Nokia is eyeing up a return to the smartphone market, a new report revealing company plans suggests.
Citing two sources ‘briefed on Nokia’s plans’, Re/Code claims the company is plotting to launch a new smartphone next year.
The Finnish manufacturer is also reportedly working on ‘other ambitious technology projects’, including ‘some in the virtual reality arena’, the sources explained.
In the report, Richard Kerris, a former Nokia executive, was quoted as saying: “
He added: “It gave me complete confidence that Nokia is a company that is not going away.”
Nokia sold off its mobile phones division to Microsoft back in September 2013, but the deal only closed in April last year.
The deal reportedly contained an agreement whereby Nokia would not produce any smartphones until late next year.
Related: Best Android Smartphones 2015
It’s not as though Nokia hasn’t shown interest in the mobile devices space since the buy-out, however.
The Finnish company began selling its Nokia N1 Android tablet at the beginning of 2015.
Despite the new rumours however, Nokia’s CEO Rajeev Suri reportedly pledged not to re-engage with the smartphone market back in November.
“We are not looking to a direct consumer return to handsets,” Suri was quoted as saying during an analyst meeting.
He continued: “The Nokia brand is extremely powerful and we see considerable interest in licensing. We will pursue it…in a thoughtful and colourful way.”
Would you be glad to see Nokia get back in the smartphone game? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
