HELSINKI-- Nokia Corp. on Tuesday unexpectedly made a return to
the consumer market it abandoned when selling its handset unit to
Microsoft Corp., announcing a new Android-running tablet set for
launch early next year.
The tablet, manufactured in collaboration with an unnamed
Chinese hardware partner, was announced at the annual Slush
technology conference in Helsinki, Finland. Nokia said it has
licensed its brand, industrial design and intellectual property to
the hardware partner "on a running royalty basis."
The hardware partner, however, is responsible for engineering,
sales and customer care, as well as potential liabilities and
warranty costs, Nokia said.
The Android-powered device, which is set to retail for $249
excluding taxes, will hit the Chinese market first, Nokia said, in
time for Lunar New Year on Feb. 19, and is set to hit the shelves
in other countries later.
The new tablet marks a swift return to the consumer market for
Nokia, which in April this year transferred its loss-making handset
unit to Microsoft in a $6.9 billion deal.
The Nokia N1 tablet sports a 7.9 inch screen, a 2.4 gigahertz
quad-core Intel processor and is 6.9 millimeters thick, Nokia said.
The device runs the latest Lollipop version of Google's Android
operating system.
The software will have a distinct Nokia touch, however, as the
tablet comes with Nokia's own Z Launcher preinstalled. In Android,
so-called launchers are programs that tinker with the design and
functionality of the home screen and application launcher.
Write to Sven Grundberg at sven.grundberg@wsj.com
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