HMD Global, which has been producing phones under the Nokia brand for several years, will now also release devices under its own name. We could see the first results of this during MWC 2024.

HMD Global founder and CEO Jean-Francois Baril announced on LinkedIn in September 2023 that his company would release phones under its own brand name. HMD has been producing smartphones under the Nokia brand name for several years.

Little by little the plans become a little more concrete. The Finnish company shares a short teaser revealing that new phones, headphones and possibly a tablet are on the way. By all accounts, the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2024 at the end of February could be the ideal time for HMD Global to launch the new product line.

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Baril clarifies that the HMD phones will be an addition to the portfolio. The own brand will therefore exist in line with the Nokia series. In addition, HMD will also enter into “exciting collaborations”, although Baril has not yet made it clear with whom. HMD Global also continues to proudly call itself the “manufacturer of Nokia cell phones,” so it doesn’t seem to want to give up the iconic brand name right away.

The HMD founder also emphasizes that the company remains true to affordable and sustainable design. Baril even describes HMD as a pioneer in sustainability. The question immediately arises as to whether future users of HMD cell phones will be able to repair their devices, such as the Nokia G42, themselves.

Of course, HMD itself already has the necessary knowledge and infrastructure with the production of Nokia cell phones. Baril sums everything up neatly:

• Worldwide distribution
• Operational network
• Established in-house software
• Research and development department
• Extensive portfolio of business solutions
• Scalable eCommerce platform
• Experienced employees

This is of course a nice collection of assets. The only question is whether the world is waiting for another series of budget devices that don’t really benefit from the well-known brand name that Nokia ultimately still is.

To avoid confusion, Nokia no longer even has anything to do with the production of the phones released under its name. HMD Global took over the exclusive right to use the Microsoft brand name in 2014. Nokia recently rebranded to make it clear that it is no longer a phone maker. As one of the largest European providers of mobile network infrastructure, the company remains closely linked to the industry.

This article was originally published on September 13, 2023. The text has been updated with the latest information.