Windows 8 Tablet in June 2012, Says Nokia Executive
The head of Nokia France claims that the company will produce a Windows 8 tablet in June of next year.
Paul Amsellem, head of Nokia France, recently confirmed with local newspaper Les Echos that the company will indeed release a Windows 8 tablet next year. There are also plans for two additional Windows Phone handsets in the same timeframe, one higher-end than the current Lumia 800 and one less expensive than the Lumia 710.
"[The Lumia 800 is] a bit the equivalent of the BMW 5 Series," said Amsellem [as translated from French]. "We will soon have a full range with a Series 7 and Series 3," he said (continuing his BMW comparison). "And in June 2012, we will have a tablet running Windows 8."
Based on a "leaked" roadmap, Windows 8 is scheduled to go into beta during CES 2012 in January, followed by a Release Candidate in April. After that, the upcoming OS is expected to see an RTM release in June followed by the final retail version in August. That said, consumers may not actually see Windows 8 devices until August 2012.
Naturally Nokia is neither confirming nor denying the development of a Windows 8 tablet despite Amsellem's comment. "We haven’t announced any plans anywhere in the world at this point regarding a potential tablet strategy," a Nokia spokesperson stated.
Nokia also would not elaborate on the comment about the two upcoming Lumia phones. "There is no doubt that in the long term we view our Windows Phone 'Lumia' devices as a portfolio play – today we have announced 2 devices in the portfolio – the Nokia Lumia 710 and the Nokia Lumia 800," the spokesperson added. "However, the Nokia Lumia 800 represents the ‘flagship’ of our current portfolio – and we haven’t revealed what else may be in store in the future for the Lumia portfolio."
Wednesday at a Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms Conference in Barcelona, Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop said that the company plans to undercut Windows Phone rivals to give its new smartphones a foothold in the market before trying to improve margins.
"You see us pricing the devices so that that we can get what we think will be a good volume," Elop told Reuters. "What we hear from developers (is) they recognize the commitment we have made. We need to ship volumes of devices to further attract them."
I give it 5 years and apple will be moribund.
...
I give it the same amount of time again, except the only way Jobs is coming back this time is with a flashlight and a shovel
I've owned an iPhone 3GS and a WP7 phone, the latter of which is a very accurate preview of what a W8 tablet will be, and the WP7 wins hands down. This Metro UI is amazing.
I don't think it will actually kill the iPad for real, but it will take a massive amount of tablet business away from them on a scale that Android will never come close to.
We'll see.
Comparatively, the upcoming W8 tablets are likely going to be SoC style hardware (similar to current Android tabs and iPads), hopefully in the $400-500 price range.
ApplesPears to oranges really. Otherwise I would get W7 tab and install the W8 beta ASAP.
Growing larger by the minute too.
The fact that ALL Win8 apps will run on ALL WM8 devices (tablets / phones) is what will make MS powerful in the market. Its a matter of MS not fracking up the Win8 desktop user experience.
But no, Win/WM8 is not going to destroy apple. It's going to finish off Blackberry and take a chunk of market share from Android while making a small dent in iOS. Remember, Apple is working on a similar plan to merge iOS with their desktop OS.
iPad went from 100% last year to about 30% this year. This number was expected to gradually decrease BY ALL ANALISTS and again WHILE JOBBS WAS STILL AIVE, ok?
PS
Regarding TFA, I'm disgusted by the fact that former Microsoft executive could become CEO of a major brand and turn the company into Microsoft's exclusive hardware boy.
I give it 5 years and apple will be moribund.
Do you think that Steve love Apple so much that it will it to the grave with him?
If Apple becomes a degenerate company it had become in the late 90's without Jobs, I think it would be much better if it was indeed taken to the grave.
Er... no and no.
A - Apple NEVER had 100% of the phone market or 100% of the smart phone market.
B - As of today, Android has 52.3% of the market. (Gartner) iOS is at 15%.
C - Apple iOS market share has dropped 1.6%, yet SOLD MORE units. Symbian, a dying platform is still a tad more than Apple, has been cut in half. MS has gone DOWN to 1.5% market share.
My numbers above are for Android (phones & tablets) and iOS (iPhone & iPads).
D - As OF the past 45 days, tablet market share =
73% = iOS
17% = Android (most of the devices are crap)
05% = RIM / QNX
WebOS = 3% (hello - firesale)
02% = MS, MeeGo, Other.
Projections for 2015 =
46% = iOS
36% = Android
08% = RIM / QNX
11% = Microsoft
But *I* don't agree with those 2015 projections. They are based on MS's brute force sales. Not product innovation.
*MY Projection for 2015 - rough*
50% = iOS
30% = Microsoft (Windows Mobile 8)
17% = Android (half of this is Amazon's tablets)
02% = RIM
Why? Apple's eco system is solid and continues to grow. MS's Metro interface will do things that iOS as of today can't.... run desktop software. Android is being sued to death... if you are a hardware company - paying MS royalty fees may cost more than simply going with WM8-Metro. Other than Amazon and B&N - no other Android platform has a viable eco platform to work with...
... and as of today, neither does Microsoft. Google Music service may change that. But unlike Apple and MS/Nokia (MS should go ahead and buy them out - but what they are doing now is better than dealing with the FTC), those two have the hardwaresoftware together. Apple has content.
Android makers does NOT have that. Its strictly hardware. Google handles the .
When Samsung sells that tablet or phone... that is pretty much it. Google makes the money from apps and music. Apple makes money from the hardware and almost ALL content.
Nods... but we don't know if that was planned or it simply worked out that way. If Symbian was a strong mOS that wasn't the mess it is today, Nokia wouldn't need Android or MS... Trust me, MS needs Nokia badly at this time. Nokia could have gone Android. So either Nokia becomes THE only MS Mobile company or Samsung, HTC, etc all join the WM8 platform with open arms. Those factors will effect the future.
Samsung, HTC, Motorola all depend on Android at this point. The market doesn't need another mobileOS.
It's August 2012 and still NO Nokia tablet in sight. Well done mr. Paul Amsellem, you seem VERY capable in doing your job. Now could you explain wtf you actually did during these last 14 months? Did you actually lift your arse from you desk? Are is bureaucracy and speculation your job as a "Nokia Executive"?
Perhaps they can Execute you now for being incompetent?
After using Windows 8 and how MS is going about it... I think Win8 will just always be sub-par. While back in late 2011, I assumed a WP7 like UI would be used for the tablet (yes) - the reality of how they screwed us with the desktop should hurt tablet and phone sales. Also since that time - April of 2012, the market share for WP7 phones (world wide) is at 2% or less, and that is with selling the Nokia Lumia 900 for $50! Yet people are not thinking twice about buying a $100~200 HTC, Motorola or Samsung.
As of today, a Nokia branded tablet seems to be under the radar. With the Lumia phones tanking, I'm guessing that Nokia has put the tablet idea on the back burner.
*MY Projection for 2015 tablets - rough* - (AUG 2012 update)
50% = iOS
45% = Android (1/3 of these are Amazon's tablets)
05% = Microsoft (Windows Mobile 8)
00% = RIM (Because they are dead)
* The Amazon tablet is odd, its a threat to Android, but it depends on Android.