By the middle of the year, HMD, the company that licenses Nokia phones, will launch a line of smartphones under its own name.
By July, three different smartphone models—two with an emphasis on sustainability and repairability, and one Barbie flip phone made possible by a collaboration with Mattel—will be available everywhere. The Nokia brand, which HMD owns the rights to use until the end of 2026, will only be used for feature phones, one of which will be unveiled by May.
“We have plans to do so much more as we introduce the world to the new HMD. We want to be a catalyst for positive and profitable change by embracing a multi-brand strategy: crafting new HMD original devices, creating Nokia phones and collaborating with well- known global partners,” Jean-Francois Baril, HMD co-founder, chairman and CEO, stated.
Despite having a little market share in India—roughly 1%, according to Counterpoint Research—the smartphone manufacturer views this South Asian country as its most important one.
“We are confident about a strong smart 5G portfolio for India and other markets which we will announce very soon,” mentioned Ravi Kunwar, vice president – India & APAC at HMD.
Additionally, the company has unveiled HMD Fusion, a new Android smartphone-style gadget that lets consumers customize hardware attachments to fit their needs.
Six pogo pins are located on the rear of the HMD Fusion, allowing users to attach hardware peripherals. The gadget also features an integrated screen and battery. Modular accessories can be mounted on a device’s back thanks to pogo pins.
Through contract manufacturing agreements with Foxconn, Dixon Technologies, and Lava International, HMD Global has been producing nearly all of its smartphone models in India for the past three years.
After beginning to export the Nokia 105 featurephone—the first to cost less than ₹1,000—to a few African nations in August, the company established India as its export base.
