Dubai: According to reports in some websites, Nokia is rumoured to be launching a high-end smartphone at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 27.

According to Russian website Worket, it could be called P1 and run Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM under the hood. The water and dust resistant phone will reportedly sport a 5.3-inch display protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and have a fingerprint sensor and quick-charge capabilities on a 3,500mAh battery. It is rumoured to come with a 22MP snapper.

An earlier report on reputed website gsmarena had hinted about the Nokia 8, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, with Android OS, v7.0 (Nougat) and boasting an Octa-core (4x2.45 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo), 6GB RAM and come in two variants 64/128 GB and a 24 MP snapper.

When Gulf News contacted HMD Global, the Finland-based company with rights to manufacture Nokia-branded devices, they remained non-committal. “We can’t comment on any speculation about what we will announce on February 26, Per Ekman, Vice President, Middle East & North Africa, HMD Global, told Gulf News.

However, the fact that HMD Global is attending MWC 2017, is giving rise to speculation Nokia may unveil a high-end phone. And that could up the excitement in the smartphone segment dominated by the iPhones and the Galaxies.

After years of floundering in the wilderness (the forgettable Windows partnership), it does look like Nokia is trying to regain lost glory by embracing the Android platform. “Nokia is a trusted and well-loved brand across the world. It enjoys unrivalled brand awareness and an iconic status for design, reliability and usability. Our goal is to take the brand to a new generation of mobile users, with a new standard in design, material quality and manufacturing innovation for a true Nokia phone experience,” Ekman said.

Speaking to Gulf News, Ekman said their strategic partnership model differentiates them from their competitors. “We are bringing together the best of the industry to leverage world class partnerships with manufacturers, operating systems, brands and suppliers to bring the very best experience to consumers. Our strategic partnership model makes us asset light, nimble and agile.”

Nokia 6

The company had just last month (January 8) unveiled its first Android smartphone Nokia 6 in China. And given the response to the launch, it does look like Nokia is finally getting it right.

The Nokia 6 comes with Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and supports dual-SIM functionality. It has a 5.5-inch Full HD display of 1080x1920 pixel resolution. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM. There’s also 64GB of internal storage, with support for microSD cards of up to 128GB in size.

Ekman said, “Nokia 6 is about precision craftsmanship and best in class multimedia experience. We believe premium is an experience not a price point, which is why we’ve gone the extra mile with Nokia 6’s distinct design.

“It takes 55 minutes to machine a Nokia Plate shell from a solid block of aluminium. It then receives two separate anodising processes, taking over 12 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 – delivering a truly premium experience.

It’s available in China for 1699 CNY (approx Dh920; $250)

“As the new home of Nokia phones, HMD will write the next chapter for these products,” the company states on its website.

Let’s hope it’s a smashing one!