Nokia's return to the mobile space is happening end of 2016 with the leaked Nokia C1

Nokia's return to the mobile space is happening end of 2016 with the leaked Nokia C1

A while back Nokia's CEO Rajeev Suri confirmed that although the firm had sold its smartphone business to Microsoft, the timeout on an agreement between the two companies would be expiring in Q4 2016 - at which point Nokia is free to act on its plans to re-enter the phone market. We've also heard whispers about the handset that will herald this return - the Nokia C1.

And now further details have leaked showcasing what we can expect from the Nokia C1. For starters, NokiaPowerUser received a render from a tipster, which is alleged to authentically show what the device will look like. It's not clear if this is a genuine Nokia render, or a render made by someone who has been briefed on (or seen) the device, and NPU encourages readers to take things with a pinch of salt. That said, it certainly looks the business, as we're used to seeing very polished designs from Nokia. It appears to have a very thin metal body and a coloured glass or polycarbonate back panel, however there is something a bit iPhone-like about the design that's sure to generate a few raised eyebrows.

According to the information handed to NPU, the Nokia C1 may come in two different size variants which will broadly share a spec sheet, but will have different camera tech, RAM, and onboard storage.

The display size is quoted at either 5.5in or 5in both with Full HD resolution. The 5in model will have 2GB of RAM with 32GB of storage space and an 8MP camera, while the larger 5.5in has 3GB RAM, a 13MP camera and 64GB onboard storage. Both will feature 5MP front-facing secondary cameras.

As for the software, it's going to be Android-based, although we'd expect it won't get away clean and will likely have Nokia UI stuff put on top. There's also going to be Windows 10 variants in select markets, allegedly.

Here's the quote from NPU's source:
Display: 5 inches, Full HD / 5.5 inches Full HD
Platform: Android and (Windows 10 in selected markets)
Memory: 32 GB, 2 GB RAM or 64 GB, 3GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP and 5 MP / 13 MP and 5 MP