Nokia C1 Android Smartphone Specs and Design, Leaked?

I'd be lying if I tell you that I'm now comfortable with Nokia's absence in the handset game.

The truth is I still miss Nokia terribly -- even if we now have more cellphone brand choices than ever before.

If you've been following TechPinas from the start, you should know that it would be impossible for me to forget or to dissociate myself from this legendary Finnish brand. I mean, Nokia is an irreplaceable part of my fondest memories as tech blogger and as a gadget enthusiast. In fact, there was even a point when I felt like Nokia and TechPinas will be inseparable because of all the projects that we completed together. (Read: Top 10 Nokia Phones of All Time, TP Pays Tribute to Nokia)

I can pretend that nothing has changed since Microsoft acquired Nokia's mobile device business. But the truth is, the whole smartphone industry is just not as exciting without 'the real Nokia' -- that is, Nokia as an independent handset maker. That's what I think.

Nokia C1 Android Smartphone

So when I received messages from some of you guys just a few minutes ago regarding new details on the rumored Nokia C1 Android smartphone, I couldn't contain my excitement. I started furiously typing this post.

The image above, which was leaked at Weibo, shows a handset that bears some of the distinguishing design characteristics of the Foxconn-made Nokia N1 Android tablet from 2014. It has a flat unibody shell with rounded edges. It's unclear whether the phone will also have the same real metal body of the slate but it appears to be just as slim and sleek -- especially with those ultra-thin display bezels.

As for its specs, 'insiders' are saying that the Nokia C1 will come equipped with a 5-inch HD display, an Intel Atom chip, 2GB of RAM, an 8 MegaPixel main camera with LED flash and a 5 MegaPixel front-facing cam for selfies. If you notice, these are largely similar to the features of the midrange Asus ZenFone 2 Laser ZE500KL, which currently sells for Php 7,695 --  so I think that if and when Nokia C1 finally hits store shelves across the world, it will also don a price tag in the range of Php 7,000 to Php 8,000 or roughly $150 to $180 USD.

As part of Nokia's landmark deal with Microsoft, the Finnish Giant can not release a smartphone until 2016. But the good thing is that, that's just a few months from now. The long wait will be over soon.

Right now, I'm just hoping that Nokia C1 - if it's for real - would still have many of the things that I loved about my Nokia smartphones of old - like great imaging capabilities and super durable construction - regardless of whether it's crafted entirely by Foxconn or by Nokia itself.