Nokia unveils 10.1″ Lumia 2520, a $499 Windows RT 8.1 tablet coming this fall with LTE and a $150 Power Keyboard

At Nokia World in Abu Dhabi today, Nokia unveiled its first tablet: the Lumia 2520. The Windows RT 8.1 device will ship this fall for $499; initial roll out will be in the US, the UK, and Finland, with additional countries to follow “shortly after.”

(Scroll down to see the first video of the Lumia 2520)

The Lumia 2520 comes with a 10.1-inch 1080p HD display. Nokia touts it is as being designed “to provide the best outdoor and indoor readability of any tablet.” That is a claim that we will of course be putting to the test when we get our hands on the device.

Much like the Microsoft Surface, the Lumia 2520 is more than just a screen: it pairs with a $150 Nokia Power Keyboard, a wraparound cover that includes a fully functional keypad. Unlike the Surface, however, the attachment features a gesture trackpad and also provides five hours of extra battery life and two built-in USB ports. Nokia claims its tablet provides fast-charging capability: up to an 80 percent charge in one hour.

While many tablets nowadays ship with a lower-end Wi-Fi model and a higher-end Wi-Fi plus LTE model, Nokia’s tablet comes with 4G LTE and Wi-Fi. Since it’s running Windows RT, it also ships with Microsoft Office and Outlook preinstalled, which Nokia says makes it “an ideal mix of fun and productivity.”

As can be expected with any flagship device from Nokia, the Finnish company is emphasizing the tablet’s imaging capabilities. It includes a 6.7 megapixel camera and ZEISS optics (which should be able to produce decent pictures, especially in low light) as well as a 2MP HD wide-angle back camera.

Last, but certainly not least, the Lumia 2520 comes with HERE Maps. Nokia argues this makes the device the only tablet with “true offline maps.” This is another point that we will scrutinize closely when we get the tablet in our hands.

Here are all the Lumia 2520 specifications for you to salivate over:

• 10.1” full 1080p HD AH-IPS, High Brightness with Low Reflectance, Gorilla Glass 2.
• 6.7MP Auto Focus ZEISS optics, Secondary: 2MP HD wide-angle.
• Video 1080p@60fps.
• 4G LTE.
• Nokia Music for unlimited streaming of ad-free music.
• Free global HERE Maps.
• Microsoft Office built-in.
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (2.2GHz Quad Core).
• 8000 mAh (integrated).
• Red, White (glossy), Cyan, Black (matte).

If that’s not enough for you, here’s the full spec sheet:

Unfortunately, despite all these juicy specifications, there is still no exact release date to look forward to. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we know when you can get it, but it looks like at least some will get it in time for the holiday season.

We’re not expecting too much from the device since it’s Nokia’s first tablet, and it’s also running Windows RT (8.1). Even Microsoft has been having trouble pushing its own devices with the operating system. Sadly, of the few companies that still want to experiment with Windows RT, this one is getting acquired by Microsoft.

Image Credits: Nokia