UPDATE: Nokia announced the Nokia 6, as well as two other devices with worldwide availability. Click here for more information.

It’s been quite a while since Nokia have had anything interesting in the world of Smartphones, not since the Companies last flagship Windows Phone release in it’s name, from way back in 2014, with the Lumia 930.

However, now that Nokia aren’t tied to Microsoft anymore, they’re no longer obliged to release a Smartphone running Microsoft’s Windows platform, and with the alternative being the companies failed Symbian movement, it’s fair to say Android was bound to be the obvious choice. Of course, many think Nokia would have been smarter opting with Android back in 2010, but history is history.

Nokia 6

The Nokia 6, as it’s known, however, isn’t quite the pure Nokia Android device you were probably expecting … or hoping for. For one, it’s a rather mid-range affair, and two it’s not entirely made by Nokia as you knew them.

Similar to how Blackberry devices are now manufactured by TCL, the Nokia 6 is manufactured by a company called HMD Global, who have exclusive rights to use the Nokia branding from Nokia themselves.

As we mentioned previously, the Nokia 6 is a mid-range device, though despite that, it’s still a premium built one, crafted from a single piece of aluminium.

This was a statement by HMD Global on the machining process for the Nokia 6;

It takes 55 minutes to machine a single Nokia 6 from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium. It then receives two separate anodising processes, taking over ten hours to complete, with each phone being polished no less than five times. The end result is an aluminium unibody with the highest level of visual and structural quality.

SPECIFICATIONS

• 5.5 inch Full HD Display with 2.5d curved glass
• Qualcomm SnapDragon 430
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB Storage, with microSD Card Expansion
• 16MP Camera
• Dolby Atmos sound with Stereo Speakers
• Bluetooth 4.1
• LTE
• 3,000mAh
• Fingerprint scanner
• Android 7.0 Nougat

The biggest disappointment about the Nokia 6 is it’s exclusivity in China, though realistically it makes sense. China alone has a 552 million strong Smartphone presence, and most of that, as in 90%+ are running Android, so the Nokia 6 could be a small start at a big push for the Nokia brand in 2017.

HMD Global have also confirmed six phones will be launched under the Nokia name this year, including this Nokia 6, more information of which we’re expecting to hear at this years Mobile World Congress.

The Nokia 6 is expected to launch very soon, exclusively at JD.com, a Chinese website, priced at ¥1,699 ($245).

VIEW ON THE NOKIA WEBSITE