Nokia Smartphone Maker HMD Will Start Selling Phones Under Its Own Brand
Finnish company HMD Global has been selling Nokia-branded phones since acquiring the rights to use the name in 2016.
Now the company's CEO says HMD will begin selling a new line of "HMD branded mobile devices" soon. That doesn't mean the Nokia brand is going away. It just means HMD plans to expand its product lineup moving forward, with a "multi-brand strategy" that includes some devices sold under the Nokia name and others with the HMD name.
Nokia XR21There are no details about what those new devices will look like, either in terms of specs or design. So we'll have to wait a little while before we know what differences there are between next-gen HMD and Nokia Phones, tablets, or other devices.
HMD's Nokia-branded phones never quite manager to offer a flagship-killer or make a significant dent in the global smartphone space, which is largely dominated by Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, and Oppo. But for a while the company had earned a reputation for offering mid-range phones with solid specs, decent software support, and competitive prices.
The company's most recent phones are a little less exciting, but the company has begun making smart phones that stand out for a different reason: budget models like the Nokia G42 and G310 are designed to be repairable by end users, which means you won't have to take your phone to a specialized repair shop to replace a dying battery, broken screen, or USB port, among other things.
via GSM Arena
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Contribute via PayPal * If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it. Join 9,444 other subscribersNokia G42 5G Phone Launched Under Rs 13,000
HMD Global has launched a new affordable smartphone, the Nokia G42 5G in India. The smartphone falls under Rs 15,000 and brings features like a 90Hz display, 50MP AI rear cameras, and more. Have a look at the price, features, and more.
Nokia G42 5G: Specs and FeaturesThe Nokia G42 5G has a rectangular rear camera bump with three cameras arranged vertically, along with an LED flash. The back panel is 65% recyclable. This includes the 50MP AI main camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. There's an 8MP selfie shooter. You get to try camera features like the Night mode, AI portrait mode, HDR, and more.
Upfront, there's a 6.56-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and waterdrop notch. It supports an aspect ratio of 20:9 and 560 nits of peak brightness. The phone is 'Made in India.'
The Nokia G42 5G is
The smartphone is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for a 20W charger. It runs Android 13 and will get two years of updates and three years of security updates. The Nokia G42 5G supports OZO Playback, which is the audio boost mode for enhanced audio output.
Additionally, it features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, an IP52 rating, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB Type-C port.
Price and AvailabilityThe Nokia G42 5G has a launch price of Rs 12,599 and will be up for grabs, starting September 15 via Amazon. It comes in So Purple and So Grey colorways.
1 CommentThe Company That Makes Nokia Phones Is Spinning Off Its Own Branded Phones
The company behind Nokia phones is making a "new portfolio of HMD branded mobile devices."
HMD Global will make Nokia phones and HMD phones simultaneously, plus other unnamed "partners."
HMD obtained the Nokia license in 2016 but only has access to it until 2026, unless a new agreement is signed.
HMD Global CEO Jean-Francois Baril announced on Monday that the company would establish its own HMD brand of smartphones. HMD is best known for its Nokia-branded phones, but now it wants to make a bigger name for itself within the Android community.
In his LinkedIn announcement, Baril explained that his company would produce HMD and Nokia phones in tandem. He did not give a timetable but mentioned in a comment that we "will be hearing very soon about [their] launch."
In addition, Baril hinted that HMD would work with "other partners" to produce phones. We don't know yet who these partners are, but the post emphasizes HMD's expertise in the European market, which may indicate where these phones will sell.
HMD Global acquired the Nokia license in 2016, after Microsoft sold off its smartphone business and lost access to the brand. Since then, HMD started off with a wide range of Nokia phones with Android One software and fast updates, including the experimental Nokia 9 Pureview camera phone, before slowly transitioning its focus to budget Android phones and tablets.
Although long-time Android fans associate the Nokia name with excitement and innovation, HMD's time with the brand has had no shortage of controversies. Part of the blame goes to Google, which could never deliver the speedy updates that the Android One program promised.
When HMD itself failed to update the Pureview to a promised Android 11 update and then "gave up" on flagships for budget fare in 2022, it pushed a lot of former Nokia customers to other brands.
HMD Global has ownership of the Nokia license through 2026. It's possible that the company could extend this license, but this latest move suggests that (at the very least) HMD is covering its bases in case it cannot, building brand awareness with consumers instead of remaining tied to another company's name.
In the meantime, HMD will still continue to make phones like the recent Nokia G22, a sub-$200 phone that was designed to be easily repairable by consumers.
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