Tablet computers existed in 1992. I was selling them! Apple even brought out the Netwon. But the market wasn’t there.
Internet browsing smartphones existed long before the iPhone but they were expensive and marketed towards business not consumers. The iPhone used a Capacitive screen rather then the more dull Resistive screen and that made a huge differnece in the interactivity of the device. But other phone makers didn’t think consumers would spend that much money on a phone.
Well, we know how that worked out.
So even if Nokia engineers had an iPad device in the late 90’s, they would have failed marketing it.
The early bird may get the work, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Should be,
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.