Nokia Puts the Brakes on Phablet Launch Following Acquisition by Microsoft

Ever imagined what a phablet based on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform might be like? For the time being, you'll have to keep imagining because those plans by Nokia are now on the back burner. Nokia had originally planned to launch a Windows Phone phablet by the end of this month, but with the company's handset business changing hands to Microsoft, it's not clear when or if a phablet will see the light of day.

According to Reuters, Nokia was going to announce a batch of new Windows Phone devices this month, including a handset with a display larger than 5 inches. The event was supposed to take place in New York, though it appears that's been pushed back by several weeks.


For the time being, Nokia and Microsoft are working as separate companies. At the same time, Nokia's not going to make any moves against the wishes of Microsoft and jeopardize the pending $7.2 billion acquisition. It's not immediately clear if Microsoft is as interested in phablets as Nokia apparently is, though Nokia's other smartphone launches are also on hold. The delay could also be as simple as Microsoft wanting to rebrand the devices before the event, as it's already removed the Nokia name from the Lumia 520 smartphone.


We might not have to wait long to find out. Nokia teased on its Twitter account an upcoming announcement scheduled for October 22, though the company didn't provide much in the way of clues.