14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors about new Nokia-branded Android smartphones have been swirling around for quite some time now, with the latest saying that the company will release such devices this year. Now it seems that a Nokia executive has confirmed the hearsay and gotten us all excited.
High-ranking Nokia executive Mike Wang, president of the joint management team at Nokia China, has confirmed for The Paper in China that the company intends to unveil 3 or 4 Nokia-branded Android devices this year, specifically, in the last quarter of 2016.
He has mentioned that the actual launch could happen in early 2017, depending on testing and development. It seems that the company intends to release both smartphones and tablets running Android.
The smartphones will be manufactured by Foxconn
The report reveals that HMD, the Finnish company that received the licensing rights to the brand this year, will be designing the new Nokia smartphones, but they will be manufactured by Foxconn. The executive hasn't shared any of the upcoming handsets’ specs, but a rumor from earlier this year, which suggested that Nokia would be releasing two premium phones, revealed some details.
The Nokia-branded Android smartphones could come with 5.2- and 5.5-inch QHD QLED displays and pack Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor. In addition, they would have 22.6MP rear cameras and sport metal bodies. The devices would be IP68 certified, which would make them resistant to potential damages caused by water and dust. The smartphones are also said to come with the Z-Launcher System UI, which is based on Android 7.0 Nougat.
One of the smartphones could be called the Nokia P1, but that remains to be seen. Considering that the company exec has confirmed an announcement in late 2016, images and specs of the upcoming smartphones should surface soon, when they will be benchmarked and pass through various certification agencies. Meanwhile, Nokia has yet to release the C1, which is also an Android smartphone rumored for quite some time now.