HMD Global, the company that bought Nokia’s brand license and made a comeback in 2017, is now backing off flagship smartphones for the foreseeable future.
Nokia’s last true-high-end smartphone was the Nokia 9 PureView launched back in 2019. We still haven’t seen a successor since then and it appears, there won’t be one.
“Making an $800 phone doesn’t make sense for us at the moment,” HMD’s Global Head of Product Marketing, Adam Ferguson claims.
“For now, we’ll be focusing on our entry-level and mid-range smartphones, we want Nokia to be known for devices that last several years of use.” He added.
This new strategy appears to be working as the company recently celebrated its first full year of operational profit. The company has been profitable since Q3 2020 and Q4 2021 was the most profitable quarter in its history. Given the tough market out there, HMD Global may have made the right choice here.
HTC still shows signs of life, but is barely holding on without a flagship on sight. LG tried for years and eventually threw in the towel. OnwardMobility recently laid the BlackBerry brand to rest while Sony still makes flagships, but isn’t as serious as other competitors.
Maybe sticking to entry-level and mid-range segments is the more viable path, and Nokia doesn’t need to be told twice.
Related; Nokia G50 is now available for purchase in stores; it costs Ksh.26,999
Alfred Gitonga is a passionate tech news writer with a deep interest in smartphones and related technologies. He is a staff writer at Mobitrends.co.ke.
