Nokia smartphones story ending in 2024
HMD, or recently known as Human Mobile Devices, is gearing up for a significant transformation as announced last year.
New Twitter handle
The first noticeable change is their Twitter handle, which has been renamed from @nokiamobile to @HMDglobal. This remains the handle for NokiaMobile, boasting over 240 thousand followers, primarily consisting of both old and new Nokia fans. This account, created in 2017, quickly gained popularity due to the enthusiasm of Nokia fans who wanted the brand reinstated in the smartphone market.
As HMD announced its shift in business strategy towards a multi-brand approach, this change was anticipated. However, the real question is what will happen to the Nokia community and how focused HMD will be on Nokia phones after introducing their own brand.
The most straightforward way for the company to attract new followers is to incorporate the existing Nokia Mobile community, which they have been managing for over six years. By doing this, Elop’s Burning Memo seems like a more open and just move. Regardless, it is a good strategy for a company aiming to launch new products without overshadowing the existing ones.
There is a new page in town
Another change is likely to be seen in the new website. It appears that the one for Nokia phones will be permanently removed from Nokia.com, as Nokia distances itself from its once glorious past and adopts a different profile.
HMD.com is set to become the new home for original HMD devices, classic Nokia phones, and products from new partnerships. The term that stands out the most is ‘classic Nokia phones,’ suggesting that Nokia-branded smartphones might become part of history, similar to Blackberry, LG, and Sony Ericsson phones. The only Nokia-branded phones we might see from 2024 onwards could be feature phones, which are still quite popular and reliable.
The date for this new change isn’t set, but I believe we’ll get a glimpse of the new products and brand details at MWC 2024, the usual timeframe for new Nokia devices in the past.
Well, 2024 might finally bring an end to the long history of Nokia smart devices, and that could be the best course of action. The last Nokia smartphone launched was the Nokia G42, not counting the US versions G310 and C210. It seems to me that HMD isn’t so willing to push any new Nokia-branded smartphones. Perhaps they will only be producing a limited series for Nokia, like the XR21, or some newer industrial Nokia phones, but these might not be commercially available. There is also a chance we’ll only see three Nokia-branded smartphone models a year, representing the top-, mid-, and low-end segments. This is something suggested by the fans after Nokia Mobile changed its initial strategy.
These are just my views on the current situation, and the whole situation might turn out completely differently. We will know more as we get closer to the MWC2024.
