WiMAX Internet Tablet Coming

[Reggie]

Ok guys, here's the latest scoop I got from CES 2008. From talking with some Internet Tablet Product Managers at the Nokia booth, there seems to be some clear indication that a WiMAX Internet Tablet is coming soon. How soon? How about the second quarter of this year? It will be using Sprint's WiMAX, now called XOHM WiMAX as announced at CES 2008. Here are some text from the XOHM - Nokia partner page:In collaboration with Xohm, Nokia is developing WiMAX-enabled devices that will offer users on-the-go broadband access to the information and services important to them.Note however that XOHM WiMAX is currently running only at Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington DC but its launch to major US cities will soon follow. There is still no info about the device itself. The specs and how it looks are still very much confidential. As for CES 2008, A last minute trip made me catch the last day of the event. I have posted pics of the Nokia booth over at the gallery.Read the full article. (http://www.internettablettalk.com/2008/01/14/wimax-internet-tablet-coming/)

[EIPI]

Excellent news. I wonder if Nokia will also offer this device in other countries? If not, then Nokia is limiting its sales on this device severely. There are more countries out there with better WiMax deployment than the USA.

[sfitz]

Hey do you think they will have a special pricing on devices that they provide to a select number of those in the community? And do you think they will mess it up as badly as the current one?

Sorry they could be releasing the wimax n8x0 tomorrow and I could not care less. Nokia lost this consumer. And I was really excited about the wimax n8x0 when I first heard about it. Now I'm looking to Asus EEE with WiMax, or something else.

[iamthewalrus]

Not to sound smug...but this has been known since last october (http://pbcentral.com/columns/hildreth_kravitz/17oct07.shtml).

[Reggie]

Actually this has been known since last oktober (http://pbcentral.com/columns/hildreth_kravitz/17oct07.shtml).

Yes, there were rumors of a WiMAX device late last year. A lot were disappointed though when the N810 came out without WiMAX. There were even news that WiMAX was in limbo since Sprint's CEO was stepping down.

WiMAX got reborn through XOHM. This is the first time however that Nokia is acknowledging an internet tablet with WiMAX.

Expect other devices (non-Nokia) using XOHM WiMAX also launching this year.

[phi]

Wonder if this will be an add-on or will it leave a bunch of us out in the cold? I also wonder if Sprint really knows how to price this competitively or not.

[Viipottaja]

Excellent news! My guess is that its just the N800 and N810 with WiMax added.

What will be more interesting to see is how Nokia and Sprint bundle it with the Xohm service.. subsidized prices, monthly fees? Hmm.. not sure if that would be a good bundle.

[kotzkind]

Addon would be perfect. I just ordered a n800.

[greatgazoo]

I wonder what sort of "Kindle effect" the tablet would have now that it is completely self contained (i.e. not needing WiFi or a cel phone to communicate)?

[lad]

I live in the XOHM target area.

Lessee...A small, self-powered, mini-USB dongle for my N800 & laptop w/ a reasonable online rate...

(prob. about as likely as winning Powerball...:o)

(follow-up - looks like these will be more than just a mini-dongle ;) )

http://images.betanews.com/media/1281.jpg

[milas]

I found this on an article about WiMAX:

"In a separate keynote yesterday, Sean Maloney, Intel Corp.'s chief sales and marketing officer, said Intel has developed a small module card called Echo Peak that offers both WiMax and Wi-Fi over the draft 802.11n specification, which will begin appearing in Nokia 800 series handhelds. And in another example of how WiMax will be widespread, he demonstrated integrated WiMax capability onstage inside a laptop, not using a PC card."

Wireless-N would certainly be a neat addition to further future-proof the device along with WiMAX. I do kind of wish they'd put an HSDPA modem in instead of WiMAX, but Nokia seems to hate the USA in regards to HSDPA. Although they do seem to be warming up recently...

Also, for those of you who aren't savvy with fiscal quarters, I checked on Wikipedia and 2Q is typically from Jan 1 - Mar 31. Does anyone know if Nokia operates on a different schedule?
(See corrected post below.)

Being released in such a close timeframe to the N810, it is pretty likely it will be the same hardware with the addition of WiMAX, right?

[bobloadmire]

i thought 2Q was April-june?

[milas]

It looks like you might be right on the 2Q dates. I can't really find a clear definition online though, and it seems to vary from company to company.

The Wikipedia dates are apparently for the US government's fiscal year, so Nokia's could easily be different.

This Register article (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/02/nokia_q2_results/) supports what you are saying:
"The figures for the three months to 30 June show Nokia turning over €12.6bn, and making €2.36bn in profit." [in reference to 2Q 2007 earnings]

Too bad.

EDIT: According to this (http://cobrands.hoovers.com/global/cobrands/aolco/factsheet.xhtml?COID=41820) their fiscal year ends in December like the regular calendar, so 2Q would in fact be April - June.

