Former mobile handset pioneer Nokia has officially confirmed the launch of Android-powered devices around December this year.
Mike Wang, President, Joint Management Team, Nokia China, confirmed the news while interacting with the media on Thursday. Wang added that the firm is planning to launch four Android devices, two smartphones and two tablets.
Based on results of the testing, Nokia intends to unveil the smart handsets in late December 2016 or in the first quarter of 2017. This time-frame is a strategic decision, as it safeguards Nokia from breaching any agreement with Microsoft.
The Finnish company, while parting the mobile division to Microsoft in 2014, had agreed not to launch a Nokia-branded phone until the fourth quarter of 2016. Nokia had only sold its smartphone division to Microsoft, while its Nokia-branded feature phone business was sold to HMD Global Oy and Foxconn.
With the period of the non-compete clause coming to an end in the next two months, Nokia's affiliate HMD Global Oy last week re-hired ex-Nokia veteran Pekka Rantala (former Rovio CEO), as their new chief marketing officer to lead the mobile division.
There is no word on what Nokia tablets will feature. But as far as smartphones are concerned, they are said to be top-end variants.
The company has already commenced testing two prototypes, one a 5.2-inch screen and another with 5.5-inch display. Except the size, both the devices share similar internal hardware.
Nokia's upcoming phones will come with QHD OLED-based screen with 2560x1440p (2K) resolution and sturdy metallic shell on the back with IP68 water-and-dust resistant certifications like Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Note7 series.
Nokia phones are expected to be powered by the soon-to-be-launched Android 7.0 Nougat on top of the company's custom Z-Launcher and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor.
It is reported that Nokia's Android phones will first hit stores in China with prices starting at around ¥3000 ($448/€406/Rs. 30,104).
Read more: Nokia working on two flagship Android smartphones; key features, release date, price details leaked
Watch this space for more updates.
