Yeah unfortunately. If I wanted a phone without Google, I'd just install Cyanogenmod with F-droid.
You can hack/mod even a stock rom, all you need is root access. That's how I use my Droid. Killed the Google Services completely (takes the cake in telemetry and home calling department), other logging "features" my phone came with. Takes quite a bit of work, but it's doable. Some people say everybody does logging these days, so it's okay? No, that's not, two wrongs don't make a right.
So if I need an app, I just install it from my personal "Google Play store". I own my device. I decide, whether certain app needs an update or not. Same with Windows, iOS or whatever electronic device I have to use.
Wanted to play with Ubuntu Phone but haven't got around to it yet. Anybody toy with it?
But how soon can we see Nokia smartphones in the retail stores again? The company reminds us that it is contractually obligated from making, selling, or designing phones until Q4 2016. "The soonest that could happen is Q4 2016 -- so it’s safe to say Nokia won’t be back (at least in phone form...) before then".
Here's a theory: with Microsoft letting go more than 7,000 ex-Nokia employees, the Finnish company could hire and bring them on board to design phones again.