Nokia will return to mobile with Android phones and tablets

[V151ON]

Sources: http://company.nokia.com/en/news/press-releases/2016/05/18/nokia-signs-strategic-brand-and-intellectual-property-licensing-agreement-enabling-hmd-global-to-create-new-generation-of-nokia-branded-mobile-phones-and-tablets

 

http://www.engadget.com/2016/05/18/nokia-hmd-global-fih-mobile-smartphone-tablet-android/

 

 

Quote

Nokia has announced plans that will see the Nokia brand return to the mobile phone and tablet markets on a global basis. Under a strategic agreement covering branding rights and intellectual property licensing, Nokia Technologies will grant HMD global Oy (HMD), a newly founded company based in Finland, an exclusive global license to create Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets for the next ten years. Under the agreement, Nokia Technologies will receive royalty payments from HMD for sales of Nokia-branded mobile products, covering both brand and intellectual property rights.

 

There's not much to say about this new company other than it will make Nokia branded devices for the next 10 years and it'll invest 500 million dollars over the next three years to develop and promote products.  Nokia itself will not invest to this new company nor own any of its stock.

 

Quote

As also announced today by FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn, the remainder of Microsoft's feature phone business assets, including manufacturing, sales and distribution, would be acquired by FIH. HMD and Nokia Technologies have signed an agreement with FIH to establish a collaboration framework to support the building of a global business for Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.

 

So it seems that FIH will be manufacturing these new Nokia devices and HMD will be selling and marketing these devices

 

 

Personally I think this is very smart move from Nokia not to manufacture these devices but license it to someone else. 

 

Thoughts?

[MellowCream]

As much as I love Windows Phone (I've been using Windows Mobile since Windows Mobile 6) Android is much more appealing to the general market and will certainly result in more sales. 

[MrDynamicMan]

.... But why? Its not a brand Id want to be associated with.

[Centurius]

7 minutes ago, MrDynamicMan said:

.... But why? Its not a brand Id want to be associated with.

Plenty of people, especially older generations, still have a very high opinion of Nokia.

[MrDynamicMan]

Just now, Centurius said:

Plenty of people, especially older generations, still have a very high opinion of Nokia.

Older people will be far more likely to buy an iPhone or samsung, or another well recognised brand, over a nokia. Nokias rep is being indestructable brick phones.

[Sauron]

Good, if they can retain their pre-Micro$oft build quality I'm looking forward to owning one.

[Bouzoo]

Nokia will again be "made" by Finns? Sign me up. 

[Bouzoo]

2 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

.... But why? Its not a brand Id want to be associated with.

It's a brand many would willingly be associated with, myself included. Nokia was the very  definiton of a phone until N95, at least for me. Symbian is old now, but back in the day it was the OS to get. Moving to Android is something many people still desire and it's finally happening. I still remember playing Pokemon FireRed on my N70 ( with an emulator), the best experience I ever had on  a phone. 

[MadG4mer]

Its juts not real Nokia, its just Chinese license to use Nokia as trademark. Wont buy even thought I am from Finland.

[MadG4mer]

1 minute ago, MadG4mer said:

Its juts not real Nokia, its just Chinese license to use Nokia as trademark. Wont buy even thought I am from Finland.

And the HDM (buyer of the license) is just Chinese subcompany that is located in Finland

[zMeul]

1 hour ago, MrDynamicMan said:

.... But why? Its not a brand Id want to be associated with.

enterprise will still use Nokias

[Trixanity]

Pretty pointless to get excited about it. It's just a name being attached to a Chinese product. It's not a Nokia phone in the way people wish for. Take any Chinese phone on the market today and exchange the logo with Nokia and you probably have the phone you'll see on the shelves in the future. 

[atrash]

Good luck competing with the big guns of Android phones. Even the well established brands like HTC and Sony aren't doing that great atm.

[suicidalfranco]

3 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

.... But why? Its not a brand Id want to be associated with.

talk for yourself. I will wholeheartedly accept the return of the old mobile king, bring back variety in the phone industry, put an end to the mundane rectangle slabs!

Just look at the OP pic: the 9500 is just one of the many, many ways nokia pushed themselves to deliver unique devices. As an ex owner of the 1100, 7770, 9300, N93i, N91, N81 and N900 (i also had the Lumia 920, but that phone is such a turd i don't even want to consider as a Nokia device), I have high expectations for their comeback, it better come with a huge BANG! followed by an earthquake 

[ChrEW]

3 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

Older people will be far more likely to buy an iPhone or samsung, or another well recognised brand, over a nokia. Nokias rep is being indestructable brick phones.

That's a postulate.

Nokia was big, really big, atleast here in the Nordics (Don't know about the rest of the world) Everyone at my class when I was 12 years old (14 years ago..sigh) had a Nokia, most of them a 3310. Not only was it sturdy but it was the best phone for texting (damn I was fast back then) and things like custom ringtones and snake 2 was the bomb back then

But... Although I want them to the succeed, I do fear they've decided to do it a wrong time (a bit late). Right it's dominated by Apple and Samsung, and I think the market is oversaturated.

 

Also a new Nokia is not like the old Nokia, since the name itself isn't enough.... We will see

[BingoFishy]

4 hours ago, Sauron said:

Good, if they can retain their pre-Micro$oft build quality I'm looking forward to owning one.

I used to use a Lumia 822. Sure, I managed to crack the screen after dropping it on gravel multiple times, but I didn't have a problem kicking it and throwing it around, and I even slid it across the floor for my cats to chase after it. It's thicker than most phones, but gave it a solid feel (even with a plastic build).

Go Nokia.

[Doobeedoo]

Good. Let's see that flagship

[SansVarnic]

Why physical buttons? The only phone manufacturer that is still using physical buttons is Blackberry and even they figured out with their OS10 that full screen touch is the way to go but people are still not buying them any more.  

So sad that Nokia is selling their name out this way. What a way to destroy the product's reputation. 

[Sauron]

2 hours ago, BingoFishy said:

I used to use a Lumia 822. Sure, I managed to crack the screen after dropping it on gravel multiple times, but I didn't have a problem kicking it and throwing it around, and I even slid it across the floor for my cats to chase after it. It's thicker than most phones, but gave it a solid feel (even with a plastic build).

Go Nokia.

pre-ms as in before they sold their factories

[Arcmanov]

Too little, too late.

 

If their new phone somehow happens to be better than the rumored specs of the Note 6, then I *might* be on-board.

[Guest]

if they make a phone bigger than 5 In and a physical keyboard running android im going back with nokia like when i was youger <3 

 

and i know the blackberry one is out but it doesn't convince me

[GoodBytes]

Just for you guys to know. "feature phone", is really "Feature(TM) phone", similar to "Founder Edition" from Nvidia.

This is the phone division that makes dumb phones, and other supreme low end phones.

 

If I am not mistaken, Microsoft released only 1 phone (powered by Nokia Series 30+ OS)  since they acquired the phone division of Nokia. It is the Nokia 230

https://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/phone/230/