In an interview with German publication Manager Magazin, Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri has confirmed the company s plans to return to the phone business. This is in line with reports from earlier this year, which claimed that the Finnish company would launch a smartphone next year. Also Read - Nokia 3.4 at Rs 11,999: A look at its competition in the budget smartphone segment
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Using this formula, Nokia launched the Android-powered tablet called the N1. It designed the tablet, but licensed a Chinese company to manufacture the tablet, use its brand name and sell it in China. As per Suri s comments, the company is set to follow the same principle for its smartphone business as well.
Don t expect a Nokia branded phone anytime soon though. As a part of Microsoft s deal with Nokia, the latter isn t allowed to use the Nokia branding on any smartphone until Q4, 2016.
The news of Nokia s return comes a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced a major organization shakeup, which saw former Nokia boss Stephen Elop leave. This is a clear sign that the Redmond-based company is erasing the last of the Nokia legacy and heading back to its core software business.
