What would be the role of Google in Nokia mobiles?

Google is indeed working in close association with Nokia on building its new smartphone. In fact. Google has been providing a huge list of inputs for the new device. Nokia has always remained a big name as long as the quality and durability of its phones are concerned. Hopefully, with Google we may see it bouncing back in full glory.
The reports of Google's association with Nokia featured in Reuters, but they have now been removed. The exact words used were

" its first forays into the Android smartphone world have been conducted in close partnership with Google."

. The details on the exact nature of the partnership have not yet been made public. It could be too early to predict the status as of now. We may expect the kind of advice that a software giant offers to the new entrant. In fact, Nokia indeed is a new player in the field of Android devices.
The build quality, the ease of use and the reliability factor may well have sown the seeds of this close association. Everything should be clear as the date for the launch for the new devices from Nokia draw closer. As of now, I would guess we will need to take all those reports pouring in with a pinch of salt.

Google has given up on Motorola as it is now occupied by Lenovo. So google is in process to acquire another flagship hardware vendor for their Android platform. This is only possible if Google has access to superior infrastructure such as Nokia as Nokia used to be one of the trusted brand prior to switching to Windows mobile. During Google I/O 2016, Google and Nokia teamed up for the upcoming mobile and embedded device that are to be released on the third quarter of 2017.

You can get those hints in this youtube video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=862r3XS2YB0

Another place where Nokia and few other hardware vendors may fill the gap is related to Fuschia. This operating system was designed for the embedded devices. Though not many updates are released on this front. But you can expect this announcement during March 2017.

You can read about this news here : http://www.gsmarena.com/google_said_to_be_closely_involved_with_new_nokia_phones-news-21966.php

As Android based phone manufacturer, Nokia had always been on the first row. The absence of Nokia gave chance to many other manufacturers to rise and show their mettle. Google had been trying all its options with phones like Motorola, Lenovo and of course their own models.
But as Nokia returned with a bang, Google has now shifted its attention to Nokia for a better business opportunity. Android users are mostly in favour of Nokia, so, google had to work hand in hand with Nokia to launch their latest updates.
The very fact that Nokia users are more in the market than any other Mobile brand ensures that Google will have their business rolling if they club with Nokia.
So while launching any new software upgrade, Google will have to consider the make of Nokia and its compatibility.