Nokia 6 is the brand's first Android smartphone and will be launched by HMD during the first half of 2017. (Photo : YouTube/AndroidPure)
Nokia's first Android handset since its failed partnership with Microsoft Corp. has sold out in China just seconds after its Thursday launch, GB Times reported.
The Nokia 6, designed and manufactured by Finnish company HMD Global, went on sale exclusively on JD.com last Thursday with more than 9,000 units. Each handset was sold for 1,699 yuan ($248).
The Nokia 6, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, features a 5.5in full-HD display and runs the latest Android 7.0 Nougat. It also employs a Snapdragon 430 processor, and has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Its rear camera shoots at 16MP while the front at 8MP.
Sold only in China, the Nokia 6 was seen by analysts to bank on nostalgia and gauge customers' perception toward an old brand while minimizing the risks.
In a statement, HMD CEO Arto Nummela said via China Daily that the decision to limit the availability of the phone to China for now is due to the company's "in-depth understanding of the Chinese market."
He also said that Chinese buyers are "very well-educated and know what they are demanding."
This is Nokia's first smartphone launched since its botched partnership with Microsoft.
Despite all the hype that surrounded the venture, the Microsoft-Nokia team-up did not really pan out well, prompting the Redmond, Washington-based tech giant to write off $950 million and lay off 1,850 employees.
The deal was even tagged as one of the "worst tech acquisitions" by news and analysis website ZDNet, saying that Microsoft "could have saved itself a huge amount of money and heartache if it did the work in-house, rather than by a failed and costly acquisition."
After this initial success, it remains to be seen whether Nokia will head on to release its new handset in other markets outside China.
