Nokia Has ‘No Plans’ To Return To Mobile Phones

Nokia had denied claims in China that the Finnish firm is preparing a return to the consumer mobile phone market.

The company sold its devices and services unit for £4.6bn to Microsoft last year and is now firmly focused on the telecoms equipment industry. This commitment has been strengthened by an agreement to buy rival Alcatel-Lucent for £11.2bn.

Nokia phones

As per the terms of the Microsoft sale, Nokia cannot use its brand on smartphones until 2016 and feature phones for another ten years. However speculation has persisted that the company will return to the industry that made it a household name once these clauses expire.

Nokia has already lent its name to a tablet since the sale of its device business, but for now it is adamant it will not be re-entering the mobile phone market.

“Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China,” said Nokia in a statement. “These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive.

“Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets.”

The Nokia brand could be licensed to third parties however. Nokia is actively exploring the idea, but has stated that any licensed devices would have to “look and feel just like Nokia built it.” Nokia could also create prototypes that demonstrate its technology with a view to licensing creations from its advanced technology division – which along with HERE maps and networking was one of three units retained by Nokia following the Microsoft deal.

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