Nokia Illusionist: 8-inch Windows RT Tablet Rumored

Nokia only unveiled its Lumia 2520 tablet this past month, but rumors of the Nokia Illusionist, a follow-up to Nokia’s first tablet, are already surfacing.

Evleaks first shared information about the Nokia Illusionist on Twitter earlier this morning. While the tweet didn’t contain a great deal of information about what users can expect from this tablet, it did indicate two important specifications.

It is Evleaks, assertion that this tablet will use an 8-inch display instead of the 10.1-inch display the Nokia’s Lumia 2520 tablet does. A device with a screen this small would allow Nokia to compete directly with best-selling tablets that are currently on the market like Apple’s iPad mini and the Google’s Nexus 7.

The tweet also mentioned another detail about the upcoming tablet. Allegedly, the Nokia Illusionist will run Windows RT. Windows RT is the mobile version of Windows that allows users to install applications from Microsoft’s Windows Store but doesn’t allow users to install applications to the Desktop environment. For example, devices running Windows RT can’t install applications like iTunes.

The rest of the details about the Nokia Illusionist remain a mystery. However it’s entirely possible that the device’s specifications could mirror that of the Nokia Lumia 2520. That device features a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, a front-facing camera for chatting with friends and a 6.7 megapixel rear-facing camera that is equipped with Nokia’s PureView imaging technology. It also comes a copy of Microsoft Office pre-installed.

Read: Nokia Enters The tablet Race with RT Based Lumia 2520

The Nokia Illusionist could catapult to the top of users’ tablet related shopping lists ahead of even Microsoft’s own tablets. Microsoft’s Surface line  doesn’t include a device at 8.1-inches. It’s the 8-inch and 7-inch screen sizes that have driven adoption of tablets to new highs. So far Microsoft has been more than happy to let its hardware partners fill that gap with devices of their own.

Dell recently launched the Venue Pro 8, an 8-inch Windows tablet that costs users just $299. Unlike the rumored Nokia Illusionist, the Venue Pro 8 runs Windows 8.1, the version of Windows that allows users to install and use desktop applications.

Pricing and availability for the Nokia Illusionist remains a mystery.