HMD Global has officially announced‎ the first Android-powered smartphone to carry the Nokia name.

The Nokia 6 features 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of on-board storage alongside microSD support, a 16 megapixel main camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

Design wise - the handset is a monoblock form sculpted from a single piece of aluminium - but it represents the modern design ethics of a smartphone with a 1920x1080 HD screen measuring 5.5 inches on the diagonal.
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As expected, the Nokia 6 will run Android, and HMD has confirmed that it will ship with Nougat, the seventh major version of Google's operating system.

Unlike the Nokia Lumia range of Windows Phone-powered handsets, using Android should allow the Nokia 6 to tap into the wide range of third-party Android applications available on the market.

The Company believes that re-establishing 'brand Nokia' is going to be easier starting with Chinese market  than it would be in the saturated citadels where Nokia once ruled.

It also keeps supply lines relatively short from the production facilities, and using a single retailer reduces the demand on logistics for HMD, which is still a company in start-up mode.

The Nokia 6 is clearly playing in the mid-range market. Shipping with a SnapDragon 430 system-on-chip is not going to set the world alight in terms of performance but the chipset should be able to hold its own against handsets at a similar price to the Nokia 6's 1699 Yuan ($245).

Leaning on the Nokia brand, pairing up with Dolby to use its Atmos sound processing, and promoting the use of an aluminium unibody all tie in with a mid-range handset that punches above its weight... all of which tie in with the values many expect from the Nokia brand name.

The handset will go on sale 'early in 2017' and will be available exclusively in China through a partnership with retailer JD.com.

Although a date for public availability has not been announced,HMD's CEO Arto Nummela has previously told Forbes that "it is good practice to go on sale very soon after a launch."