Nokia Booklet 3G mini laptop looks absolutely brilliant

It’s been no secret that Nokia was considering a move into the laptop space. Indeed the company’s CEO has made comments to this effect now and again for quite a while.

Well, it’s here.

The first generation “Nokia Booklet” will be hitting shelves soon. And it’s a looker.

First, let’s have some pictures:

This is an exciting move. Let’s go through the announced features:

– 12 hour battery life. Impressive.
– 1.25kg (Lighter than a MacBook Air’s 1.36kg)
– A-GPS
– 10.1″ screen
– 2cm thick when closed (“19.9mm”)
– WiFi (b/g)
– Integrated 3G mobile broadband
– Microsoft Windows
– Ovi services
– HDMI out
– USB ports & SD card slot
– Bluetooth
– Front-facing webcam
– Rumour: Hot-swappable SIM slot (see SlashGear)

There’s no specific news on pricing — we’ll have more details at Nokia World. I imagine it will compete nicely with the offerings from existing mobile operators — e.g. the Dell Mini I bought from Vodafone was free at £25 per month on an 18/24 month contract.

I can see myself getting one of these Nokia Booklet devices. I’m particularly impressed by the 12-hour battery. Indeed if it’s anywhere near as good as that (using WiFi or 3G data), then that alone will be a compelling reason for many of us to consider swapping.

There’s no word on storage as yet. Although I wonder if Ovi’s online services will help with this.

The PC/mobile market has just got very interesting indeed. If Nokia can use their industrial might and know-how to knock these devices out at a brilliant price point, they could well become one of the biggest players in the laptop marketplace very, very quickly.

On the strength of what you’ve seen so far, will you be buying one?

Here’s the promo video:

Here’s the actual press release from Nokia:

After more than 25 years as a pioneer and leader in the mobile industry, Nokia will bring its rich mobility heritage and knowledge to the PC world with the new, Windows based, Nokia Booklet 3G.

Powered by the efficient Intel Atom processor, the Nokia Booklet 3G delivers impressive performance with up to 12 hours of battery life, enabling people to leave their power cable behind and still be connected and productive. Delivering the rich experience of a full-function PC inside an ultra-portable aluminum chassis, the new mini-laptop weighs 1.25 kilograms, measures slightly more than two centimeters thin, and has the features one would expect from the world’s leading mobile device manufacturer. A broad range of connectivity options – including 3G/ HSPA and Wi-Fi – gives consumers high speed access to the Internet, including Nokia’s broad suite of Ovi services, and allows them to make the most of every moment and every opportunity.

“A growing number of people want the computing power of a PC with the full benefits of mobility,” said Kai Oistamo, Nokia’s Executive Vice President for Devices. “We are in the business of connecting people and the Nokia Booklet 3G is a natural evolution for us. Nokia has a long and rich heritage in mobility and with the outstanding battery life, premium design and all day, always on connectivity, we will create something quite compelling. In doing so we will make the personal computer more social, more helpful and more personal.”

The mini-laptop also comes with an HDMI port for HD video out, a front facing camera for video calling, integrated Bluetooth and an easily accessible SD card reader. Other premium features include the 10-inch glass HD ready display and integrated A-GPS which, working with the Ovi Maps gadget, can pinpoint your position in seconds and open up access for a truly personal maps experience. The Nokia Booklet 3G also brings a number of other rich Ovi experiences to life, whether its access and playback of millions of tracks through the Nokia Music Store, or using Ovi Suite to sync seamlessly from your Nokia smartphone, to your mini-laptop, to the cloud.

The Nokia Booklet 3G will widen the Nokia portfolio, satisfying a need in the operator channel, and bringing another important ingredient in the move towards becoming a mobile solutions company.

Further information, including detailed specifications, market availability and pricing, will be announced at Nokia World on September 2. For more information on Nokia World, visit: http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld/home.htm

Finally, check out more details at Nokia’s own blog.