HMD’s Snapdragon Plans vs. a Company in Decline

I won’t believe it until I see it, but recent leaks suggest that HMD is preparing a new smartphone lineup powered by Snapdragon chipsets. The leak comes from the well-known tipster smashx_60 and, on paper, it’s one of HMD’s most ambitious spreads in years:

HMD MAXX 5G → Snapdragon 4 Gen 4
HMD ARMOUR → Snapdragon 6s Gen 4
HMD FUSION 2 → Snapdragon 6s Gen 4
HMD HYPER → Snapdragon 6 Gen 4
HMD SKYLINE 2 → Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

The HMD MAXX 5G looks set to be the entry-level model with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, aimed at basic daily use. ARMOUR, FUSION 2, and HYPER cover the midrange with Snapdragon 6/6s Gen 4 chips, while the HMD Skyline 2 tops the lineup with Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 for noticeably stronger performance.

Unfortunately, the hardware leaks arrive alongside increasingly worrying signs from inside the company. As shared by Luke Staunton on NokiaMob, HMD is quietly losing key people across design, marketing, and leadership, pointing to a company preparing its exit rather than a comeback.

Recent departures include:

• Raun Forsyth, Head of Design, who left in September 2025. A former Nokia and Microsoft Mobile veteran, he was one of the strongest creative links to HMD’s past.
• Lucia Domenici, Global Creative Director, who also left in September 2025.
• Hayley Dodd, Global Head of PR, Partnerships, and Marketing (and previously Global Head of Comms since 2017), who left this month and joined SafeToNet as Chief Strategy Officer — notably the company behind HarmBlock AI used in the HMD Fuse.
• The Marketing Manager for HMD Australia has also departed, following the exit of Brenden Folitarik, General Manager for Oceania, in September 2025.

Australia was once one of HMD’s stronger markets, but unsurprisingly, market share collapsed once the Nokia logo disappeared. If HMD continues in the consumer smartphone space at all, India and selected African markets are likely to be the main focus.

So while Snapdragon-powered HMD phones sound promising on spec sheets, the bigger question remains unanswered: who will be left to design, market, and support them? Right now, HMD’s problem doesn’t seem to be silicon — it’s survival.

 

And finally, as we step into another year together, Happy New Year to all Nokiamobsters! 🎉 Thank you for sticking with Nokia, HMD, and Nokiamob through all the ups and downs. Let’s hope 2026 brings clearer direction, better devices for all of us, and more positive stories to write about. Stay curious, stay critical, and most of all — stay connected.