Nokia phones have stood the test of time in not just the public consciousness, but also literally. They’re historically built like tanks, and after its first death in the phone industry, the brand gained a new life when internet meme culture took on its first legs. On the corporate side, the licensing of the Nokia name and phone line was sold in 2014 to Microsoft before being dumped again to Human Mobile Devices (HMD Global) in 2016. Since then, HMD has sold Android smartphones utilizing the Nokia name and even helped introduce the wild idea ofuser-repairable smartphones to the US, but that’s set to change going forward.
On the last day of January,HMD released a short postthat echoed its previous messaging (“We make Nokia phones”) but said that “there’s more to come.” In the copy, it says that HMD is still the maker of Nokia phones but that the company is warming up to “bring you even more, including original HMD devices, and phones from all-new partnerships.” It goes on to further say that current Nokia phones will continue to get full support and backing, and that people can still shop for Nokia phones, tablets, and accessories at the company’s website.
Leak reveals first HMD-branded phone from Nokia manufacturer
The model numbers of two unnamed phones have leaked
What the release does not say is what we are all thinking here: this sure seems like a sign that Nokia phones are no more. Back in September 2023,HMD Global branched out with a new identity separate from Nokia, planning to introduce an independent line of smartphones. HMD’s licensing agreement with Nokia ends in 2026, which, according to our calendars, is in less than two years. According to recent leaks,HMD is potentially releasing two smartphones with its own brandingwith an announcement coming in the near future. At least one of those phones, both of which are expected to be low-to-mid-range in power, may come to the U.S. as well.
All signs point to the Nokia brand dying again, which is obviously a shame. Lars Silberbauer, the CMO of Nokia Phones and HMD, basicallysaid as such on LinkedIn.
“We’re transitioning from being a licensee to becoming a multi-brand company with our own distinct HMD brand product line, complemented by several licensing partnerships and significant brand collaborations we’re itching to unveil at MWC later this month.”
Could one of those “licensing partnerships” be with Nokia? One can hope.
Over 20 years ago, theNokia N-Gage became the first gaming phone availableon the mass market. It was ahead of its time, but it’s garnered a lot of praise over the years for its attempts to try something that was fresh and new back then. Nokia is not the only phone brand to die a slow and painful death. It’s not even the only one to have died more than once.Attempts to revive the beloved BlackBerry line have failedtime and time again, with the latest andmost successful BlackBerry-based product being the much-loved and well-reviewed movie of the brand name. It’s fantastic, and it’s very Canadian.
