Yes, like a phoenix the LUMIA famed mobile manufacturer arrived again for the consumers. From the last couple of months, when experts were busy speculating if the LUMIA handover was the last nail to their consumer's coffin, the Finnish manufacturer kept mum. Very calmly they kept their comeback card hidden and waited for the right moment.
And it was, yesterday evening that they posted an image of a black box with their patented logo with two small sentences "Guess what? We're up to something." The social media got flooded thereafter by scratching their head that if it is an Apple TV kind of a product or something more. Of course there were some rumours that Nokia might release its own series of Android handset with a complete makeover. But that's it, nothing was authentic up to last night.
This morning they surprised the geeks along with the entire consumer market by releasing a stunning Android tablet, N1. They prepared themselves for the eccentric comeback by inviting the Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb to the event and not arranging the event in London or somewhere in the US. They also kept posting countdowns like posts every hour with texts like "Not long now... #thinkingahead," for keeping the sensation alive.
The Product
Neither Symbian or Meego nor Zolla, Nokia used the most recognised and popular mobile operating system Android this time for the base of their comeback product, N1. The Android-based tablet with lots of changes that the users were looking for. The 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 pixels screened tablet is the first device to feature a reversible USB Type-C connector. Contextually the next generation USB cable was released in August and experts were expecting to see several flagship gadgets with this feature on CES. But to the surprise of everyone, Nokia announced the tablet with this feature.
Nokia has also created a new customised interface Nokia Z over the Android to give it a complete new feel. And surprisingly no Kitkat, it's Android 5.0 Lollipop they are featuring on this comeback tablet. Powered by an Intel Atom Z3580 Quad-Core processor, clocked at 2.3GHz and 2GB worth LPDDR3 RAM the N1 will use the 64-bit capability of Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.
Coupled with a 8 MP back camera and 5 MP front camera, the N1 feels somewhat superior than the latest Nexus 9 tablet which features 8 MP and 1.6 MP consecutively for rear and frontal clicking needs. The comeback tablet also features a 5,300 mAh battery and 5 GB worth inbuilt memory. The inbuilt storage might feel a bit lower because out of 5 GB only 3 GB will be left for the user.
Nokia has always been known for its built quality and this time when they needed to prove their comeback, the company featured a unibody design by using a single piece of anodized aluminium. Weighing 318g, N1 is at par with other Android tablets in the same price range.
The Strategy
Nokia said they won't be manufacturing the devices, rather the Chinese manufacturer Foxconn will now start manufacturing their product.
After selling off their Devices and Services business to Microsoft earlier this year, Nokia had some restrictions for using their brand name on the product. But on 19 February 2015 when the Android tablet will be released, the Finnish brand will probably use the same logo they were known for.
Nokia has developed a new site dedicated to the device; n1 dot nokia dot com features some flashy animation showing how the device or the Z launcher would look like. The Z launcher is a complete new interface with features like keeping the favourite apps on the homescreen or working according to gestures. However, in the entire presentation, the non visibility of the Google apps is a sign that N1 may provide a different experience from the others.
Price
Nokia mentioned that N1 would be rolled out exclusively on China 0on (Chinese New Year), 19 February 2015, at a quoted price of 249 US Dollars (about Rs 14,500). The device is expected to be available in the other countries thereafter.
