Nokia announces new brand-licensed tablet computer

[HELSINKI] Finland's Nokia announced a brand-licensed tablet computer which runs on Google's Android platform, just six month after the company sold its ailing phones and devices business to Microsoft for over US$7 billion.

Nokia said the manufacturing, distribution and sales of the N1 tablet will be handled by Taiwan's Foxconn.

Sebastian Nystrom, the head of products at Nokia's Technologies unit, said the company was looking to follow up with more devices in the future.

The tablet, which sports Nokia's own interface, is planned to be in stores in China in the first quarter of next year for an estimated price of US$249 before taxes with sales to expand to other markets after that.

After the 5.6 billion-euro deal with Microsoft, Nokia was left with its network equipment and services business plus its smaller HERE mapping and navigation business and Technologies unit, which manages licensing payments on its patents and conducts research and development.

Last week Chief Executive Rajeev Suri said the company was looking into ways to bring its brand back into the consumer market through licensing deals with electronic product makers.

REUTERS