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Three years after selling its mobile division to Microsoft, Nokia is back in the smartphone market, albeit via third party company Finnish-based HMD Global.
In May, Microsoft announced the sale of its feature-phone division to HMD Global and Apple contract manufacturing company, Taiwanese-based Foxconn.
HDM has signed a 10-year brand licensing agreement with Nokia that means it will essentially own the existing Nokia-branded feature phone and tablet business, providing global market reach and scale.
HMD has a global foothold including Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, India and China. Future Nokia smartphones will utilise Google’s Android operating system, currently deployed on 86 per cent of the world’s smartphones.
A cornerstone of HMD’s partnership model is an agreement with FIH, a global consumer electronics manufacturing and technology company that will manufacture Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.
HMD is developing an new consumer-centric product range which will focus on innovation, quality and experience, alongside the iconic Nokia mobile phone attributes of design, robustness, and reliability.
“Today marks a happy and important day for HMD,” says Arto Nummela CEO of HMD Global. “Nokia has been one of the most iconic and recognisable phone brands globally for decades. The excitement of re-introducing this much-loved, well-known and trusted brand to smartphone consumers is a responsibility and an ambition that everyone at HMD shares.
“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.”