News Analysis
October 22, 2013 02:38 PM ET
Computerworld - Nokia's launch today of its first Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520, running Windows RT 8.1, at an event in Abu Dhabi, left observers wondering what would happen to the new tablet once Microsoft finalizes its $7.2 billion purchase of Nokia, probably next year.
One big question is what Microsoft will do with the Lumia 2520, which is priced at $499 with 32 GB. The Lumia is surprisingly similar to Microsoft's own Surface 2 tablet, which also runs Windows RT 8.1 and goes on sale today for $449 with 32 GB.
Nokia's Lumia 2520 tablet is similar to Microsoft's Surface 2 tablet.
An even bigger question is why Nokia is producing a Windows RT tablet at all. The 8.0 version of the operating system was reviled for not running legacy Windows apps, among other problems, and was rejected by device makers Dell, Asus, Lenovo and Samsung. Will Windows RT 8.1 with its Outlook and Office 2013 RT software really be that much better than the Windows RT 8.0 version that came under such criticism?
First, let's compare the tablets and then examine what might happen to the Lumia 2520 under Microsoft ownership.
The biggest difference between the two tablets is that the Lumia 2520 has LTE support, while the Surface 2 is a Wi-Fi device, like about 80% of the tablets in use today.
Nokia also baked camera features into the Lumia 2520 that are superior to the Surface 2, including a high-quality 6.7-megapixel rear camera (and a 2-megapixel front shooter) as well as ZEISS optics and an f1.9 aperture to deliver low-light performance. The Surface 2 has ample cameras at 5.0 megapixels for the rear and 3.5 megapixels for the front, but doesn't have Nokia's camera software, such as Storyteller and Video Director.
As for similarities, both tablets run ARM-based processors and are about the same size. The Lumia 2520 has a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor from Qualcomm, while the Surface 2 runs the comparable Nvidia Tegra 4. The display on the Lumia tablet is 10.1-inches, while the the Surface 2 jas a 10.6-in. display. Both displays have 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.
Nokia rates its battery at 8000 mAh, or 11 hours of use, with five additional hours from a supplement power source in a Lumia 2520 keyboard/cover which costs an additional $149. There's even a quick-charge ability to help charge half the battery in about 40 minutes, good enough for a layover in an airport. Microsoft hasn't listed a power rating for its battery, but said it has 10 hours of video playback ability.
In essence, the new Nokia 2520 should be a perfectly good tablet for the $449 price, if you like Windows RT 8.1. Does that mean it will take the place of the Surface 2 tablet, once it's inside the doors of Microsoft?
via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFwZmEdqhiF29WXO3zZSImeVq5zSw&url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9243422/The_puzzling_Lumia_2520_tablet_Will_it_disappear_when_Microsoft_buys_Nokia_?taxonomyId=125
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