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Nokia launch two 'phablets' and the Lumia 2520 Windows tablet

Nokia has announced a string of new devices at the 22nd october event in Abu Dhabi, the last products the company will make before it is taken over by Microsoft. They include a 10-inch, 4G-enabled tablet running Windows RT, a pair of 6-inch phablets and a trio of low-budget Nokia Asha mobiles.

Two new 6-inch phablets: the 1320 and 1520

Two new phablets were unveiled with 6-inch screens, taking advantage of the latest update to the Windows Phone operating system that allows for extra apps to appear on the home screen.

Both the 1320 and the 1520 offer high-speed mobile data with 4G as well as “supersensitive” displays that allows the touchscreens to be manipulated even with gloves on.

The 1320



The 1520



The 1320 has slightly less impressive hardware, with a Snapdragon 400 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage (expandable up to 64GB); whilst the 1520 boosts these to a Snapdragon 800 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (also expandable up to 64GB).

Different as well the display resolution (HD 245 PPI for the 1320 while Full HD 367 PPI IPS clearblack for the 1520) and the camera module (5Mp on the 1320 while 20Mp pureview on the 1520)

The 1320 and the 1520, shown in the pictures, are the first phablets produced by Nokia and the first Windows phone phablets. The 1520 is also the first Windows phone device to use a quad-core processor.

Both phones are also more fully integrated with Microsoft products, offering free storage in the cloud with SkyDrive, whilst the 1520 comes with Microsoft Office pre-installed, allowing users to read and edit documents on the go.

New apps on both phones include Refocus (a photography app that takes multiple pictures at different focal lengths, allowing users to change focus after capturing the image) and Beamer (lets users stream their phone’s screen through any HTML5 enabled browser over 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi).

The 1520 will sell for $749 and also features a 20-megapixel camera and support for wireless charging via the Qi standard - this lets users recharge their phones simply by placing them on a special mat. Prices for the 1320 will start at just $339.

Nokia's 10-inch Windows RT tablet: the Lumia 2520

It seems an odd choice for Nokia to produce a Windows RT tablet given the imminent takeover by Microsoft, but the Finnish company are still playing to their strengths by stressing the connectivity and extra functionality of the Lumia 2520. The device will launch in time for Christmas, priced at $499 in the US with similar (but as yet unknown) costs expected outside US.



The 10.1-inch tablet comes with a full HD display (1920x1080 resolution) and is 4G capable. There’s also a slightly-less-than-full-sized “Power Keyboard” accessory that costs an additional $150 and adds five extra hours of battery life to the 11 hours already available from the tablet.

With these features it seems that Nokia are hoping to position the 2520 as an on-the-go device that can be used for serious work.

Nokia's 2520 tablet uses Windows RT 8.1 - a version of the Windows 8.1 operating system that has less apps but comes with Microsoft Office pre-installed.

The 2520 is the first Windows RT tablet not to be made by Microsoft themself. Although manufacturers including Dell, Samsung and Lenovo originally expressed interest in building devices for the operating system, they dropped out after Windows RT was criticized for its buggy and slow performance.

Nokia’s device (which keeps the unibody case and bright colours of all Lumia devices) hopes to fix this with a 2.2GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. There’s also 32GB of internal memory that’s expandable up to 64GB with a microSD card.

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