Has HMD Lost Exclusive Rights to Nokia Brand?

HMD has recently shifted its focus toward building its own brand identity, introducing a range of niche-targeted devices after dropping the Nokia brand from its smartphone lineup earlier this year (and they seem to be doing well). This strategic shift is just one of the many changes the company has undergone following the pandemic.

If we recall, the company lost its exclusive partnership with Zeiss in 2022 to Sony and Vivo, a collaboration that had long been a hallmark of Nokia-branded smartphones. The subsequent discontinuation of the widely recognized PureView brand further contributed to the impression that the Nokia brand, at least under HMD Global, was in decline.

In a recent email, HMD Global disclosed a subtle but significant change. The footer of the email now states: “This email address is now operated by HMD Global Oy, a licensee of the Nokia brand for phones.” This revised wording raised questions, prompting us to compare it with archived versions of the Nokia website from 2020 using the Internet Archive. At that time, the footer read: “HMD Global Oy is the exclusive licensee of the Nokia brand for phones & tablets.”

Two notable elements are now missing: the word “exclusive” and any reference to “tablets.” Additionally, the definite article “the” has been replaced with the indefinite “a,” suggesting a shift in HMD’s licensing status. These changes raise the possibility that HMD no longer holds exclusive rights to the Nokia brand, leading to speculation that other companies may be preparing to launch Nokia-branded tablets, or even smartphones.

We have reached out to HMD for clarification and will update this story as more information becomes available.

HMD’s current license to use the Nokia brand is set to expire by March of 2026. Earlier this year, HMD announced that while future smartphones will be branded under its name, the Nokia brand will continue to appear on its feature phones, maintaining a link to the storied brand even as the company forges a new path forward.