Fancy a Lumia tablet? There is a strong chance that Nokia will make one but its release will not happen anytime soon as Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop hinted that "it is something we are clearly looking at very closely."

Mr Elop told the Australian Financial Review that his firm is taking its sweet time, ensuring first that its entry into the increasingly crowded tablet market would deliver profitable returns for Nokia.

But he allowed that the Lumia slate will most likely stand on the same platform, the Windows 8, which catapulted the Lumia 920 smartphone to considerable success.

Mr Elop also disclosed that Android was on his list prior to the close partnership he had forged with Microsoft two years ago but decided against it, opting instead for Nokia to carve its own market with the overhauled Windows operating system.

"We were very worried that we would be entering Android late relative to everyone else in the industry, that perhaps one vendor was already well on the road to being the dominant Android vendor at the expense of everyone else," the Nokia boss told the AFR.

Nokia's focus, at this point, is growing what it started with Microsoft, exploring further on "the opportunity to have a pretty integrated experience," between Nokia devices and the vaunted Microsoft environment.

While emphasising that nothing is definite for now, the Nokia chief admitted that the tablet market is definitely a lure. In the event that his firm would join the game, it will compete big time in the regular-sized and small tablet class.

The tactic is in line with its smartphone approach. The good showing of the Lumia 920 is amply supported by its mass-market version - the Lumia 620, which Mr Elop said is now in Australian stores for only $329.

In Australia for example, the Lumia 920 is fast-gaining corporate following due to the productivity benefits delivered by the handset, thanks mostly to its deep integration with Microsoft's Office Suite, Mr Elop said.

Nokia, he added, is expanding its product lineup - delivering more devices to consumers that simultaneously offer variety and affordability.

"In the months and years ahead, you will see us broaden out the portfolio, which means pushing to lower and lower price points, in some cases smaller form factors and so forth," Mr Elop told The AFR.