Nokia is currently preparing its next Windows-based Lumia tablet. Twitter account Evleaks first revealed the codename for Nokia’s 8-inch Windows tablet — Illusionist – and The Verge can confirm the Finnish smartphone maker is readying it for a release early next year. Sources familiar with Nokia’s plans have confirmed the Illusionist codename, while revealing that the device will ship with Windows RT 8.1 and a Qualcomm processor. We understand Nokia is planning to release its smaller tablet around the same time its 6-inch Lumia 1320 debuts in certain markets next year.
While Nokia is pushing ahead with its small tablet plans for next year, it’s not clear whether the device will ever make it to the market broadly. Pending regulatory approval, Microsoft is expected to close its Nokia deal to acquire the hardware business in early 2014. Both Nokia and Microsoft are unable to cooperate closely until the deal is approved, and both firms have to continue with existing product plans to avoid regulatory scrutiny. Microsoft is also expected to launch its own 7.5-inch Surface "mini" in early 2014, meaning the company could have two similar Windows RT-based tablets for next year.
We also understand that Nokia’s Illusionist tablet will include a similar look and feel to the company’s recently announced Lumia 2520. Nokia will likely pick a lower Lumia numbering scheme for its upcoming 8-inch tablet to differentiate it from the 2520. Nokia is also preparing to launch a Lumia 929 handset on Verizon and a refreshed Lumia 525 low-cost Windows Phone. While Nokia World was thought to be the last major event for the Finnish firm, it’s clear it still has a number of devices to launch in the coming months regardless of the Microsoft deal.
Comments
According to Evleaks, Illusionist will include stylus right?
Lets pray for active digitizer support here!
By ofsaltyvanilla on 11.04.13 4:15pm
I don’t see that happening on an RT device, but I’d love to be surprised.
By razorflake on 11.04.13 5:00pm
Why not?
By GrzegorzWidla on 11.04.13 5:06pm
I don’t know. I thought about it more and realized it was a silly thing to say. Go, Wacom!
By razorflake on 11.04.13 5:17pm
because to compete with the Intel atom processors (x86) it will have to be dirt cheap and tablets that have active digitizers tend to cost more, also because how many windows rt apps are useful with active digitizers? there’s apps that support them sure but are any apps powerful enough to replace a desktop/laptop pc with a graphics tablet running full fat Photoshop. (I don’t really know what software digital artists like) and I dunno if people who go out and buy graphics tablets for high end graphics on high end computers will be interested in a budget Nokia tablet that cant run x86 software. like you said before though I would love to be surprised :)
By Sdude on 11.04.13 6:13pm
To compete with other small tablets it will need to be dirt cheap. Microsoft doesn’t have the mindshare to go toe to toe with Apple so this will need to come in well below the base price of the iPad Mini. Then they have to consider the cheap Android tablets that have a considerably larger ecosystem. They need to shoot for $150 starting if they want any chance of being successful.
By Bleached on 11.04.13 6:36pm
I use a Surface Pro right now. I primarily use the digitizer for OneNote. Also, I occasionally need to markup PDF documents. Both of those use cases would be supported on an RT tablet I presume.
By captainqtp on 11.04.13 6:55pm
Why would you want to run photoshop on a tablet this small. If they can get a stylus that works well in Onenote and fresh paint then it will be mine.
By ralexand56 on 11.04.13 7:53pm
I am interested in a small form Windows tablet.
I’m not however interested anything currently there.
But Nokia or Surface Mini would perk my interest.
By Averry on 11.04.13 4:15pm
Venue Pro 8 has been surprisingly good.
By brian.aarhus on 11.04.13 4:50pm
Do you have it? How is it in real world use? I have a iPad I use every day for work and I hate it. The hardware is nice but iOS is not for me and I was thinking of picking up a cheap(er) W8 tablet to use instead.
By Codiusprime on 11.04.13 5:00pm
I own one, I’m a big fan. Size, weight, battery life are all terrific for my purposes (mainly for reading articles / books, browsing the web, and watching a little Netflix in bed). It’s SUPER snappy – very, noticeably quicker than my first-gen Surface RT (not surprising). Haven’t used it for productivity much yet, but have a bluetooth keyboard/mouse on the way, so we’ll see.
By FuriousATG on 11.04.13 5:17pm
I have a surface 2 and kinda want to mess with the Venue pro 8. Looks like a real nice size.
By DougB541 on 11.04.13 5:31pm
Seems to me that usage pattern makes you OS agnostic. Dell is 1280×800, with the Nexus 7 (2013) at 1920×1200, cheaper, and with more available storage.
Now, I’m not here to start a war, I just want to make one observation only, since I went from 1280×800 (Nexus 7 2012) to 1920×1200: If you do any reading on your tablet at all, the higher resolution screen is a massive improvement, dwarfing any other consideration.
By Captain Megaton on 11.04.13 6:46pm
finally. I’ve been wondering about that. If the Nokia was Running full 8.1 I’d definitely get it. Now I’m kinda only halfway there.
By TCrimson05t on 11.04.13 6:57pm
If the Dell Venue is currently running full windows 8, why wouldn’t you be able to upgrade to 8.1?
By OMG55 on 11.06.13 11:31am
I’ll say I loved using it for notes today, and considering it a huge upgrade over my Surface RT. It’s speedy, has decent battery life, a beautiful screen, and the form factor is fantastic. My only gripe is that the Stylus isn’t Wacom.
By brian.aarhus on 11.06.13 3:11am
If Microsoft does anything right with Nokia… please simply the product lineup and get rid of that awful name scheme for the love of God.
By Meringue on 11.04.13 4:16pm
Reading your comment was awful but you do have a point about the name scheme. I however don’t find anything wrong with their product line. They have low, med, and high end phones.
By titaniumalloy on 11.04.13 4:21pm
There’s too many. It seems like every other month I’m reading about a new Nokia device and it’s not immediately apparent whether it’s a new device altogether or a bump to an old one. There are 15 Lumia phones on Nokia’s website. You don’t need half that many phones to hit low, medium, and high.
When the Lumia 800 came out that was the Lumia, and it was just as distinguished to the press as the iPhone. But now? The Lumia brand is so watered down.
By Meringue on 11.04.13 4:41pm
The huge variety of Nokia phones simply has to do with carriers wanting to claim that they have their special, carrier only phone.
For example, there’s very little difference between the 920, 925 and the 928. Just like the 810, 820, and 822: they’re pretty much the same phone, just for different vendors and small changes like the flash bulb source.
500 + 600 series = low end phones
800 series = mid grade phones
900 series = high end phones
1000 series = crazy camera phone
1500 series = giant 6" screen phone
2500 series = tablets
By MrSteve007 on 11.04.13 4:57pm
Which is irrelevant to the end consumer, all they’re going to see is a confusing naming scheme. Get it together MS and Nokia.
By Codiusprime on 11.04.13 5:01pm
yeah how in the world have people been buying things all these centuries.
By Optimus-Prime on 11.04.13 5:13pm
Apple should announce the iCar. No more confusing trips to different dealerships. They’ve figured out the objectively ideal car size for every single person. Plus, it comes in gold.
By kevm14 on 11.04.13 6:07pm
Why does this always have to be about Apple? Some of you are obsessed.
By toomuchcoffee on 11.05.13 1:33am