Nokia Eyes Comeback with Android Tab

After series of setbacks, Nokia, former leading mobile handset maker, is planning to go back into the consumer market with a new tablet.

Nokia said it will launch a 7.9-inch device early next year in China, before selling it elsewhere.

The device will be manufactured by Taiwan-based Foxconn, which makes Apple’s handsets. And it will operate Android instead of the Windows software Nokia used on its cellphones when it began a partnership with Microsoft in 2011. That partnership ended unsuccessfully in April

Nokia sold its cellphones unit to Microsoft for $7.2 billion. After completing the sale of its mobile phone unit, Nokia has focused on its three, much more profitable operations: networks, HERE mapping services and software.

Nokia’s brand was wiped out of the handset market when Microsoft unveiled its first Lumia smartphone under its own brand name.

Nokia was also interested in producing an Android smartphone. That can’t happen before 2016; however, as the Microsoft deal included a commitment that Nokia not enter the smartphone business before then.