Nokia’s French general manager has reportedly hinted at a Nokia based Windows 8 tablet due next year.

Paul Amsellem, Nokia’s French general manager, briefly discussed Nokia’s Windows 8 tablet plans in an interview with French newspaper Les Echos on Tuesday. Amsellem mentions a June 2012 date for Nokia’s Windows 8 tablet. “In June 2012, we will have a tablet that runs on Windows 8,” said Amsellem. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has previously discussed the potential opportunity for a Windows 8 based tablet. In an interview earlier this month, Elop talked up the possibility of a Nokia Windows tablet in the works. “There’s a new tablet opportunity coming,” he said. “We see the opportunity. Unquestionably, that will change the dynamics” of the tablet market, he added. Nokia is rumored to be preparing its own tablet offerings. Reports earlier this year suggested that the Finnish handset maker may not opt for Microsoft’s software. However, Microsoft recently revealed its Windows 8 operating system which includes a Windows Phone interface, one that would attract customers of Nokia’s Lumia products.

Amsellem also discussed Nokia’s upcoming Lumia Windows Phones, which go on sale across Europe on Wednesday. He compares the Lumia 800 to a BMW 5 Series, noting that Nokia will have a 7 Series and a 3 Series to go compliment it. The 7 Series reference is likely the Nokia “ace” handset that has leaked several times over the past few months. The 3 Series is a reference to Nokia’s Lumia 710 device, a mid-range handset.

Nokia is understood to be preparing its U.S. Windows Phones for an announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2012. The Finnish handset maker is working with AT&T to launch its Nokia Lumia Windows Phone at CES 2012. Microsoft is planning to support Nokia’s re-entry into the U.S. market with a large presence at CES 2012. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have indicated to WinRumors that Nokia is in talks with several U.S. carriers to provide an LTE compatible handset as its first U.S. Windows Phone device. AT&T is expected to be the primary launch partner of any Nokia Windows Phone devices in the United States. Nokia is also in talks with other U.S. carriers to bring its Windows Phone devices to market on rival networks.