Saying the N1 looks like an iPad Mini is like complaining your girlfriend looks like Mila Kunis.
It turns out, we were wrong. Nokia had a cancer, and that cancer was Stephen Elop. It took four years to cut him out, but now that he’s gone, Nokia has a fresh, new, positive outlook on life. The result is a piece of hardware that with one hand, gives the finger to Elop and Microsoft, and with the other, a reassuring thumbs up to us.
Nokia had all the life sucked out of it during Microsoft’s tenure. Waves of grey-suited middle managers swept through launch events, where even embarrassing basketball-playing executives couldn’t save the day. The brightly colored Lumia phones were the only evidence of Nokia’s passion and glee for producing exciting hardware. Now that the marriage is over, Nokia’s back, and it’s fabulous.
It has lost some pounds (an entire division, actually), bought itself for some fashionable clothes, and got itself a makeover that would make any newly-minted Beverly Hills divorcee green with envy. It’s fitting then, the company chose a startup conference to launch the N1. Nokia is free, single, and ready to break some hearts. Even the device’s name is appropriate.
You should be excited about the N1 Tablet
All this romanticizing about Nokia’s return would be pointless if the product was dreary. Thankfully it wasn’t the set top box some speculated about (why would we want another one of those), but a well-specced, and very well-priced tablet. The tech world stuttered as it was announced, struggling to find something bad to say about it. The worst anyone could manage is that “it looks like the iPad Mini.” Oh no, how absolutely terrible. Saying the N1 looks like an iPad Mini is like complaining your girlfriend looks like Mila Kunis.
Does that mean the N1 Tablet is faultless? One could accuse it of being a bit dull, but a more legitimate concern is the decision to go with Android, and then slapping its own Z Launcher over the top. The world is hardly starved of Google-based slates, at any price point. Adding the clever Z Launcher over
Except the Z Launcher looks fun, and does something useful. The Scribble search function is reminiscent of Windows 8’s Start Search, but instead of typing, you scrawl a letter on the screen. Over time, the Z Launcher organizes apps based on usage and location, eventually making search irrelevant. Helpful. Nokia will also take solace in the overwhelming success of the Jolla Tablet, launched at the same event the day after. It has raised a million dollars on Indiegogo already, proving the public isn’t bored of custom tablets just yet.
Then there’s the price: It’s $250.
It’s great news for the future
The N1 Tablet is exciting, has a desirable spec, and won’t break the bank. What’s more, it’s made by a popular company emerging from difficult times, and who doesn’t love a spirited comeback? It even runs
Nokia’s return is great news for us today, but it’s also fabulous news for the future.
The last time we were surprised by a low-priced tablet, it came from Amazon, and that worked out pretty well for everyone involved. Nokia could end up following a very similar path, but we doubt it’ll feel the need to blight any future N1 Phone with a 3D interface and a highly optimistic price tag. With the N1 Tablet, and any other products it has under wraps to tide us over, we don’t mind waiting for Nokia’s return to phones. We have a feeling it’ll be worth it.
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