Nokia Mobile: The next chapter

MANILA, Philippines — I was a Nokia loyalist when I started using cell phones. I was one of those who wanted to have the latest Nokia cell phone as soon as a new model was announced. That was in the late ‘90s when I started working and I could already afford to buy my own gadgets.

But as technology moved at breakneck speed, Nokia seemed to have been left behind with the advent of smartphones.

The good news?

Nokia is back as a pure Android device, as part of a partnership with HMD Global where HMD is the sole licensee of the Nokia brand for phones and tablets. 

“HMD Global is re-writing the next chapter for Nokia Mobile,” says Shannon Mead, country manager, HMD Global Philippines. “HMD is a close partner of Nokia when it comes to branding for the phones.”

Mead explained that when Nokia made its comeback here in the Philippines, through HMD Global, it launched the nostalgic Nokia 3310.

“Fifteen to 20 years ago when Nokia was no. 1 in the Philippines, the 3310 was one of the lead products here,” he adds. “So when we as HMD Global asked ourselves how we would rewrite the first chapter of the new story of Nokia phones, we went and looked back into the history. It was the iconic Nokia 3310 that everyone would remember – from the design and experience to receiving a first SMS message to playing Snake for the first time.”

It was when Nokia re-introduced the 3310 that HMD Global also introduced its Android phones. He says HMD Global had to use the platform to say that HMD Global had a range of smartphones, which were running on Android.

Back to the future

“In early 2000, when I joined Nokia, we were a leading company in mobile phones at that time,” shares Mead.  “I was in Australia and at the time the Philippines was known as ‘Nokia nation’ as it had one of the biggest markets for the products.”

And then around five or six years ago, Microsoft bought the phones division of Nokia, although Nokia was still its own company and continued to make the network infrastructure that operates the phone as well as some digital products like wearables.

But Microsoft took over the mobile phones, which they started running on the Windows system.

“And then about two years ago, in May 2016, HMD Global which is a Finnish startup company incorporated in Finland, was formed and they saw the opportunity to buy the phone business from Microsoft,” added Mead. “HMD is a Finnish company run by several ex-Nokia executives (Mead included), several of whom had moved on.”

The rest is history.

HMD Global wanted to be Android as well as a stand-alone company. It purchased the mobile phone business from Microsoft for $350 million. 

“Simultaneous to purchasing the feature phones business from Microsoft, HMD Global secured a 10-year exclusive license for the Nokia brand for phones and the transfer of the manufacturing facilities,” added Mead.  “ Nokia is a trusted and well-loved brand across the world. It enjoys unrivaled brand awareness and an iconic status for design, reliability and usability. HMD will harness these assets and combine them with a fresh and unique strategic partnership model. Our goal is to take the brand to a new generation of mobile users.”

Onwards forever

HMD Global has begun to make its mark on the mobile phone industry over the almost two years that it has been around.

Indeed, the company is moving forward at a speed that has allowed it be at par with smartphones that have been available on the market for over five years.

HMD Global has increased its portfolio of Nokia Android smartphones with Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1, which  offer access to the latest Google services such as the Google Assistant. The trio of smartphones continues to deliver a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience with Android One and Android Go, combined with the premium craftsmanship and design expected from a Nokia smartphone and the performance to match.

Together with Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6.1, Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 also join the Android One family, delivering an experience designed by Google that is smart, secure and simply amazing.

Nokia smartphones with Android One offer more storage and battery life out of the box, as well as the latest AI-powered innovations from Google to help you stay ahead of the game every day. Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 will receive regular security updates for three years, as well as OS updates as guaranteed in the Android One program. This puts them among the most secure phones out there, always up-to-date with the latest Google services like Google Assistant and Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage.

Meanwhile, Nokia 2.1 comes with Android Oreo (Go edition), designed for smartphones with 1GB RAM or less, giving you a smooth and seamless Android experience.

Recently, HMD Global announced that it has raised additional USD100 million from multiple investors to scale business operations and fund the company’s growth on its second year. This new round of investment has been led by Geneva-based Ginko Ventures via Alpha Ginko Ltd. with participation from DMJ Asia Investment Opportunity Ltd. and Wonderful Stars Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of FIH Mobile Ltd.

With the latest round of funding, HMD Global’s current market valuation exceeds USD 1 billion, giving it unicorn status. HMD Global will be making strategic investments in scaling its fast-growing business operations. In 2018, the company plans to aggressively expand its portfolio of Nokia smartphones and double down on expanding channel reach in strategic markets while continuing to deliver innovation where it matters most to consumers.

Set up on December 1, 2016, the company in its first year has shipped more than 70 million Nokia branded phones, scaled sales operations in over 80 countries with phone activations coming from 170 countries. Today, Nokia phones are sold in over 250,000 retail outlets across the world and more than 600 direct trade partners are committed to this next chapter of Nokia phones globally. In financial year 2017, HMD Global posted a total revenue of EUR 1.8 billion (USD 2.13 billion) along with an operational loss of EUR 65 million (USD 77 million).

Demonstrating incredible passion, engagement, and enthusiasm for the new portfolio, the response from fans around the world to the new Nokia range of Android smartphones has been humbling. HMD is set out to capture the hearts and minds of the next generation of consumers.

“With so many brands in the market, it goes back to how genuine the connection a person has with Nokia,” says Mead. “It is not just about loyalty to a brand but giving people a memory of what the brand had been in their lives and how they can hang on to that memory. And for us, that is what we hope to evoke – with that we want to establish that Nokia android smartphones are here for the new chapter that we at HMD Global are creating.”