Nokia reportedly unveiling a VR product next week

Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s mobile division left the Finnish company with a bit too much free time on its hands. The team now finds itself expanding its reach into new ventures. Nokia is here to stay. We just don’t know where yet, but the latest reports claim they are planning to enter what is expected to be all the hype in the coming years – virtual reality (VR).

According to “sources familiar with the matter” Nokia is set to announce its first virtual reality product next week, at a rumored “VIP event” that should take place in Los Angeles, California. Unfortunately, the details are scarce and these sources fail to provide any other information regarding this new product. Is it a headset? A platform? Content?! We have no idea; what we do know is said move would likely signify Nokia’s biggest internal project since they officially retired from the mobile industry.

Sadly, it’s hard to say whether Nokia will be able to compete against the giants that now have their eyes and hearts set on the VR market. Microsoft’s Holo Lens, the HTC Vive, Sony’s Project Morpheus and the Rift by Facebook/Oculus all offer insane experiences of their own. Furthermore, a plethora of manufacturers and content providers have partnered with our beloved Google to expand on Cardboard, which is definitely the most accessible of the bunch.

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Can Nokia rise above their failed efforts in the extremely competitive mobile world and do better in another aggressive market? It’s hard to say at this point, but we will have an idea once (and if) the Lumia brand pioneer takes the stage to show us their latest goodies.

Meanwhile, we continue to look towards Finland to see where this legendary company can find its place in the present tech world. They have been expanding on services like the Nokia Z Launcher, and hope to license their branding for other manufacturers to make devices touting their famous name. The first example was the Nokia N1 Tablet, an Android pad touting great specs and geared up to be among the first to adopt the new USB-C standard.

And while these actions may make us a bit confused, it seems like Nokia is getting ready to better re-define its position in the industry. New reports also state the company is getting ready to sell the Nokia HERE Maps division to Audi, BMW and Daimler.

What do you guys think? Do you have faith that Nokia will succeed in placing a foothold on the VR market? To be honest, I have a bit more faith on their mobile licensing plans. Of course, given that they go with Android this time, which seems to be the case.