[twaelti]

From an Intel document*:
Nokia Nseries Internet Tablets,
Among the early products anticipated to be powered by Intel WiMAX chipsets will be
the Nokia N800 series Internet Tablets, expected to ship in 2008. Running opensource
Linux, a Mozilla-based browser, and an array of popular applications, the device
will deliver full-featured Internet access through Sprint’s Xohm WiMAX network.

The Intel® WiMAX Connection product family includes the 2200, 2300R, 2320R and 2400 chips. The 2320R might be the most possible candidate for inclusion?

*Deliver WiMAX Faster: Enabling fast design-in, small form factors, and energy-efficient performance with an integrated WiMAX chipset solution (http://download.intel.com/technology/wimax/deliver-wimax-faster.pdf) (PDF 534KB)

[BOFH]

It looks like you might be right on the 2Q dates. I can't really find a clear definition online though, and it seems to vary from company to company.

The Wikipedia dates are apparently for the US government's fiscal year, so Nokia's could easily be different.

This Register article (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/02/nokia_q2_results/) supports what you are saying:
"The figures for the three months to 30 June show Nokia turning over €12.6bn, and making €2.36bn in profit." [in reference to 2Q 2007 earnings]

Too bad.

EDIT: According to this (http://cobrands.hoovers.com/global/cobrands/aolco/factsheet.xhtml?COID=41820) their fiscal year ends in December like the regular calendar, so 2Q would in fact be April - June.

It depends on if that Q2 or Financial Q2 which are something different ; also if financial Q2 check if Finland have a different Date range, I know Ireland upto ~2 years ago the financial year ended in April IIRC

[lad]

This could explain why the current N800s are getting "blown out" - but no mention of the N810s?

[Gadget25]

hmmm so ur saying since i bought my n800 in dec i wont be able to use wimax?

[Texrat]

hmmm so ur saying since i bought my n800 in dec i wont be able to use wimax?

It really doesn't matter when an N800 is purchased-- wimax will not be built-in to that model. Wimax variants will have a derivative number.

Note: take third-party reports with a grain of salt. They tend to oversimplify. Nokia official announcements should provide more accurate details about models.

[bartsimpson123844]

I think maybe Nokia should produce a whole 'nother tablet with the release of their WiMax N800 and N810 (I am assuming they will release wimax versions of both?). I think for the next tablet they need to combine the best features of all the tablets and stick 512mb of RAM and a 600mhz processor or something. That would be freakin' sweet.

[Texrat]

no comment. :D

[penguinbait]

I think maybe Nokia should produce a whole 'nother tablet with the release of their WiMax N800 and N810 (I am assuming they will release wimax versions of both?). I think for the next tablet they need to combine the best features of all the tablets and stick 512mb of RAM and a 600mhz processor or something. That would be freakin' sweet.



OKOK, can we get 1024x768???? oh please oh please oh please????

Seriously, 600Mhz, 512RAM, 1024x768, and you have a laptop replacement, at least with KDE on it :D

[bartsimpson123844]

OKOK, can we get 1024x768???? oh please oh please oh please????

Seriously, 600Mhz, 512RAM, 1024x768, and you have a laptop replacement, at least with KDE on it :D

Okay, maybe not 512 megs of RAM, but one can only dream no? I'd still keep the same resolution, just increase screen size about ~1 inch and include 3d graphics support or something. :)

By the way technology is, maybe we can expect this by 2010-2012?

[lad]

With all the new competition coming out, they need to pay attention to the quality and implementation of any new hardware they add (witness the complaints about the sub-par cameras and GPS).

Either that, or just keep the price down!:rolleyes:

[Texrat]

Okay, maybe not 512 megs of RAM, but one can only dream no? I'd still keep the same resolution, just increase screen size about ~1 inch and include 3d graphics support or something. :)

By the way technology is, maybe we can expect this by 2010-2012?

Very feasible, technology-wise.

[Viipottaja]

Texrat, I take that big smirky smile after your "now comment" is an admission that there will be a completely new model. Right? ;)

[Texrat]

No comment. :p

[kotzkind]

Looks like there will be 8 new Tablets until n900:
n820 n830 n840 n850 n860 n870 n880 n890
:D

[iamthewalrus]

Type numbers are marketing. If a competitor comes with the MegaTablet 1500 then the next Nokia Will be the n2000 to sound like 'more'.

[Viipottaja]

Texrat, thanks for confirming my interpretation! ;) Can't wait to see the new model!

[mullf]

I got me a 770 in 2005, and since then I've been holding out for a tablet with GPS and WiMAX. If Nokia's fixed the problem of the GPS requiring a cold start every time, I'm all over this! :D

[krisse]

I notice they just say "devices". In the past Nokia have said they intend to make Wimax-compatible phones, perhaps we'll see more than just tablets in this deal?