We finally know what HMD stands for!
One of the greatest mysteries surrounding the early comeback of Nokia devices was deciphering the meaning behind the three letters in the name of the licensee. I attempted several times to extract this information from the HMD team, but without success. Eventually, fans crafted their own interpretations, ranging from the benign ‘Home of Mobile Devices’ to the more critical ‘Home of Mediocre Devices,’ as often proclaimed by their most loyal fan and advocate here at Nokiamob, DBS.
Regardless, there’s no need to continue speculating, as Lars Silberbauer, HMD’s marketing director, recently unveiled the true meaning behind the acronym for the licensee of Nokia’s name for smartphones and tablets. HMD, according to Lars, stands for ‘Human Mobile Devices.’ This revelation occurred during a speech he delivered at the Websummit.
I’m unsure if this was the original meaning of the acronym when the startup was launched back in 2016. It seems more like a new marketing strategy that HMD is adopting as they seek to create some distance from the Nokia brand. This approach appears to be a smart move, especially when manufacturing their own device and devices for other brands.
Lars is doing an excellent job with HMD’s marketing. He has significantly improved their public image since joining the company last year, succeeding Stephen Taylor in the position of chief marketing officer. Stephen, who came to HMD in 2020 from PayPal, took over from the esteemed Pekka Rantala. Prior to his role at HMD, Lars Silberbauer worked at the International Olympic Committee, MTV Digital Studios, and Lego.
