Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — The tablet and phablet markets got a little more crowded with the launch of Nokia’s first models.
The 10.1-inch Lumia 2520, with Windows 8.1 RT, and the 6-inch Lumia 1520 phablet, which runs Windows Phone 8.1, will be offered by AT&T. Availability of the tablet through other U.S. carriers will be announced at a later date, as will carrier-subsidized pricing on both products, Nokia said. AT&T said it will be the exclusive provider of the phablet.
Nokia also unveiled a third Lumia 6-inch Windows 8.1 phablet and multiple phones in its Asha lineup, but none are destined for the U.S. market.
Both U.S.-bound devices feature quad-core 2.2GHz processor and 4G LTE.
The 2520 tablet, which will not be available as a Wi-Fi-only version, operates in the LTE networks of AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, U.S. Cellular and C Spire. It also offers GSM/W-CDMA voice and HSPA+42 high-speed data over the T-Mobile and AT&T networks. The tablet lacks CDMA voice calling, which would enable their use as phones on the Sprint and Verizon networks.
The GSM-equipped phablet operates in the AT&T and T-Mobile LTE bands and delivers voice calling only over their GSM/W-CDMA networks, not over CDMA networks. Still, AT&T said it would be the exclusive provider of the phablet.
The tablet will be available in red and white in a glossy finish as well as cyan and black in a matte finish later in the quarter at an estimated $499 before subsidies. The initial rollout will begin in the U.S., U.K and Finland, with additional countries following soon after. The companion Nokia Power Keyboard, which extends the tablet’s battery life by an extra five hours, will retail for a recommended $149.
Key tablet features include 10.1-inch FullHD 1,920 by 1,080 AHIPS capacitive multitouch display, Gorilla Glass 2, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, 32GB MicroSD card slot and Microsoft SkyDrive Cloud storage.
The camera complement includes a 6.7-megapixel main camera with autofocus, Zeiss optics, and wide f1.9 aperture. The front camera is a 2-megapixel model with wide-angle lens. The tablet is promoted as the first tablet with Zeiss optics.
The 21.7-ounce, 10.5-inch by 6.6-inch x 0.4-inch tablet also features nearfield communications (NFC), A-GPS and Glonass GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, MicroUSB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, 8,000 mAh battery, stereo front-facing speakers, Miracast, DLNA and MicroHDMI.
The tablet plays video for 10 hours continuous without a charge. The battery also offers fast charging time, going to 80 percent charged in an hour.
The optional Nokia Power Keyboard, which doubles as a protective wraparound cover, offers up to five extra hours of battery life and features two built-in USB ports and a gesture trackpad.
Microsoft Office and Outlook are preinstalled, as is Nokia Here Maps, making the Lumia 2520 the only tablet with onboard map database for navigation, the company said. The tablet also includes an exclusive version of Nokia Music with Mix Radio, the exclusive “Dragons Adventure” interactive game developed in partnership with DreamWorks Animation, and Nokia Storyteller. The latter app automatically integrates pictures and videos taken by the tablet with embedded Here maps to display a chronological journey on a map. Nokia Video Director lets users edit images and videos taken by the tablet’s cameras.
For its part, the Nokia Lumia 1520 will be available in multiple colors and will ship later this year an estimated $749 before subsidies in the U.S., European markets, China and other Asian countries, with additional countries to follow.
The camera-oriented 1520 is only
0.3 inch thick and features a 6-inch 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 2.Because of the phablet uses the updated Windows Phone OS, called 8.1, to support larger displays, the device displays a third column on the Start screen, enabling users to get to a particular app faster without scrolling and to get to particular information in an app on the Start Screen app . The email app, for example, now shows one additional row of content in the email Live tile on the Start screen.
Another key feature is the new Papyrus app, available on a Windows Phone for the first time to let users jot down handwritten notes.
The phablet also features built-in Microsoft Office, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal user memory, 7GB SkyDrive Cloud storage, 64GB MicroSD card slot and MicroSD card support up to 64GB. A 20-megapixel PureView main camera has optical image stabilization, oversampling and zooming technology similar to that of the 41-megapixel Lumia 1020 shipped earlier this year. The main camera also features Zeiss optics, 2x lossless zoom, dual-LED flash, and 1080p video capture at 30 fps with optical image stabilization. The secondary camera is a 1.2-megapixel GD camera with wide angle lens.
The Nokia Camera and Nokia Storyteller applications are included.
To complement the camcorder capability, Nokia Rich Recording uses four built-in microphones to record audio.
The display features Nokia’s ClearBlack and High Brightness Mode technologies, delivering readability in sunlight. The touchscreen can be controlled by gloved fingers.
Other key features include NFC, A-GPS plus Glonass GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, MicroUSB, Bluetooth 4.0 with Low Energy profile, 3,400 mAh integrated battery with built-in Qi-compatible wireless charging, Dolby Headphone and FM radio.
With Twitter Vine coming soon for the first time to Windows Phone 8, the phablet will let users capture and tweet short looping videos to share. Instagram for Windows Phone 8 is also available.
The new Nokia Beamer app lets users share content, location on a map, or the view from the viewfinder to other people in the same room — or even in another location — by sending a link via social media, email or SMS
