Nokia Unveils Its First Ever Windows Tablet, The Lumia 2520

Nokia announced today its first ever Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520.

The 10.1-inch tablet runs Windows RT 8.1, a special version of Windows 8 that's only designed to run on tablets and compete with Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

Unlike tablets that have the full version of Windows 8, the Lumia 2520 will only be able to run apps optimized for the new operating system. You won't be able to run older apps designed for Windows 7 or earlier.

The Lumia 2520 is an interesting product, not because it's the first Windows tablet from Nokia, but because it competes with Microsoft's own Surface 2 tablet, which just went on sale this month. Microsoft is in the process of buying Nokia's mobile device business for about $7 billion. If and when the sale goes through, Microsoft will be selling two different tablets that essentially compete with each other.

Just like the Surface 2, the Lumia 2520 has an optional snap-on keyboard cover accessory. The keyboard cover also has a built in battery, which will give you an extra five hours of juice.

But unlike the Surface tablets, Nokia's Lumia 2520 can connect to the Internet using a 4G LTE connection from your wireless carrier. Nokia has not announced what carriers will support the tablet though.

There's more. The Lumia 2520's screen can play full 1080p HD video and is designed to work well even in direct sunlight. It also has a 6.7 MP camera on the back for snapping photos and a 2 MP HD camera on the front for video chats. It'll come in three color options: red, white, blue, or black. It'll ship with Microsoft Office preinstalled.

Nokia did not say when the tablet will launch nor how much it will cost. Expect that information to come along in a few weeks.