Nokia Denies Plans To Return To Handset Manufacturing Business

Nokia, the former world's champion in the mobile handset business, has officially denied that it plans to start selling smartphones by next year.

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The tech giant reiterated that it will not be manufacturing or selling any consumer handsets, after a report from Re/Code had claimed that Nokia plans to return to the mobile handset business in 2016.

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"Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive. Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets."

Earlier last week, a popular technology site Re/Code had apparently claimed that the Nokia will design the handsets and then license them to a China-based company.

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Last year, Microsoft fully acquired Nokia's handset division for $7.2 billion. As per the deal, the former handset manufacturer was barred to use "Nokia" branding in smartphones.

Nokia recently confirmed that it is planning to offload Here, a popular Maps application, a popular business unit the Finnish giant still owns.