Nokia is definitely back. All the rumors and speculations are laid to rest when the company officially announced that it’s going back to the smartphone market this coming 2017. Nokia is coming back its Finnish roots as a phone maker with the help of HMD. This is something we’ve been saying even when Nokia was still a part of Microsoft and before the brand was acquired by HMD. We also said it might be back in the game after Q4 2016 which is next year already.
Nokia has been rumored to rejoin the phone industry but the company then released a statement that it has no more plans to make or sell consumer handsets. Well, Microsoft no longer has a hold of the brand so it’s all up to HMD now.
HMD hired former Rovio CEO to help bring smartphones back and soon leaks, rumors, and sightings started. We’ve been saying the first device will be the Nokia D1C. It was already spotted on Geekbench and AnTuTu which means there is indeed a new product in the works.
HMD CEO Arto Nummela was interviewed recently by The Economic Times and answered several questions about the state of Nokia. Main gist was that Nokia will benefit from brand recall. You see, Nokia is a popular name being the top smartphone manufacturer over a decade ago before BlackBerry, Apple, Samsung, Google, and other companies came into the picture. It did venture into the smartphone arena with its partnership with Microsoft but we all know how the Windows Phone has never really captured a significant percentage of the market.
Nokia seems to be off to a good start as HMD CEO said that he doesn’t have a problem hiring new people to join the new company. Some are former executives who are glad to be back and help rebuild the brand. Nokia will still go global with India as one of its key markets and where the phones can also be manufactured by Foxconn (FIH). Nothing definite yet on main production and manufacturing and even pricing because HMD is still ironing out many details.
When asked if there will be a sub $100 entry-level offering, the CEO said they are not revealing all details on the project but they’re acknowledging the importance of the low to mid-range phones in India. HMD is saying that they will be introducing feature phones. They are different from smartphones but Nokia feature phones will launch first. We can expect a Q1 or Q2 launch as the smartphones are said to roll out in the second half.
When it comes to marketing, HMD said it will make use of the best possible channel ready in the market. It will push online and offline sales as Nokia is already a known brand. The CEO also said they will be “extremely competitive” when it comes to pricing and the specs so Nokia can compete with those companies already in India and other markets. Nokia phones will feature premium quality and design.
The HMD exec is positive about Nokia entering the mobile market once again. They’re also expecting it will be a strong player in the Indian market even though not as strong as before. It may be long before Nokia gets back on top but with HMD, it’s on its way to regaining its place in the mobile arena.
VIA: Economic Times
