Nokia Unveils Android-Powered N1 Tablet With iPad Mini-Inspired Design

[apolloa]

Well if this isn't a front page story designed to entice a fan flame war I don't know what is?

The design isn't quite a total copy, the edges for instance wrap around a fair bit to the front, but it's certainly lazy styling and certainly from the pictures does look like they couldn't come up with anything themselves, but I guess their plastic unibody tablet that ran Windows design went with Microsoft?

The internals are very interesting however opting for an Intel chip with PowerVR graphics, and 64 bit too, will be very interesting to see how it performs and benchmarks against the a nexus 9.

 

[boomer0001]

It's quite possible that Nokia has been working on this design for a while before Apple made the new ipad public.

so 2-3 years ago? Apple hasn't really changed the design of the mini since release except for minor details.

 

[AdonisSMU]

That is one hell of an inspiration.

Apple should let them be and not give Nokia the exposure they are looking for, i really want iPad competition to happen but not like this.

What's the point of there being competition if there isn't going to be competition?

 

[KdParker]

They own Nokia....

Just the phone and devices where purchased by MicroSoft.

Ths tablet is from what is left of Nokia.

 

[lordofthereef]

Thats just embarrassing Nokia/Microsoft

This division is not run by Microsoft fyi. MS bought the rights to their mobile phone division only.

 

[apolloa]

This is from the remnants of Nokia that Microsoft doesn't own.
Nothing to do with MS's Nokia.

This....

For those that don't know the Nokia that Microsoft bought no longer exists and they have now officially killed the Nokia branding and name.

So ANYTHING that has Nokia on it from now on has NOTHING to do with Microsoft. Kapeesh?

 

[jlake02]

These companies need to tweak the norm to create their own niche and removing a home button doesn't cut it. If they think they can compete with Apple products simply on price cuts, they're going to have a bad time.

Companies need to stop copying Apple products and really think outside the box. Until they do, they'll just do damage to their own brand names AND profit margins.

 

[Mescagnus]

Oh, Foxconn!

Funny thing is that Foxconn, one of Apple's key manufacturers, is Nokia's BUSINESS PARTNER — not only supplier — in the N1 venture.

Nokia has licensed its brand, Z Launcher and "N1's design" to Foxconn. Foxconn will be responsible for sales, marketing, distribution, support, repairs on top of manufacturing.

I'm pretty sure this will not sit well with Apple — Foxconn is surely headed for trouble. I wonder which business is more valuable to Foxconn: being one of Apple's key suppliers/manufacturers, or a full-fledged business partner with struggling Nokia in a venture where Apple's design is blatantly copied?

If I was Apple — or Jony Ive — I would be furious with both Nokia and Foxconn! Samsung is starting to look like the mother of originality compared to the Nokia/Foxconn partnership.

Perhaps Pegatron & other Apple's manufacturing partners will see a surge in their business, as Apple shifts away from what can surely be seen as a deceitful supplier?

 

[lordofthereef]

so 2-3 years ago? Apple hasn't really changed the design of the mini since release except for minor details.

I'd say the chassis of the current ioad are different enough from 2-4 year old variants. I mean, as different as they can be and still remain a tablet. As always, opinions will differ.

 

[HiVolt]

LOL, Lava Grey??

They are really grasping at straws when naming these new "colors".

If I recall Lava is not Grey, even when solidified its quite dark nowhere close to what this is...

 

[coolfactor]

Well at least it has better specs than the iPad Mini 3.....

But how is the real-world performance. We all know by now that specs are meaningless if the operating system and applications fail to properly leverage the hardware.

 

[lordofthereef]

Well if this isn't a front page story designed to entice a fan flame war I don't know what is?

The design isn't quite a total copy, the edges for instance wrap around a fair bit to the front, but it's certainly lazy styling and certainly from the pictures does look like they couldn't come up with anything themselves, but I guess their plastic unibody tablet that ran Windows design went with Microsoft?

The internals are very interesting however opting for an Intel chip with PoweVR graphics, and 64 bit too, will be very interesting to see how it performs and benchmarks against the a nexus 9.

Step one: hits, hits, and more hits.
Step two: rile up the fans (for more hits)

It's tech need in a nutshell these days.

But anyway I agree with your summary , take any tablet on the market, make it aluminum, and you have a similar design to every other tablet in the market. A tablet is a tabket. Especially when there is a list for thin and light, only so much one can do with design.

 

[Stephroll]

There must have been quite a few interesting phone calls to Foxconn this morning

 

[sviato]

Apparently Foxconn is making/selling this thing and Nokia is just licensing its name.

This tablet kinda looks like what an iPad Mini with the iPhone 6's design style would look like. I wonder if Apple was going to go with this look but changed their mind for some reason and Foxconn had these extra parts ready.

 

[EightBitJoe]

Bruce Sewell has a major erection right now.

 

[Renzatic]

If I recall Lava is not Grey, even when solidified its quite dark nowhere close to what this is...

It's pretty close, I guess.

Still, when you think of lava, you do think of orange or red. Kind of a weird name regardless.

 

[the8thark]

Apple likes these kinds of products. It makes the Apple lawyers very rich.

 

[Renzatic]

Apple likes these kinds of products. It makes the Apple lawyers very rich.

Apple probably hates them. Their lawyers getting rich doesn't do a thing for the company itself.

 

[captain cadet]

Might as well see how far they can push apple We thought samesung was bad

 

[apolloa]

Step one: hits, hits, and more hits.
Step two: rile up the fans (for more hits)

It's tech need in a nutshell these days.

But anyway I agree with your summary , take any tablet on the market, make it aluminum, and you have a similar design to every other tablet in the market. A tablet is a tabket. Especially when there is a list for thin and light, only so much one can do with design.

Well yes and no, for instance I am getting the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and Sony have managed to make its design unique with its own language, so it can be done. But it you have a metal back and black edged glass front then pretty much it's an iPad i guess? But it isn't copying Apple as black edges can enhance a screen for your eyes and metal is durable and a bit of luxury, so in that sense then yes their is only so much you can do.

 

[coolfactor]

Aren't they all inspired by the iPad?

Yes, indeed. Apple did define the space. And interestingly, Apple was aiming to release a tablet first. The original project was for a tablet, but when they determined that the technology (probably the screen tech) was not yet ready, they scaled it down to become the iPhone. Then two years later, released the tablet when the tech was ready.

One has to wonder... what would the world look like today if Apple wasn't around? It wold be very, very different, I think.

 

[cfedu]

Apparently Foxconn is making/selling this thing and Nokia is just licensing its name.

This tablet kinda looks like what an iPad Mini with the iPhone 6's design style would look like. I wonder if Apple was going to go with this look but changed their mind for some reason and Foxconn had these extra parts ready.

If this is the case it will be much worse. I see more of the Air 2 and iPhone 6 design. If foxcon is behind this, than I would say they will get sued as they knew what the iPad air 2 and the iphone 6 would look like.

 

[macaron95]

copy and paste strategy

 

[Rogifan]

Also, Nokia is just licensing their name. They aren't making this at all. They didn't even design it.

According to posters on the Verge Nokia did design it, Foxconn is just manufacturing it and handling warranty.

 

[JGRE]

So innovating and Apple not, right?