Nokia CEO Stephen Elop suggests Windows tablet on the way

Three months in, the Surface tablet hasn’t really seen the level of adoption Microsoft would have hoped for, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a future for Windows tablets. In fact, Redmond’s flagship partner in the smartphone space might be looking to jump into Windows tablets in the future, as it attempts to offer a more integrated experience for Lumia owners.

In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, CEO Stephen Elop conceded that Nokia is interested in the tablet space, but stopped short of offering any hard details on their short to mid-term plans. According to Elop, the Finnish phone maker is taking its time to "study" Microsoft's efforts with the Surface to decide how and when to enter the market.

“We haven’t announced tablets at this point, but it is something we are clearly looking at very closely,” Elop said. “We are studying very closely the market right now as Microsoft has introduced the Surface tablet, so we are trying to learn from that and understand what the right way to participate would be and at what point in time.”

When asked about his choice of platform the executive said Nokia would consider any option, including Android, but made it clear that their focus is currently on Microsoft’s platform. Elop also said there were merits to both smaller form factors such as the iPad mini and Nexus 7, as well as larger tablets like the Surface and the iPad, as he avoided giving out any hints about what a future slate from Nokia would look like.

Recent rumors suggest a Windows RT tablet from Nokia could debut in early 2013. It’s said to feature a 10.1-inch display similar to the one on Microsoft’s Surface RT, HDMI and USB ports, cellular connectivity, and a battery-equipped cover that doubles as a keyboard and kickstand for the device.