Nokia has delayed the launch of a large-screen “phablet” device, originally planned for late September, following a deal to sell its handset business and license patents to Microsoft according to Reuters.
Nokia had planned to announce new devices including a phablet, a smartphone with a screen larger than 5 inches, to revamp its lineup of Lumia smartphones which use Microsoft’s Windows according to sources familiar with the plan prior to the MSFT deal.
One of the sources said the launch event, originally scheduled to take place in New York late this month, has been pushed back by several weeks. Reuters could not confirm a new date, and a Nokia spokesman declined to comment.
However as you can see this morning, Nokia sent out invites for an Oct. 22 event. In addition to the 1520, the company is believed to be prepping a 10.1″ Windows RT tablet.
Nokia and Microsoft are still operating as separate companies as the 5.44 billion euro deal, which was announced on September 3, has not yet closed. But Chief Executive Stephen Elop, who was hired from Microsoft in 2010 to turn the company around and is returning to his former company after the deal closes, has stepped aside to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
