Nokia tipped for launch of Windows RT tablet

The rumor mill wheels turned a bit louder this past weekend as Nokia has been tipped to launch a Windows RT tablet.  Dubbed "Sirius", the 10.1" slate would be Nokia's first tablet since it ventured outside of handsets with a netbook and MID a few years back.

Photos of the device suggest a Surface RT-like design with Lumia styling and vibrant enclosure colors.  QWERTY keyboard entry may take a different approach than Surface covers in the form of a keyboard dock with integral battery for longer life between charges.  4G LTE support is expected with mock-ups including Verizon's logo already showing up in the wild.  Currently, Microsoft's Surface tablets are only available with Wi-Fi connectivity and lack mobile broadband capability.

Calls for Microsoft to further its investment in Nokia -- with some even suggesting the Redmond, Washington company should outright purchase Nokia -- began after former Microsoftie Stephen Elop took reins as CEO.  Given the tight relationship between the two companies on Windows Phone smartphones and the apparent prep of a Windows RT tablet, Microsoft would be merely wasting cash to buy Nokia at this point since the firm seems content developing mobile devices using Microsoft's OS releases.