MobileCrunch on the Next Nokia Tablet. Shenanigans?

Posted on 25 May 2009, Last updated on 12 November 2019 by

Nokia N810 _1_ Mobilecrunch have an ‘exclusive’ (tip from an unknown source) this morning that lists the specifications of the next Nokia tablet that they are calling the N900. The specs match what most people have already worked-out apart from two imporant things. A 3.5 inch screen and GSM voice.

Why produce a device that competes with Nokia’s mainstream handsets and moves away from the MID category by aiming to be the all-in-one? The N810 was good as a dedicated device at 4.1 inch and if anything could be better at 4.8 inch which would improve web-page readability, e-reader capability, video playback experience and navigation; new markets that Nokia could be addressing with the Maemo platform.

As someone has already said in the Internet Tablet Talk forums [Good discussion here], this could be a Maemo phone or one of a range of devices. I truly hope so.

Oh, one last thing, Mobilecrunch expect a July launch for the device through T-Mobile. Maemo has just gone into Beta so I expect that to slip a little.

Overall, we’re not getting the right vibes on this one. Shenanigans?

15 Comments For This Post

  1. turn.self.off says:

    Bah, looks like someone was bored, or the page views where dropping.

    the render looks like a N810, so no big thing there.

  2. JC says:

    Except that according to the specs, this new device is supposed to be almost exactly the size of an iPhone. As Chippy points out, this is a definite change in form factor.

    If the MobileCrunch article is accurate, it looks like Nokia is going to push this device as a cellphone. The obvious question then is why buy this rather than iPhone, Palm Pre, or Blackberry Storm? (The right answer of which of those to buy is probably different for each person, but what will be this new device’s hook into the marketplace?)

  3. johnkzin says:

    If it’s real, it’s a very mixed bag for me. I’d _love_ to have a Maemo phone (gsm voice, sms, etc.), and that device claims an actual respectable portrait camera for it. But that thing is ugly (it doesn’t look like an N810, it’s much more plain than an N810), and reducing the overall size and screen size??? Full of fail.

    A 4.1″ screen size based on a design like the N97, or the just-leaked Nokia Mako, would be an amazing Maemo phone platform.

    I might actually be slightly relieved if it turns out to be shenanigans. But I may still buy it even if it’s real (I don’t want to see a Maemo phone fail).

  4. Tariq Fazal says:

    MobileCrunch on the Next Nokia Tablet. Shenanigans? | UMPCPortal … http://bit.ly/WAfsP

  5. Will says:

    The smaller size puts it in the same category as smartphones like the Touch Pro 2, Nokia N97 or G1 so unless the N900 can make traditional phone calls, why would would you bother?

  6. amoult says:

    It says ‘GSM Voice’ in Chippy’s text..

  7. Will says:

    WHAT?! I completely missed that! During the Maemo 5 conference a few months ago, Nokia pretty much said it would NOT support GSM voice.

    I’m still a little sceptical of this rumour since this device will compete directly with the N97 (which runs S60 5th edition).

  8. Martyn Roberts says:

    http://machinesthatgobing.com/mobile/nokia-nautilus-touchscreen/

    http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://mynokiablog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/nokia-eco-sensor.jpg&imgrefurl=http://mynokiablog.com/tag/nokia/&usg=__nSX2iBJ5wYHcGv3yyHxdv0eyVZg=&h=326&w=338&sz=17&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=ZJfj78KJ_ve6BM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnokia%2Bnautilus%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1B3DVFA_enGB268GB268%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1%26newwindow%3D1

    Hows this for information…?

  9. Martyn Roberts says:

    http://machinesthatgobing.com/mobile/nokia-nautilus-touchscreen/

    http://mynokiablog.com/tag/nokia/

    Hows this for information…?

  10. Martyn Roberts says:

    Apparently Nokia is relegating symbian S60 to mid range devices and is now going to use Maemo for its high end N-series. This probably explains why the N97 is only running on a 434Mhz chip. Even the latest windows and android phones from HTC run on 500Mhz plus chips.

    Oh and if anyone is still holding their breath about the palm pre you can breathe now:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/24/02-iphone-palm-pre

  11. Ove Nordström says:

    Perhaps a Maemo5 device, N900?
    http://bit.ly/cHyA4

  12. CGI says:

    The Nokia N810 is a decent device. They need to keep evolving that concept with latest technology (processor, etc.)… and definitely NOT smaller on the screen please!

  13. Martyn Roberts says:

    http://www.cellpassion.com/news/2009/05/25/nokia-rover-is-an-n97-killer-internet-tablet.aspx

    You won’t like this then…

  14. turn_self_off says:

    That image, while similar to the mobilecrunch render, makes me suspect a photoshop of the N810W or something similar.

    For instance, where is the high res image? as thats so covered in compression artifacts its not funny.

    Also, it appears to run maemo4, not maemo5/fremantle…

  15. UMPCMAN says:

    A 3.5″ screen would end my interest in the Nxxx series. Period.

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