In a momentous event, Nokia, the former titan of the mobile industry, is making a comeback of sorts, just months after it completed the sales of its smartphone division to Microsoft.
At its Slush 2014 conference in Finland, Nokia just introduced the N1, a brand new tablet running Android. The device features a sleek all-aluminum design, a 7.9-inch laminated display, a 64-bit quad-core Intel Atom Z358, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, an 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front-facing camera, and a 5,300 mAh battery. Full specs:
- 7.9-inch, 2048×1536 (4:3) IPS LCD with Gorilla Glass 3 and fully laminated zero air gap display
- 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 processor, PowerVR G6430 GPU with 2GB RAM
- 32GB built-in memory (non-expandable)
- 8 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front camera
- Dual channel 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0
- Micro-USB 2.0 with a Type-C reversible connector
- Stereo speakers
- 5300mAh battery
The rounded edges and features placement give the Nokia N1 a certain resemblance with Apple’s designs. The device, which is impressively thin at 6.9 millimeters, will come in Natural Aluminum and Lava Gray.
On the software side, the Nokia N1 will run Android 5.0 Lollipop, customized with Nokia’s homemade Z Launcher. The minimalist launcher debuted in June, and back then we called it “simple and surprisingly enjoyable”. The launcher is named after one of its key features: the ability to write out letters onto the screen to quickly search for apps, contacts, frequently utilized webpages and more. You can even search the web through this method.
The Nokia N1 will cost $250 and launch in China initially, starting in February. Nokia says the device will be in stores in time for the Chinese New Year (February 19, 2015). After that, Nokia plans to introduce the device to Russia and some European countries, markets where historically it had the biggest influence and where the Nokia brand is still highly valued by consumers. There is no information yet on the eventual availability of the Nokia N1 in the US and other regions from around the world.
The company CEO recently said Nokia won’t return to making smartphones, even if the contract with Microsoft allows Nokia to sell smartphones from 2016. Instead, Nokia is looking to license its brand to interested companies, that will be able to sell devices under the Nokia name.
Under the Microsoft agreement, Microsoft holds a 10-year license for the Nokia brand on feature phones, while the Finnish company can return to the smartphone game as soon as January 1, 2016.
Update: according to the press release below, Nokia is actually licensing the N1’s “industrial design, Z Launcher software layer and IP on a running royalty basis” to Foxconn.
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