Nokia will reportedly be releasing a Windows 8-based tablet by June next year and will also be expanding upon its current range of Windows Phone Mango-operating Lumia smartphones with a new high-end addition.

This info was revealed by the head of Nokia France, Paul Amsellem, during an interview with the French newspaper LesEchos.

Amsellem stated that the Finnish phone maker is planning to have a Windows 8 tablet available by June 2012. If this is true, it’s particularly exciting, not only because it will be Nokia’s first tablet (not quite counting the N800), but also because it shines light on the time-frame at which we can expect to see Windows 8 devices beginning to appear. More so because Microsoft has not provided an official release date for Windows 8 yet. Asellem did not expand on the specs for this tablet, nor name.  

In terms of smartphones, Amsellem compared the company’s current flagship Windows Phone device, the Nokia Lumia 800, to a BMW 5 Series saying that there will soon be a full range featuring a 7 Series and 3 Series (the Nokia Lumia 710) as well. He did not elaborate on the specs or name of this forthcoming smartphone.

 

In related news Nokia also recently selected ST-Ericsson as a supplier for future Windows Phone devices and pulled the plug on the Nokia 600 Symbian Belle-running smartphone.