The iconic Nokia brand will make a comeback soon enough, as a company executive has confirmed that three or four Android devices will debut late this year.
When mobile devices were still gaining ground, Nokia was one of the most respected and reputable brands, praised for its highly durable devices. The Finnish company then started focusing exclusively on Windows Phones, ultimately ending up selling its mobile business to Microsoft and signing an agreement not to release any Nokia-branded devices until Q4 2016.
Nokia finally broke free from Microsoft this year, and the Nokia brand can soon return to market. The company changed hands again, and this time Finnish company HMD Global took the reins and will revive the Nokia brand in Android flavor. If HMD Global doesn't ring a bell, its parent company might - the company is under Foxconn's umbrella.
It now seems that Nokia's comeback is not too far off, as Nokia executive Mike Wang has confirmed to Chinese publication The Paper that three or four Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets will make their debut sometime during the fourth quarter of this year.
HMD will be designing the new Nokia devices, while its parent company, Foxconn, will be manufacturing the hardware.
No details are currently available regarding the specifications of these upcoming Nokia smartphones and tablets, but they will all run Google's popular Android operating system, marking a first for Nokia.
If a leak that surfaced last month turns out to be accurate, Nokia has two premium Android smartphones in the pipeline. The two handsets will reportedly rock 5.2- and 5.5-inch OLED displays, respectively, with 2K or QHD resolutions, Snapdragon 820 processors, IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, premium metal designs and Android 7.0 Nougat right off the bat. The 5.5-inch model will reportedly boast a 22.6-megapixel camera.
In addition to these premium Android smartphones, two feature phones under the Nokia brand may debut later on, within the next six months. It remains unclear at this point what the company has planned on the tablet front, but more information should become available shortly.
Although Nokia plans to unveil its new Android devices during the fourth quarter of 2016, it's worth pointing out that the actual launch may stretch on to early 2017, depending on testing and development.
We're looking forward to seeing how the Nokia brand blends with Android, but the prospect holds great promise. In an increasingly competitive smartphone market, however, it remains to be seen whether Nokia will be able to relive its glory days.
