The rumor that Nokia is rejoining the phone industry in 2016 isn’t exactly new. We’ve been hearing a lot of similar information even after countless of affirmations have been made that it’s not going back. Nokia was quick to say that it “currently no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets”.
That was back in April but looks like Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri had a change of heart. We’re not saying this is final and official but Reteurs has reported that the CEO told Manager Magazin, a German publication, that it’s going to join the mobile industry once the contract with Microsoft not sell any phones under the Nokia brand is over. Nokia is said to be waiting out until end of the year. The Finnish company is expected to design and license phones as soon as possible, sometime in 2016.
Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri said that they will look for partners. He mentioned in an interview that when it comes to the mobile phone business, they “would simply design them and then make the brand name available to license”. Microsoft will still continue to work on Windows Phone.
Nokia may have sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft a couple of years ago but it still launched the Nokia N1 tablet. The product was licensed by Foxconn and we can expect it’s not the last one. Nokia also ventured into app development by releasing the Z launcher for Android.
Nokia may have failed in the business after being the top phone manufacturer the past decade but it’s determined to make a name again. It’s set to keep up with the top brands today like Apple, Samsung, and yes, even Microsoft when it comes to the mobile arena but we’re not sure how exactly it will rise from the ashes.
Nokia intends to bring more devices to the market under different licenses and brands but we may have to wait a bit. Microsoft may own the mobile division right now but some analysts are expecting and saying that the software giant might just write off the amount it paid for the Nokia unit to whoever is interested. The Microsoft-Nokia partnership can’t be considered a success yet because Windows Phone holds only a small percent of the market.
A couple of months ago, Nokia purchased Alcatel-Lucent for almost $17 billion. It is believed that the deal had something to do with Nokia’s online mapping, licensing, technology development, and telecom infrastructures businesses. Nokia’s HERE business has been drawing attention from the likes of Mercedes, Audi, and BMW so we know that one is doing well. But the again, the company is open to expand. In the Manager Magazin interview, the Nokia chief executive said, “Anybody who can improve the business in the long run is a good buyer.” This means HERE is available for anyone who can improve its game.
There are some developments within Microsoft that could also be a game changer. For one, Stephen Elop, now a former Microsoft Manager and one time Nokia CEO, is leaving Microsoft. His leaving the company is big news but this indicates that the company is going back to the software business and is veering away from the hardware business.
Does this mean we will see more Nokia phones and tablets next year? Your guess is as good as mine.
SOURCE: Reuters
