Apple Schmapple: Nokia Set to Unveil Six Devices Tomorrow
Most tech-fans know that tomorrow Apple’s planning on unveiling some new devices—what many suspect to be the latest version of the iPad and the new Mac Pro, among other goodies. What far, far fewer tech-fans know is that Microsoft-owned device maker Nokia also has an event planned tomorrow to unveil its new devices. Estimates say that Nokia will lift the veil on six of them. The big question, of course, isn’t what we’ll see tomorrow—rather, it’s whether or not the world will sit up and take notice as Apple brings the iPad thunder.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Nokia will show the world the first official glimpse at Nokia’s Windows RT tablet, not to mention its new (ugh) phablets. We’ve previously caught sight of both of these devices this past summer, codenamed the Nokia Sirius and the Bandit—or Lumia 1520—respectively. Chances are that at least some of these devices (specifically the 1520 and its 6-inch screen) will all take advantage of the soon-to-be released Windows Phone 8 Update 3, which has had an update to its resolution scalability for devices with screens up to six inches.
And let’s not forget what else comes out tomorrow: the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, Microsoft’s homegrown attempts to compete with Apple’s iPad and the slew of Android-powered tablets. It’ll be interesting to see how Nokia’s offerings fit into Microsoft’s other hardware initiatives. Will Nokia and Microsoft’s hardware teams merge for the Surface 3? Will we get the chance for lots of brightly colored Surfaces that can benefit from Nokia’s years of experience making portable gadgets?
And furthermore, what are the other devices Nokia will be bringing to the stage? Will this event show off a smartwatch, a gadget category that’s thought to be the next big thing in tech? Overall, it’ll be interesting to see how Nokia handles its new position as Microsoft subsidiary—and its subsequent status as direct Apple competitor. Sure, Nokia was an Apple competitor before, but it was certainly in the third-tier category before Microsoft swooped in and bought the whole company. Now that it’s part of the House that Gates built, the expectations from consumers—and investors—is much, much higher. Let’s see what they’ve got in store…