Clean slate?
Nokia is considering going it alone into the tablet market without its smartphone partner Microsoft, according to rumours.
Reuters reported that a source said that Nokia's tablet plans might not include Microsoft and that the phone maker is considering its options.
These options apparently include MeeGo, the platform Nokia has been working on for ages with Intel, but has seemingly shelved for its future smartphone offerings after teaming up with Microsoft. The software giant is rumoured to have paid Nokia $1bn to use WP7 for its future phone line-up.
Of course Apple has so far dominated the tablet market with its iPad offering and the iPad 2 is due for imminent release in the UK. The iPad reportedly sold 15m units in 2010 and 1m iPad 2s were sold on the first weekend of launch in the US, with many analysts predicting a bumper year for Apple.
Meanwhile, more firms are piling into the market, most notably Samsung with its Galaxy Tab family, Motorola with its pricier Xoom slate and RIM with its PlayBook, which apparently will cost the same as the iPad 2.
While Nokia has missed getting in early on the tablet action, it is now reportedly focusing on getting its tablet proposition right instead of merely rushing one out quickly. However, this is similar to what it said about its smartphone offering...
The firm apparently hopes to come up with a different slate proposition to its rivals that might help speed along its TV ambitions too.
"That could include Microsoft, it may not," the anonymous source told Reuters.
MeeGo is the obvious alternative as the firm has been working on it for so long and seemingly had a lot of faith in its bespoke offering, before joining Microsoft in a bid to boost its smartphone sales.
Interestingly Intel is rumoured to be looking for new partners to help it establish a place in the wireless market.
Of course one noticeable player missing from the tablet market at the moment is Microsoft itself. Just like Nokia, it is rumoured to be working on a proposition and will not be hurried, with its product and platform expected to be ready by late 2012.
It is set to be based on Microsoft's eagerly anticipated Windows 8 PC OS, instead of its Windows Phone platform, in a bid to make the tablet experience more like using a PC. Apparently any Nokia Windows tablet would follow the same strategy.
