HMD Global to start own smartphone brand: What to expect
HMD Global, the company best known for manufacturing Nokia phones, has revealed plans to introduce its own smartphone brand. On LinkedIn, company co-founder and chairperson Jean-Francois Baril announced, "We are establishing an original HMD brand." The new HMD-branded smartphones will be introduced alongside Nokia-branded devices. The company also plans to collaborate with "exciting new partners," but further details have not been provided yet.
Diversifying amid competitive market landscape
Since 2016, HMD Global has been manufacturing Nokia-branded smartphones. To note, Nokia has quite a substantial and respected history in the mobile phone industry. However, the smartphone market is becoming increasingly competitive, prompting HMD Global to distinguish itself from other brands. In this regard, the choice to launch an HMD-branded smartphone brand serves as a significant development for the company.
HMD's mobile phones could follow footsteps of Nokia
Baril's LinkedIn posts suggest that HMD Global's independent smartphones will continue to emphasize a clean user experience, 5G capabilities, and easy repairability—features commonly found in Nokia-branded smartphones. Additionally, recent Nokia phones have primarily been budget-to-mid-range devices. So, HMD-branded mobile phones will also likely follow the same trend. Baril hinted that the company will continue to "design for a more sustainable and affordable future."
Limited information available on HMD products, launch
There are, however, no further details about the new HMD Global products, including when they might be launched. Currently, Nokia-branded devices are made by Foxconn. So, probably, HMD-branded products would also be produced by the same company, per The Verge. While the success of its own smartphone brand remains to be seen, HMD Global is surely set to get ahead in the smartphone market.
