No longer just Nokia: HMD has a new smartphone brand
2.2.2024
Translation: machine translated
It's time to say goodbye to Nokia. HMD wants to launch smartphones under its own name in the future. However, the traditional brand is not yet disappearing completely.
Update from 05/02/2024: HMD wants to rely on several brands
HMD has once again made it clear that Nokia is not to disappear as a brand. Instead, the company is focusing on "a multi-brand strategy with an original HMD range, Nokia phones and interesting new partnerships". We could find out exactly what this looks like at the MWC in Barcelona at the end of February.
--- The original article ---
A new website, verbose announcements on Linkedin: HMD Global is getting serious. The mobile phone manufacturer is preparing to say goodbye to Nokia. In future, the smartphones will appear under the abbreviation HMD. This has taken on a new meaning in the process: "Human Mobile Devices".
Smartphones from HMD and Nokia will nevertheless remain
In September 2023, Jean-Francois Baril, CEO of HMD Global, announced on Linkedin that HMD would be established as its own brand. This vague announcement is now being followed by action. With hmd.com there is a new website, which currently only features Nokia smartphones. In the past, however, this was done via the Nokia website.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The employees of HMD are also currently celebrating the launch of the new website and the new motto - Human Mobile Devices - on Linkedin. These leave no other conclusion than: There will soon be smartphones under the HMD brand. CMO Lars Silberbauer is promising new products - not just for smartphones - for the Mobile World Congress (MWC) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7158530499013947392/. The mobile trade fair begins at the end of February in Barcelona.
Eric Matthes, who is responsible for business in Central Europe, speaks of "unique HMD originals, the Nokia phones that you've always loved". It sounds like Nokia won't disappear completely. Perhaps the change will only take place in smartphones, while Nokia will continue to focus on feature phones, i.e. new editions of Nokia classics such as the 3310.
Nokia's last chance?
HMD Global has been the manufacturer of Nokia smartphones since 2016. In previous years, Microsoft held the naming rights to the Finnish company, but was unable to sustainably build up the brand in the smartphone sector. HMD succeeded somewhat better, but never came close to Nokia's former market leadership. Most recently, the manufacturer neglected the top class and focussed on entry-level and mid-range smartphones.
The licence to use the Nokia brand name is said to expire in 2026, although there are rumours that different terms apply to smartphones and feature phones. This would be one possible reason for the current change. In any case, it seems that HMD believes a new brand of its own has a better chance than continuing to rely on the Nokia name.
However, this does not necessarily mean the end of Nokia. If HMD no longer holds the naming rights, Nokia could use them again itself or sell them to the next licence holder. But whether anyone still sees any potential in the brand is another matter.
Cover photo: Jan Johannsen
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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