According to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Nokia CEO Stephen Elop responded to the Australian media's queries about a much-rumoured Nokia Windows RT tablet by saying that his company is prepared to "consider any option" for a tablet OS.

On being pressurized by the Australian media to reveal whether the rumored Nokia tablet device would run the Windows OS or the Android OS, Elop told the media in Sydney on Monday that Nokia would be willing to consider either of the two options; and added alongside that the crucial point which needs to be noted is that "the opportunity for companionship is something that any user is looking for."

However, with Nokia having staked the future of its new Lomita line of smartphones on Microsoft's Windows platform, Elop also said that - given Nokia's target of delivering "a pretty integrated experience" to the customers - his company's first focus would be "clearly in the Microsoft side."

As per the AFR report, even though Nokia is yet to make an official announcement about a tablet, Elop had earlier said in a Sunday statement that his company is "studying" Microsoft's `Surface' attempts so that it can aptly notify how it intends venturing into the tablet arena, and also the precise timeline for such a move.

Going by the AFR report, Elop said, with Microsoft having introduced its Surface tablet, Nokia is currently trying to "understand what the right way to participate (in the tablet-market competition) would be and at what point in time."