Nokia, once the epitome of mobile phone excellence, is facing the end of an era as HMD Global, the company holding the license for Nokia phones, announced that it will cease using the iconic Nokia name on its smartphones. Over the past 8 years, HMD Global has been the torchbearer for Nokia phones, with a revival of Nokia smartphones seen in 2016.
However, in a move reminiscent of BlackBerry’s decline, HMD Global has decided to move beyond the Nokia brand. The company’s statement emphasized that while it is recognized as a Nokia phone manufacturer, its vision now extends beyond that, and it plans to introduce devices under its own name.
The decision doesn’t come as a complete surprise, as HMD Global had hinted in 2023 that it would venture into producing mobile devices under its own branding. Having secured the license for Nokia phones for a 10-year period, HMD Global is likely to continue introducing Nokia feature phones for an additional 2 years. However, the production of Nokia smartphones will come to an end.
Nokia, once a juggernaut in the mobile phone industry, faced challenges adapting to the smartphone era. Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Nokia in 2013 was revised 2 years later, paving the way for HMD Global to take the reins and revive the Nokia name in the mobile phone market.
