Microsoft’s takeover of the phone division of Nokia has led to the delay of a large screen “phablet” device from the Finnish mobile phone maker, according to reports.
A phablet is a smartphone over 5-inches in size, which is not quite as large as a full-sized 7-inch tablet.
As SmartCompany reported in late August, the new device was originally scheduled to be launched in New York later this month, in competition to Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy Note 3.
However, Reuters reports that the sale has been delayed as a result of Microsoft’s takeover bid, according to sources within the company.
Earlier this month, Microsoft agreed to purchase the handset manufacturing assets of Nokia for. $US7.2 billion, although the deal has not yet closed.
However, Nokia has launched a new low-cost featurephone called the Nokia 108 aimed at emerging markets, suggesting the company’s product line hasn’t completely come to a stop as a result of the deal.
“There remains a huge segment of the global population that has yet to own a camera phone. For the next billion people and beyond, we aim to bring new mobile experiences to ever-lower price points, and the Nokia 108 and Nokia 108 Dual SIM are great examples of this commitment,” Nokia executive vice president of mobile phones, Timo Toikkanen, said of the new devices.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
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