Update: Turns out to be a fake, just concept renders from a Nokia fan.
2015 is shaping up to be a year of transformation if not one of “retro” resurgence. Two once-golden OEMs from days gone by are poised to come back in a major way, despite neither company’s potential products being public. While BlackBerry’s Venice has been exposed for all the world to see -unofficially of course- Nokia’s Android smartphone offerings have been somewhat of an obscurity. Today that looks to change, provided these renders out of China are the real deal:
These renders are reportedly for a device that will be known as the Nokia C1. It will supposedly be running stock Android, however as GforGames has pointed out, there is not only potential for Espoo to add a skin to the stock, but it wouldn’t even be that outlandish given the company’s N1 Android tablet negated Vanilla AOSP for such.
We do advise our readers to take these pictures with a grain of salt as given some more recent “misunderstandings” there is a possibility the images are not what they seem. Indeed several of the comments in this piece have expressed skepticism and perhaps rightly so, especially given that some have pointed out these “renders” look more like mislabeled fan concept art.
The pictures actually give the sensation the phone is going to be made of aluminum however it could very well end up being a polycarbonate base. Given that the pictures don’t seem to indicate a SIM tray, it is possible the front unit will end up popping out of the base, not unlike some Lumia Windows Phone devices, or even HTC’s Sensation.
At the very least, the phone looks like it will not only be quite thin, but also devoid of any “camera humps” that have characterized many recent anemic smartphones.
Notorious Nokia
Despite being worlds apart, both geographically and aesthetically, there is a fascinating similarity between the situations surrounding BlackBerry and Nokia. Both companies were once industry leaders and commanded gigantic smartphone market shares only to see their dominance erode due to the emergency of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android platform.
While BlackBerry chose to remain true to its roots, many felt that Nokia’s decision to go with Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform was a recipe for disaster. Both companies, long term supporters felt, would have been saved of their current fates had they simply brought what they did best to Google’s camp.
Ironically Nokia actually did release a small smattering of Android phones, though they were of a very low-spec affair and so heavily skinned that they actually looked like Windows Phone 8, something that Microsoft calculatedly hoped would encourage buyers to switch to after they “graduated” from the X-series.
After Microsoft formally purchased Nokia’s mobile division, it seemed as if the company as it once existed was doomed to be little more than a fragment of fond memories. Assuming this C1 leak is legitimate, it could pave the path to resurgence and a resurrection for the Nokia that many the world over cherished with such fondness.