Friday 2 December 2016

Nokia To Return Its Smartphone Business In 2017

Nokia

Nokia has unveiled its return to the smartphone market from next year.

The legendary Finnish phone maker has begun listing several mobile devices for sale on its website, the first time that Nokia-branded devices have been available to buy from the company since it was sold to Microsoft back in 2014.

That's not all however, as Nokia also confirmed that it is also working on new phones running Google’s Android software.

For the time being, only a small number of basic smartphones are listed, including the Nokia 105, Nokia 216 and Nokia 230 models (pictured above).

However the company says that this is set to expand soon, noting that, ‘we’re busy working on Nokia smartphones running Android’ and providing a sign up list for customers wanting to know more.

The company had previously said back in May that it would be working on Android devices, marking a departure from its previous reliance on Microsoft’s Windows Phone software.

The launch is the official start of a new licensing deal between Nokia and newly-created Finnish conglomerate HMD Global.

HMD Global has signed a 10-year license to build and sell Nokia devices, which will be manufactured by iPhone maker Foxconn.

Nokia has not released a smartphone since February 2016, when launched the Lumia 650 device in association with Microsoft.

Reports of an imminent Nokia return to the smartphone market first emerged earlier this year following the emergence of HMD Global.

Several devices were expected to launch within the next few months, with the first, rumoured to be called the D1C, landing before Christmas.

The D1C is thought to come packing Android Nougat, rather than the Windows Phone platform seen on recent Nokia Lumia devices.

The phone will fit solidly into the mid-range sector, sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor running at 1.4Ghz and 3GB of RAM.

Other reports have suggested that 2017 could be a big year for Nokia in more ways than one.

A leaked slide from an internal Nokia meeting claimed that the 'Nokia brand's return to smartphones' will be coming in 2017 - most probably at Mobile World Congress in February.

Also coming next year from Nokia is an expansion of its virtual reality products, which could mean the company is preparing a successor to its Ovo camera, the first generation of which was released at this year's Mobile World Congress.

There will also be the launch of a 'Digital Health' product, most likely a wearable device, and an expansion in its mobile and smart car patents.


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