Nokia's comeback smartphones will come with Z-launcher based Android UI
Nokia will be the biggest smartphone story in 2017 and the company is already making a spirited comeback with confirmed debut of new handsets at Mobile World Congress in February. At the Capital Markets Day 2016, Nokia confirmed its plan to re-enter the industry it once dominated. Interestingly Nokia's two-year non-compete deal with Microsoft ends this year and the company plans to start connecting people once again in collaboration with HMD Global.
Nokia CEO has already promised to deliver the trademark design and build quality we come to associate with the brand. However, Nokia won't be building its own smartphones rather will be outsourcing it to HMD Global, a Finnish hardware startup run by former Nokia employees. HMD Global holds the right to license Nokia's brand for the next 10 years. The company will further license the manufacturing part to Foxconn and use Nokia's diverse set of design and telecom patents.
Nokia is reported to make its smartphone comeback with three new devices. Rumours indicate that Nokia will announce two flagship devices and another mid-range smartphone at MWC in February 2017. Initially rumours indicated that Nokia's comeback devices will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor but the company might jump to Snapdragon 821 or the latest Snapdragon 835 ahead of the launch in order to better compete with Google's Pixel and Pixel XL range in the flagship segment.
Nokia's flagship devices are reported to come in two display variants – a 5.2-inch variant and another 5.5-inch model. Both the devices are likely to sport an OLED display with Quad HD resolution. The smartphones are also rumoured to feature a 22.6MP primary camera but it is not clear whether these cameras will get ZEISS and PureView branding like their Windows Mobile counterpart.
Nokia is also working on a budget Android smartphone codenamed D1C. The device is likely to attract more attention than the flagship models. The smartphone is reportedly powered by Snapdragon 430 processor and will feature a full HD display. The rumours also indicate that D1C will feature 3GB RAM, 32GB storage along with a combination of 13MP and 8MP cameras.
Nokia, however, has promised to deliver the latest Android operating system. The large part of play here is the use of company's very own Z-launcher based UI instead of stock one. Nokia's Z launcher is a fun third party launcher that adapts itself according to use. Users can access their favourite apps quickly and there is even an option to scribble to reach apps.
Nokia has already made significant strides in the world of virtual reality. Nokia's OZO VR camera is already helping in the production of world-class VR content. One can expect Nokia to bring Daydream ready VR support to its flagship devices and probably Nokia might bring its own content in order to drive adoption.
While Nokia has only confirmed the return of its smartphone brand – it is yet to officially delve out details of the products it is working on.
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