The iconic phone brand Nokia is all-set to make a comeback next year. Finland-based HMD Global announced on Thursday that will be undertaking the Nokia's phone business and presenting to the world a whole new range of smartphones as early as first half of next year.
HMD Global has signed a strategic licensing agreement with Nokia, which gives the company exclusive rights to use Nokia's brand for mobile phones and tablets for the next ten years. This means we will be seeing a lot of Nokia in the mobile devices sector in the years to come.
The first batch of Nokia's Android-based smartphones will be available in H1 2017, joining the league of leaders such as Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei and other companies that have dominance in the Android smartphone market. Apple is the second largest smartphone maker, which runs its own iOS platform in the iPhones, but Nokia will also compete against the Cupertino tech giant in its race towards victory.
"Driven by the extremely positive reception we have received since HMD was announced earlier this year, we are excited about building the next chapter for Nokia phones. We see this as a brilliant opportunity to solve real life consumer problems and to deliver on the quality and designs that the Nokia brand has been always known for. Our talented and passionate team is uniquely placed in this modern setup to deliver our promise of reliable, beautifully crafted and fun Nokia phones for consumers across the globe," Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD Global, said in a statement.
HMD also revealed that the future Nokia phones will be manufactured by FIH Mobile Limited (FIH). The company's aim is to bring a refreshing product range with prime focus on innovation, quality and experience.
Nokia is already a globally-recognised brand, which works in favour of HMD in promoting the future products. Also, Nokia lost the battle to giants like Apple and Samsung as the smartphone market evolved in the recent years. Under the ownership of Microsoft, Nokia brand faded away, but HMD's efforts will bring this trusted name back to the façade.
"With our passionate team, startup attitude, a brand with a 95% worldwide awareness and a unique, asset light partnership approach, we believe we are perfectly placed to forge a new way in mobile," Florian Seiche, president of HMD Global, said about the new partnership.
With this announcement, rumours about Nokia's two Android smartphones with 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch displays get more credibility. The larger D1C model is expected to pack a Full HD display, 3GB RAM, a 16MP camera and a Snapdragon chipset. The first phones are expected to be unveiled at the MWC conference next year.
