Nokia just made a comeback to the hardware market by unveiling a new Android tablet called the N1, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Apple's iPad Mini.

Ever since Microsoft completed the acquisition of Nokia's device unit, it remained rather unclear just what Nokia would do next on the consumer market. Its name recently disappeared from the new Lumia lineup, which is now called "Microsoft Lumia," but Nokia is not done with consumer hardware just yet.

It may no longer make Lumia Windows Phones for Microsoft, but Nokia is now re-entering the hardware market with its new N1 tablet, in an attempt to revive its consumer brand.

As a reminder, the last tablet Nokia launched was the Lumia 2520, a plasticky slate running Microsoft's Windows RT. The new Nokia N1 looks and feels far superior compared to the Lumia 2520, boasting a sleek chassis with rounded corners, made from a single block of aluminum for an extra touch of style.

The new Nokia N1 comes with a 7.9-inch display and the aforementioned full-aluminum chassis makes it look very similar to an iPad Mini.

The aluminum construction, however, is not the only thing that's reminiscent of the iPad Mini - other similarities include the location of the N1's cameras (both front and back), the twin speakers, the reversible USB Type C port, and the volume buttons.

At the same time, the Nokia N1 is slightly slimmer than the iPad Mini 3, and while the overall aspect may be similar, its specifications tell a different story. The Nokia N1 packs a 64-bit quad-core Intel Atom Z2580 processor clocked at 2.4GHz, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage capacity. The slate also comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front shooter. A 5,300 mAh battery will keep things up and running.

On the software side, the Nokia N1 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, but with a heavy Z Launcher on top. For those unfamiliar with this project, Nokia's Z Launcher has been in private beta for a good while now, but it's ready to hit the N1 tablet. The launcher is designed to keep track of the apps and actions one uses most frequently, and show them at the top of a list found on the device's home screen. This aims to allow for easy and quick access to what one typically uses. Moreover, Nokia also allows users to scribble letters on the screen to access apps that have yet to pop up on that list.

"Nokia N1 comes with Nokia Z Launcher, the home screen that makes things simple. Just scribble a letter to find what you're looking for - instantly. Plus, it adapts to where you are and what you're doing to bring you the right app, right when you need it," the company explains on the N1 product page.

The slate will hit China first, sporting a $250 price tag, set to launch in time for the Chinese New Year (Feb. 19, 2015), after which it will reach Russia.