Nokia N1 Tablet Release Date, Price, Specs, and Rumors

May 01, 2015 02:18 PM EDT

Nokia was once a huge leader in the mobile phone world, but after selling off to Microsoft, they appear to have rights to tablet sales.  One of their most recent tablets, the Nokia N1, is doing very well in China.  However, there doesn't seem to be any word on a release date in the US, nor a nailed down price, but there are rumors of the delay.

PC Advisor stated that the Nokia N1 was one of the 11 tablets you should watch out for in 2015.  They predicted an expected launch date for February, but here we are, almost 3 months later, and there is no sign of a US or UK release.  Most of the online research that I have found on the Nokia N1 tablet is over a month old, which is very odd for any subject. 

The sales of the Nokia N1 tablet in China were nothing short of phenomenal, with a total of 20,000 tablets sold in just four minutes, according to Android Info.  You would think that with a sales record like that in Asia, Nokia would be anxious to get it to Europe and North America.

So what is with the delay of the US and UK release?  Based on the information about Chinese sales, there are apparently many customers awaiting backorders.  It looks like Nokia intends to take care of the backorders first, and then focus on UK and US consumers. 

It is very clear that Nokia should probably get a move on before demand of other tablet increase, such as the imminent launch of the new iPad Air 3 (possibly the iPad Pro or iPad Plus, or some variation of that name).  The Nokia N1 has received a lot of rave reviews, as CNET even stated that the Nokia N1 tablet is so good, I'd move to China for it.   

The Nokia N1 has a sandblasted aluminum frame and is 6.9 mm thick with a 7.9 inch IPS LCD screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio with 2,048 x 1,536 pixel resolution.  Inside is a 64-bit 2.3 GHz Intel Atom Z3580 CPU and Power VR G6430 GPU with 2 GB of RAM.  It has 32 GB of internal storage, but no expansion slot.  The Nokia N1 was one of the first tablets to have the USB Type-C socket, a reversible USB port that is set to replace all type of USB connections.  The Nokia N1 also has stereo speakers, Bluetooth 4.0, as well as an 8-Megapixel camera on the back and a 5-Megapixel one on the front. 

The official Nokia N1 website details some of the other features with its biggest selling point, the Nokia Z Launcher.  The Z Launcher enables the user to just scribble a letter to find the app that he or she wants to find instantly, and it adapts to where he or she is to bring the app quickly forward.  The Interface and OS is also very interesting as it simplifies the home screen with a gridlike display of applications, with Z Launcher putting the ones that you want in front. 

Assuming that Nokia can get past the delay, one has to wonder about the price of when it comes to the US and the UK.  Right now, it sells for 1,599 yuan -- that's around $250, £160 or AU$290.  Hopefully, the Nokia N1 will hit US and UK markets before the holidays.