Nokia's Windows tablet to take on Surface with battery-equipped keyboard cover
Nokia is building its own Windows RT tablet that is set to debut in early 2013. Sources familiar with Nokia's plans have revealed to The Verge that Nokia's tablet will include HDMI and USB ports …
Context & Ripple Effects
Nokia's tablet ambitions have surfaced repeatedly, from a 2010 report on an ARM-based device to its design chief's acknowledgment in March that Nokia was working on a tablet. The Verge's sourcing adds a more specific, though still unconfirmed, product direction: Windows RT hardware built around ports and a battery-equipped keyboard.
The report arrives as Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, and Samsung were also preparing Windows RT devices, while other manufacturers were reported to be awaiting Microsoft's approval. Nokia would therefore enter a hardware field where Microsoft is both platform owner and Surface vendor.
First-order effects
- If the reported plan is accurate, Nokia would compete with Surface through a laptop-style accessory and USB/HDMI connectivity rather than through Windows RT software alone.
- Microsoft would gain another Windows RT hardware partner while also facing a prospective rival for Surface in the same product category.
Second-order effects
- Nokia's proposed battery-equipped keyboard raises the importance of accessory design for the Windows RT vendors preparing their own tablets, pressuring them to distinguish their hardware bundles and connectivity options.
- Surface's role as Microsoft's reference device becomes more complicated when a major Windows Phone partner is reported to target the same productivity-oriented use case.
Third-order effects
- If Windows RT manufacturers compete through keyboards, ports, and battery configurations, tablet differentiation shifts toward hardware ecosystems and accessories rather than the shared operating system.
- The report underscores the tension in Microsoft's platform strategy: expanding Windows RT depends on partners, but each credible partner can erode Surface's product advantage.
The trend: Windows RT is developing into a partner-led tablet market in which Microsoft must balance platform expansion against direct Surface competition.