A set of newly leaked images suggest that Nokia has a new smartphone in the works. The upcoming handset is said to be called "Nokia C1" and will be the Finnish tech company's first device running a pure version of Google's Android operating system.

Nokia was once a dominant force in the smartphone industry thanks to the success of its Symbian platform. However, it was soon eclipsed by the growing presence of Apple's iPhone which runs iOS and the search giant's Android OS.

The Finland-based firm eventually signed a deal with Microsoft back in 2011 to exclusively use its Windows Phone platform on future mobile devices. Two years after the agreement, Microsoft announced that it would acquire Nokia's mobile phone business as part of an overall deal worth US $7.17 billion.

Furthermore, Microsoft had imposed a non-compete clause or "covenant not to compete" (CNC) which has prohibited Nokia from developing or manufacturing its own handsets for an agreed period of time. The CNC is said to expire in 2016, the year when the Nokia C1 smartphone is expected to be unveiled.

The leaked photos surfaced courtesy of a user who shared it on Weibo, China's Twitter counterpart. One of the images (pictured above) shows the C1 having a noticeably thin, flat, and rectangle profile with curved edges. Front and back cameras can be seen as well as a headphone jack at the top edge. A connector port on the bottom is evident and the bezels also appear to be significantly slim compared to that of recent handsets.

If the Nokia C1 turns out to be real, it will complement the company's already released Nokia N1 tablet which is only currently available on select markets in Asia.

This is also not the first time that the Nokia C1 has been leaked. In December 2014, a grainy image of the model was likewise shared by a Chinese technology website. Back then, it became clear that the C1 will not be high-end, flagship material based on the specs it will offer.

The unannounced handset will reportedly feature decent specifications such as a 5.0-inch HD display, an unspecified Intel Atom processor coupled with 2 GB of RAM. An 8-megapixel camera will be furnished at the back as well as a 5-megapixel sensor at the front.

Those specs may not be at par with today's premium devices but if Nokia tags the C1 with a reasonable price, it might help the model gain traction. The Nokia C1's price is also expected to be aligned with that of the Nokia N1. While not officially available outside China and Taiwan, users from other countries can get the N1 tablet by purchasing it from third-party retailers like Amazon which offers it for $300.