Nokia CEO Stephen Elop says the company hasn’t given up on tablet devices.
The company today confirmed it was switching its smartphone development to Windows Phone 7 – an operating system that Microsoft has specifically ruled out for tablet devices.
We preserve the right to introduce tablets using other platforms
But Elop says that’s not necessarily the end of Nokia’s tablet ambitions. “We could take advantage of things Microsoft are thinking of in the future as relates to tablets,” Elop said at a press conference, sitting alongside Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Microsoft is in the process of porting Windows to ARM processors, which have long featured in Nokia’s smartphones.
However, Elop also suggested that Nokia might look elsewhere for a tablet OS. “We preserve the right to introduce tablets using other platforms,” Elop claimed. “We have multiple options here.”
Nokia launched the Linux-based Nokia N800 Internet Tablet back in 2007, but the device never generated mass-market appeal. That was followed by the Maemo-based Nokia N900 in 2009.
The company also launched its own Windows-based netbook, the Booklet 3G, in 2009, but its £500 price tag deterred buyers.
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