet, like the Surface. While we're nowhere closer to learning the answer to that question, what we do know is that Nokia had their sights on building a tablet back in 2011.

A patent application filed in October 2011 by name of “Apparatus Cover with Keyboard” shows what could easily be mistaken for early concept drawings of the Microsoft Surface tab, with the tablet and keyboard being integrated into a single cover/stand.

The timing of the patent filing means that this was likely never conceived of as a Windows RT tablet, but the concepts certainly could translate. Things have changed greatly in just the year and a half that have passed since the time of this original design, so who knows what else Nokia has dreamed up. But with only these sketches to go on, we'll just have to sit tight and see what the future brings.

Source: UnwiredView; Thanks for the tip, paras chugh!