Finnish handset-maker Nokia has made a comeback into the smartphone market with the Android powered Nokia 6 phone which will be only be available in China.
The phone is being released by HMD Global, another Finnish company through a licensing deal with Nokia signed in 2016. The phone’s release was announced on the last day of CES 2017 held in Las Vegas, US.
Until now, Nokia has been releasing ‘feature’ phones, but the launch of Nokia 6 marks a comeback into the smartphone market after making Windows phones for Microsoft, which acquired its phone-making unit of Nokia for about $7bn.
With this release, HMD expects to set a benchmark in design, material quality and manufacturing innovation and to meet consumer expectations in different markets around the world.
China had a smartphone user-base of over 552 million in 2016 and this figure is expected to grow to up to 593 million in 2017.
The phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem under the hood. The modem is claimed to consume less battery power and offers high graphics performance while the body is claimed to be built from a solid block of aluminium.
Nokia used to be a big player in the early days of the mobile phone.
It comes with a 5.5 inch full HD (1080 × 1920 resolution) screen with an aspect ratio of 16:9 while the screen is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass.
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Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, the phone has 4GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage. It can support a MicroSD card of up to 128GB.
The phone is equipped with Dolby Atmos sound technology, which is claimed to offer 6dB louder sound than a regular amp.
Nokia 6 has a 16MP rear camera with phase detection and auto focus and an 8MP front camera. It has dual SIM support and is supported by a 3000mAh non-removable battery.
Other sensors in the phone include a light sensor, proximity sensor, accelormeter, electronic compass, gyroscope, front fingerprint sensor.
It will be developed by HMD global and manufactured by Chinese manufacturer Foxconn and will be exclusively sold through JD.com.
HMD Global CEO Arto Nummela said: “Just a short while ago we announced the launch of HMD Global.
“From the outset we have stated that we intend to move with speed to establish a position as a player in the smartphone category and create products that truly meet consumer needs.
“The Nokia 6 is a result of listening to our consumers who desire a beautifully crafted handset with exceptional durability, entertainment and display features. Our ambition is to deliver a premium product, which meets consumer needs at every price point, in every market.
“We start today, with our premium, high quality Nokia 6; built to deliver a fantastic core user experience for Chinese consumers. We look forward to unveiling further products in the first half of this year.”
The phone has been priced at CNY1699 ($245.5) and will be released in early 2017 exclusively through JD.com in China.
JD.com3C Business Unit president Shengli Hu said: “The Nokia 6 marks a new milestone for the iconic brand, and JD.com is proud to work with HMD on this exclusive launch in China.
“Our 200 million active consumers come to JD.com to shop for guaranteed high-quality products from the world’s leading brands, and we are proud to provide a trusted outlet for them to reconnect with Nokia phones.”
HMD Global has not given any details about the phone’s availability in other countries.
