Nokia "Tweener" Tablet Tipped In Mobile Gaming Push [Video]

Nokia's tablet ambitions may see the company slotting a so-called "tweener" device in-between smartphone and the currently available slates, according to Nokia EVP Tero Ojanperä. Speaking at SXSW this week with Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka, the Nokia exec suggested that the existing crop of tablets wouldn't be the last word in innovation, and predicted something somewhat larger than a smartphone could find a niche.Video after the cut

"I think tablets and in general all kinds of small gadgets, I don't think the tablets will be the last thing in what we will innovate; there will be new form-factors in this size [holds up smartphone] that is a little bit bigger, in tablet, that will be a big driver in mobile games." Tero Ojanperä, Head of Services and Developer Experience, Nokia

It's not the first time Nokia has looked to expanded-smartphone form factors, of course. The Nokia N800 and N810 both had 4.13-inch WVGA touchscreens and generally relied on WiFi and Bluetooth tethering to get online (aside from the N810 WiMAX Edition, which added a 4G modem), running Maemo, one of the parents of the MeeGo platform.

A recent Nokia trademark for a tablet design suggests the company considered something considerably larger – around the 10-inch mark – but we've heard European carrier support was generally negative and sent the company back to the drawing board. Vesterbacka predicts that tablets will kill the games console, and Ojanperä believes a tweener tablet device could push mobile gaming considerably.

[via The Nokia Blog]