Despite previous reports suggesting otherwise, Nokia actually does want to get back into the smartphone industry, according to a recent statement made by CEO Rajeev Suri to German magazine Manager Magazin.
When asked about returning to the phone market, Suri said the company "will look for suitable partners. Microsoft makes mobile phones. We would simply design them and then make the brand name available to license."
Suri's statement indicates Nokia will not get back into the business of actually manufacturing their smartphones, but will instead design and brand them while getting a third-party to physically produce them. This is the same thing Nokia did with their Android-powered N1 tablet, which the company announced towards the end of 2014 in partnership with Foxconn.
Nokia is currently prevented from producing a smartphone until Q4 2016 thanks to the company's agreement with Microsoft following the sale of Nokia's devices business to Microsoft. If the company does intend to re-enter the phone market in late 2016, they could already be working on new designs behind the scenes.