Windows 8 Tablet Rumor Confirmed: Nokia 'Working On' Device

Finnish cell phone giant Nokia has a Windows 8 tablet in the works that is expected to be released later this year.

We are working on it, Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaari said in an interview with Finnish magazine Kauppalehti Optio, Reuters reported.

Ahtisaari said he is spending a third of his time creating a Windows 8 tablet, according to Reuters.

While there is speculation the tablet will be released later this year, a Nokia spokesman was mum on details.

We continue to eye the tablet space with interest, but have made no specific announcements, the spokesman told Reuters.

Later this year, Microsoft is launching Windows 8, a new operating system that will run on PCs, phones and tablets.

While Windows 8 will be made available across all types of devices, the OS will be optimized for tablets, including the Metro interface, which makes it easy to scroll through options if you're a tablet user.

The Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft is hoping Windows 8 tablets will rival Apple's iPad and Android-powered tablets.

While not as big in the U.S., Nokia phones are hugely popular in Europe.

Elop told All Things Digital last year that the Finnish tech giant believes branching into tablets is a natural progression for the company.

One of the things that we are excited about in terms of support for the Windows Phone are the announcements made around Windows 8 for tablets and personal computers, Elop said. When you see the user experience from the Nokia Lumia environment appearing on hundreds of millions of tablets and PCs in the future, you can see that there is a clear synergy between all those environments. So that presents an interesting opportunity for Nokia.