Nokia design chief on Windows 8 tablets: 'We're working on it'

Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaari has confirmed that the Finnish firm is working on its first Windows 8 tablet, claiming a third of his time is spent on the device.

Responding to a question by Finnish magazine Kauppalehti on Nokia's tablet plans, he simply stated: "we're working on it".

Ahtisaari's comments come despite the fact Nokia itself is yet to officially confirm that a tablet is under development.

Case closed

Nonetheless, back in November 2011 Nokia France head Paul Amsellem told a French newspaper that the company planned to launch a Windows 8 tablet in June 2012.

Recent talk has suggested any Nokia tablet would not arrive before Q4 2012, with a report from DigiTimes earlier this week citing "upstream component suppliers" detailing a 10 inch Nokia tablet running Windows on ARM, powered by a dual-core Snapdragon system-on-a-chip.

In its recent SEC filing, Nokia also laid out the importance of launching a tablet to complement its Windows Phone offerings.

"We manufacture mobile devices, but currently no other adjacent products, such as tablets," read the filing.

"As a result, Nokia products with Windows Phone may be a less compelling choice for consumers who wish to purchase multiple mobile products from the same manufacturer or with the same or compatible operating system in order to facilitate a smooth interaction among mobile products."

[source: Reuters]