MANILA - Nokia has launched an Android-powered phablet aimed at the mid-range market, as the world's former number one phone manufacturer fights for its place in an increasingly crowded field.

The China-exclusive Nokia 6 packs a 5.5-inch full HD screen in a sleek but stale metal frame and will run Android Nougat. Priced at 1,699 yuan (around P12,000), it will compete with lower-priced offerings from current smartphone titans Samsung, Huawei and LG.

There was no immediate word on the Nokia 6's availability in the Philippines.

Nokia has licensed its phone brand to fellow Finnish firm HMD Global, which will manufacture the Nokia 6.

Once the world's top phone manufacturer, Nokia saw its market share decline steadily since the late 1990s as touchscreen smartphones pioneered by Apple's iPhone replaced its keyboard-equipped handsets.

It tried to stay relevant with Windows-powered Lumia handsets but failed to regain market share.

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"With the arrival of Nokia 6, consumers will see superior craftsmanship and design quality in action," HMD Global said in a statement.

The Nokia 6 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, double the base storage of Apple's iPhone 7 range and at par with Chinese-made One Plus 3T.

The base iPhone 7 is roughly thrice as expensive as the Nokia 6 while the "flagship-killer" One Plus 3T is twice as expensive.

Huawei last week launched the $249 (P12,000) Honor 6X, in a testament to the growth potential in lower-priced handsets that offer a comparable experience to flagship offerings. It's predecessor, the Honor 5X, sold 11 million units.