Nokia Corporation has recently launched its first tablet and large screen smartphones “phablets”, a move that will form part of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) worldwide push to be leading consumer devices player when it completes the purchase of Nokia’s handset unit.
The products that Nokia launched included the Lumia 2520 tablet, along with two Lumia phones which will be among the last it had developed before it decided to sell its handsets business to Microsoft, a transaction which is expected to be closed in the first quarter of next year.
Nokia was the leader at one time in the global mobile phone market, but its late arrival in the smart phone segment has meant that it is struggling to compete with Apple and Samsung, who straddle the increasingly crowded market for large-screen smart phones, called phablets.
The tablet launched by Nokia has a 10 inch screen, but will face tough competition from Apple which will be launching thinner and faster iPads. Both the phablets have 6 inch screens will be competing with a multitude of similar products from Samsung.
According to analysts the newly launched products will continue to carry the Nokia brand name even after its Microsoft takeover are priced low to evince interest. The Lumia 2520 comes in 2 colors, and will start selling for a price of $499 in the fourth quarter.
While other analysts are questioning whether the new launch would lure back customers to Nokia and Microsoft and an analyst with Forrester Thomas Husson wondered about the Lumia 2520’s position with Microsoft, as the software company was launching its own series of tablets. Microsoft has started the marketing of its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Still finding its feet in the computer hardware business, the software company is depending on the lighter and faster models to boost its uninspiring sales of its touch-screen devices.
