'Nokia to sell mobiles business to focus on software and services'

However, this has not helped in putting an end to all the speculations. Tristan Louis writes in Forbes that Nokia is likely to exit from mobile handset business in 2013. Tristan Louis is the founder of Keepskor, a multi-channel platform for user generated games, and a respected voice in the industry. In his note he also adds that it is likely that either Huawei or Microsoft could be the potential buyers for Nokia's handset business.

The biggest shocker (and what I suspect will be my most controversial prediction), though, will be the the departure of Nokia from the phone business as the company sells its mobile operation and infrastructure divisions to Huawei in order to focus on software and services. With the company's bet on Windows 8 having failed in the marketplace, it will see Microsoft and Huawei competing for the mobile device division and will eventually sell its smartphone group to Microsoft and the rest of its telecom interests to Huawei.

Louis also makes some not-so-controversial predictions that Amazon, Microsoft and Google will all launch their smartphones, with 2013 finally becoming the year when Google leverages its relationship with Motorola to come up with the 'real' Google phone.

In 2012, Nokia has tried to make a strong comeback in the smartphone race. It managed to take the world by surprise at the Mobile World Congress 2012, where it unveiled its 41-megapixel monster Nokia PureView 808. To maintain its stronghold in the emerging markets Nokia also launched series of affordable smartphones under its Asha range such as Nokia Asha 305, Nokia Asha 311 et al.

The Finnish handset maker is currently betting on its new flagship Nokia Lumia 920. Nokia Lumia 920 has a 4.5-inch IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen and runs on Windows 8 operating system. This smartphone has been doing quite well in the United States of America partially due to the aggressive pricing strategy adopted by Nokia, and is in short supply wherever it has been released. However, it seems that according to Louis all these efforts may perhaps not be enough to help Nokia stay afloat for long.