Android Enterprise Recommended program includes 14 Nokia smartphones
The year 2019 didn’t start well for HMD Global since Nokia smartphones are out of the top 10 list of smartphone brands. We could say that HMD is currently in the turbulent waters caused by some internal problems, and the relationship with its main partner FIH is not as it was before.
The loss of market share in some crucial countries might be fixed with a strong endorsement coming from Google through the Android Enterprise Recommended program.
The portfolio of devices recommended by this program now includes 14 Nokia smartphones. This great news was announced at the Google I/O 2019 event where Android Q was also shown to the world.
To be a part of that exclusive list, phones included must to be validated by Google and have a specific set of requirements like minimum hardware specifications of 32 GB of internal memory and 2 GB of RAM, a clean OS with system apps, support for bulk device enrolment with zero-touch and minimum three years of security updates that are delivered within 90 days from Google release.
This is the list of Nokia devices that are branded with the Android Enterprise Recommended badge:
- Nokia 9 PureView
- Nokia 8.1
- Nokia 8 Sirocco
- Nokia 8
- Nokia 7.1
- Nokia 7 Plus
- Nokia 6.1 Plus
- Nokia 6
- Nokia 5.1 Plus
- Nokia 5 (32 GB)
- Nokia 4.2
- Nokia 3.1 Plus (32 GB)
- Nokia 3.2 (32 GB)
- Nokia 3.1 (32 GB)
The above mentioned devices are all fine, but Google Enterprise endorsement alone won’t help HMD gain better market share if they don’t start using their resources wisely. HMD should use Nokia community which is still huge and capable of spreading the word or two about the brand. This is important because, the product without the story behind it, is just one of many generic, soulless products. There is a lot of good quality phones out there, but people would rather buy something that has a good background story. HMD has that, and it should start building its ecosystem around it, not just mindlessly manufacture a lot of “unfinished” phones with the main goal to fill up the market. Personally, I’m more for the business model with fewer phones with good quality software and hardware, but then again I’m just the active observer :). The Nokia phones that will come out this year are going to set the direction of the HMD Global and Nokia brand in the smartphone business. Hopefully, the investors still see the power of the Nokia brand, because the fresh money is needed to set things right.https://twitter.com/sarvikas/status/1125769788674830342
