Notebookcheck Logo

HMD Global confirms it has no aspirations to release anything other than budget Nokia smartphones

Do not necessarily expect even a follow-up to the Nokia 8.3 5G, let alone a new flagship from Nokia. (Image source: HMD Global)
Do not necessarily expect even a follow-up to the Nokia 8.3 5G, let alone a new flagship from Nokia. (Image source: HMD Global)
HMD Global has admitted that it is in no mood to 'get involved in a massive spec war' anymore, or release US$800 smartphones. Instead, the company will focus on growing Nokia's budget credentials, likely ruling out mid-range successors to the Nokia 8.3 5G too.
Android Smartphone Business

HMD Global has confirmed to Android Authority that there will be no successor to the Nokia 9 PureView, its last flagship smartphone. Released in 2019, the Nokia 9 PureView featured a 1440p display, a Snapdragon 845 SoC and an outlandish five cameras. Unfortunately, HMD Global's execution was poor and could not convince us when we reviewed the device.

While there were indications in late 2020 that HMD Global would unveil a new flagship Nokia smartphone in 1H 2021, nothing came to pass. Now, HMD Global's Adam Ferguson, Head of Product Marketing, is quoted as having said:

Making an $800 phone doesn't make sense for us at the moment...[HMD does not] want to get involved in a massive spec war with other players...[and would rather] stand for something very different.

In short, HMD Global's profit comes from feature phones, not smartphones. As the graph below shows, HMD Global failed to sell more than 5 million smartphones per quarter even after bringing the Nokia 9 PureView to market. On the other hand, it has consistently shipped over 10 million Nokia feature phones, except during the first two quarters of 2020.

HMD Global's approach is apparently working too. Last month, the company announced that it had been profitable for six consecutive quarters, stretching back to autumn 2020. Its smartphone shipments are steadily increasing as well, which may explain why we are yet to see a Nokia 8.3 5G successor yet either.

(Image source: Counterpoint)
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2022 03 > HMD Global confirms it has no aspirations to release anything other than budget Nokia smartphones
Alex Alderson, 2022-03- 9 (Update: 2022-03- 9)