Nokia Lumia 2520: Building a better tablet
Nokia’s Head of Connected Devices, Heikki Norta, sat down with Conversations to explain why the company is entering the tablet market now, and how it will deliver something different from its competition. Something that people are hungry for.
“People have an appetite to do more with tablets,” says Heikki. “We’ve studied the way they use them. Many owners carry them around all day in their bags, but when it comes to actually taking them out and switching them on, it’s a different story.
“When you look at the picture of internet consumption from tablets, there are clear peaks and troughs with current products in the market. There’s a surge in the morning, with people checking in to read the news and catch up. Then it drops down over the course of the day as other devices are used (smartphones, laptops), only growing to peak levels again later in the evening focused on entertainment and social networks.
“Most current devices are used and designed for consuming media, not creating it. We believe there’s a pent-up demand for creation that we’re able to serve.
“We saw an opportunity there. To make a tablet that people can use all day, for everything they want to do.”
Mobile matters
“Nokia’s heritage is in mobility,” Heikki points out. “So it was crucial to create a device that took full advantage of our unique capabilities.”
The screen on the Nokia Lumia 2520 has been given special treatment to make it non-reflective and “it’s currently the brightest in the industry.” Why? Because then there’s less difficulty using it outdoors. LTE is integrated to provide Wi-Fi levels of speed, no matter where you are.
“The device had to be light to carry and look great; something we’ve learned from building smartphones.”
The battery lasts for up to 11 hours and the Nokia Power Keyboard, which also acts as a protective shell for the Lumia 2520, adds another five hours. A full version of Microsoft Office and Outlook are preinstalled. And Nokia worked in partnership with Microsoft and Qualcomm to develop the most connected Windows tablet. The Lumia 2520 has an integrated modem that’s more power efficient than module-based solutions.
“And we’ve given special attention to the synergy between the tablet and our Nokia Lumia smartphones,” says Heikki. “Experiences that extend across both platforms.”
“For example, a lot of our smartphones have truly excellent cameras. It’s really easy to synchronise movies and photographs with your tablet, then use Nokia Storyteller to explore your pictures, or Nokia Video Director to turn your video clips to something more curated.”
“Similarly, we’ve created a special version of Nokia Music for the Lumia 2520. We offer free full track streaming, just like on your Lumia smartphone, and we’ve really taken advantage of the great screen size to use high quality artist images to make the app look as good as it sounds.”
USB 3.0 support and Micro-HDMI connectors, together with support for DLNA and Miracast, make it easy to connect the Lumia 2520 to larger screens and audio systems.
Time is ripe
It’s been some time since the first tablets appeared, and even the first tablets running Microsoft’s Windows RT operating system are a year old. But Heikki rejects any suggestion that Nokia is late to the game.
“There’s a combination of factors that make this the right time for Nokia to enter the market. First, we feel that the operating system has now become mature.” Last year, when Windows 8.0 launched, there were only 10,000 touch apps available in the Microsoft Store. Now there are more than 100,000. Windows RT 8.1 now has leading mobile device management solutions and VPN support available which is great news for mobile professionals.
“Second, Lumia smartphones are now at scale and available in many markets. We wanted to offer distinct experiences, which intelligently pair our smartphones and tablets. We’ve now developed an innovative smartphone range and have a strong base to build an innovative tablet product. People own tablets and smartphones and we have worked on apps that work seamlessly across the two.
“Third, we wanted to leverage our excellent relationships with operators. Our sweet spot is where tablets have been most heavily adopted and where LTE & 3G networks have good coverage.
“In many places, like the US, it’s possible to tie both a tablet and smartphone to the same subscription, so you don’t have the confusion of two phone bills and two tariffs. It could also mitigate the up-front cost of buying a tablet, since deals to combine purchase with your monthly contract are likely to emerge.”
There you have it. The Nokia Lumia 2520: the tablet that lets you do anything, anywhere. How will you use yours?