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Lumia 2520: Nokia trots out its first Windows tablet

Revealed the same day as the iPad Air, the Nokia Lumia 2520 is expected to sell for $499 in the US. 

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Reuters
Nokia's Stephen Elop displays the Lumia 2520 tablet in Abu Dhabi, Oct. 22, 2013.
  • By Matthew Shaer

So no, it's not particularly good timing, what with the big-budget launch of the iPad Air and the iPad Mini with the "Retina" display. 

But on Tuesday, Nokia did take the wraps off the very first Nokia-built, Windows-powered tablet, which the company is calling the Lumia 2520. (As monikers go, 2520 doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Air, does it?) The specs are suitably impressive: a 10.1-inch HD display, an 2.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi antennas, a 6.7-megapixel back-facing camera, and the new Windows 8.1 operating system. 

Perhaps the most interesting feature is the "Power Keyboard," a cover/keyboard/bonus battery – think: the Touch Cover on the Microsoft Surface – that Nokia promises will boost battery life by up to five hours, all while making typing feel "as natural as on a laptop." 

In a hands-on test with the device, Brad Molen of Engadget said that "if you've played around with Lumia phones in the past, the 2520 will be immediately familiar to you. It's much thinner and sleeker than we originally expected, and it's very comfortable to hold." 

And over at CNET, Sarah Mitroff says the high-res display shows a lot of promise. 

"Like the Lumia smartphones, the 2520 uses Nokia's ClearBlack Display filter, which promises to cut down on glare when you're outside," she writes. "That's important, because unlike a smartphone, on which you might just be quickly checking your e-mail or taking a photo, you're more likely to spend more time on your tablet outside, reading or watching a video. If the screen's performance outdoors is as good as Nokia says it is, it will make it much easier to use your tablet in sunlight." 

Nokia says the Lumia 2520 will be available in a range of colors, including glossy red and white, and a matte version in cyan and black. Release date is the fourth fiscal quarter of this year, with a price tag of $499 in the US. But don't expect that "Power Keyboard" to be free: The device will cost you an extra $149, Nokia says. 

Earlier this year, of course, Nokia announced it would be acquired by Microsoft in a deal worth an estimated $7.2 billion. 

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