HMD Slate Tab 5G tablet leaks as Nokia Lumia 2520 and Surface mashup

HMD may be preparing a surprise for fans of Nokia's literally colorful past. A tipster that has leaked many a credible HMD plan before has shared renders of the HMD Slate Tab 5G, a 2-in-1 Android tablet that has reportedly been in development for two years.

The renders show a tablet in two colors that reminisce about the polycarbonate shells of Nokia's past. The front reportedly carries a large 15.6-inch 2K LCD, while the back has a single camera and an HMD logo, with expansion contacts on the bottom edge. Those contacts are presumably there to handle a keyboard dock or a similar accessory, which would explain the 2-in-1 label.

The design inspiration apparently draws on two sources, one of which is the Microsoft Surface line, whose colorful Surface tablets like the Pro that can be found on Amazon, kickstand, and detachable keyboard formula defined the category, and the other seems to be the Nokia Lumia 2520, the Windows RT tablet remembered for its glossy polycarbonate shell and bold color choices. HMD holds the Nokia brand license, so a nod to Lumia heritage is not surprising. Previous Slate Tab rumors also showed a front resembling the Lumia 2520, so the idea has been circulating for a while.

The hardware specs of the purported HMD Slate Tab 5G remain unknown at the moment, but it could launch together with another rumored new HMD gear, the Skyline 2 phone. The Skyline 2's specs are clearer, as the handset is said to have a 6.55-inch FHD+ OLED panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 1,200 nits of peak brightness. It should pack a 108 MP main camera, a 50 MP telephoto, a 50 MP ultrawide unit, and a 50 MP selfie snapper. The midranger could be powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, paired with 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, so these could be some of the hints about the Slate Tab 5G hardware. The 5,000 mAh battery reportedly charges at 40 W wired and 15 W wirelessly, while basic IP54 protection and dual speakers round out the Skyline 2 specifications list.

HMD's plans have been hard to read lately, with one report claiming the Skyline 2 was cancelled before a later leak said it was coming after all, so it remains to be seen if the Slate Tab 5G will see the light of day, playing on the nostalgia of Nokia fans of yesteryear.