Nokia announces MWC slot, may launch Windows RT tablet

Nokia might have given CES a miss, but it seems the Finnish manufacturer is preparing to show off its latest hardware at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company has sent out invites for a conference on Feburary 25, the first day of the event. Recent rumours about Nokia’s devices talk about the company working on a Windows RT tablet and two Lumia handsets: the Catwalk and the EOS.

Nokia could announce the successor to the Lumia 920 at Mobile World Congress

Nokia has been working on a tablet featuring Windows RT, which will sit alongside the company’s Lumia range of handsets. It is expected to debut in the first half of 2013, so an MWC announcement cannot be ruled out. The rumoured tablet will have HDMI and USB ports along with a 10.1-inch display and a battery-equipped keyboard cover. The cover doubles as a keyboard and a kickstand for the tablet and will have two USB ports for additional connectivity.

Another rumoured handset is the Nokia EOS, which will have a better camera sensor as compared to the company’s current flagship, the Lumia 920, which has an 8.7 megapixel camera. The EOS will be a high-end Lumia, but it won't be the flagship device. It will have an aluminium body, unlike the polycarbonate shells found on recent Lumia Windows Phone devices.

The EOS will be part of a fresh design cycle for Nokia that focuses on a new look. It is also said to have squared edges, which will be a stark departure from the curvy edges of the current Lumia lineup. The handset is rumoured to have a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display with HD resolution, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and an Adreno 320 graphics processor.

The Espoo-based company is also planning a replacement for the Lumia 920 in the form of Catwalk, which is also said to have an aluminium chassis. The specifications of the Catwalk will be very similar to the Lumia 920's, so it is slated to be Nokia’s flagship smartphone for 2013. Nokia is also rumoured to be working on another mid-range device that is expected to debut early this summer; it will most likely be the replacement for the current mid-tier Nokia Lumia 820.

At last year’s Mobile World Congress, Nokia unveiled the Nokia Lumia 610, and announced the worldwide availability of the Lumia 900 and three new Asha handsets, alongside the show-stealer, the Nokia 808 Pure View, which has a whopping 41-megapixel camera.