The Current Status of Nokia: You all know about Nokia, but did you know that you may never see Nokia again? Till 2026, the brand name of Nokia was with HMD Global.
But now HMD Global has decided to put Nokia in the back seat and take out their phones. And it doesn’t even look like Nokia can ever make a comeback in the mobile phone business.
Nokia has transformed itself into a telecommunication business. And they make 5G equipment and work on 6G.
The Journey From Microsoft to HMD Global
Nokia Mobiles was a part of Microsoft. HMD Global took its license in 2016. It was a 10-year licensing deal that is now going to end after 2 years. It’s been 8 years since this deal was signed, but they still haven’t been able to grow in the market. But it has an impact on other brands like Nokia.
Nokia’s Golden Era
There are a few things to know about this brand. First of all, we know Nokia from its nostalgia factor. At one time, its mobile phones were very popular. And people loved its mobile phones.
Every time it launched, it had some uniqueness, some novelty, some innovation. And it looked like something good was coming.
There were different types of mobile phones. And that was the era of feature phones. And Nokia has always risen in the market of feature phones. It performed well there.
Struggles in the Smartphone Era
When the smartphone race came, they lost their story. Like in the early days, they were working on their Symbian.
Later, when Android was becoming more popular, they went to Microsoft Windows. They launched Windows Mobile and Nokia Lumia. They were successful to some extent, but later they had to stop that too. Because the problem was not in its hardware, but in its software. And in the smartphone race, Nokia lost the whole game.
The Comeback Attempt of 2017
But there were still a lot of twists in the story. First of all, when Nokia was revised in 2017, the early days were very good.
That is, in the early days, they were making their mobile phones well. Nokia 7 series was launched. A flagship phone was launched, Nokia 9 Pure, which had 5 cameras. Even Nokia company had launched old feature phones. Even the old Nokia 3310 was revived. And they did it so that Nokia can use the old nostalgia factor and make its own place in the market.
Feature Phones and KaiOS
Even today, you can see Nokia’s feature phones in the market. This phone is powered by KaiOS. And they replicated the old designs of multiple feature phones.
Took them to a new level. 3310 was an example. And they launched the Express Music phones. There were many such things.
HMD Global Moves Forward Without Nokia
But if we talk about it, the story today is such that HMD Global does not put Nokia ahead. That is, more than Nokia brand, HMD is launching its phone in its own branding. They are trying some new things. Such as repairability, upgradeability, etc. But there is still no innovation in the mobile phone that can stand out in the market.
The Diminishing Presence of Nokia
With this, Nokia is still alive in the feature phone market. But in a year or two, Nokia will disappear from the feature phone market. And there too, you will only see HMD. Because if you look at it, when a company like Nokia was starting its second inning in the smartphone race.
The early days were very good. Like in the early days, they launched a budget phone with Android Go. Similarly, Android One was launched with their mobile phones. And Android One came from Google. That’s why in the early days, updates were also coming in Nokia’s phones. And pure Android experience was clean Android experience.
Google’s Shift and the End of Android One
But what happened is that Google’s priority changed later on. Google saw that we will give more priority to Pixel. And ended the Android One program. Due to which Nokia had to move on to Pure Android OS. And after that, updates started coming in daily. Along with this, the price to performance ratio was also not as strong as Nokia’s phones.
The Marketing Gap and Changing Consumer Expectations
This was one thing. Because in comparison to this, the Chinese company was creating more value for money and more price to performance.
Apart from this, there was a problem with Nokia’s marketing. That even though Nokia’s phones were running, people were not preferring its phones. Because people’s taste had changed. People wanted to get the most value for their money.
Competition from Apple, Samsung, and Chinese Brands
Talking about premium, there are companies like Apple and Samsung. It is very difficult for a company like Nokia to compete with them.
Along with this, the company known for its innovation was missing here. And the smartphone industry that was trying to shake it all, was not able to do that here.
Failure to Innovate and Adapt
Even the phones that have been launched recently, there is no phone that can stand out in the market. And we can recommend it here.
Even the feedback that Nokia company got for many years. That people are not liking their phones. People have written a lot on social media. But the company resisted changing itself. This was the biggest problem with them.
Could It Have Been Different?
If they had launched some products that people like here. Then maybe Nokia would have been alive today. And maybe it would have been seen in the future.
But even taking advantage of the brand like Nokia, this company could not bring its mobile phones. So you can’t understand that Nokia company will stand here again. Or a third company will launch a phone with its brand.
The Harsh Reality
Because when a company is not able to create a successful product with the name of Nokia. Then how will other companies be able to do it here? This is the biggest question.
Along with this, the Chinese competition is in the market. But here, the value of the HMD phone is not being created here.
Lack of Value for Money
The problem with Nokia has always been that they were launching phones here. But there was no value for money there. So these people could not create their unique position in the market. Nor could people buy a mobile phone by looking at Nokia.
The Last Breaths in the Feature Phone Market
Recently, the small success that Nokia had got was the feature phone market. Which is very small. But still, it was far from the smartphone market. As of now, you will only get to see some feature phones of a company like Nokia till 2026.
Looking Into the Future
I think that after a year and a half, HMD will come in the Nokia feature phone. And after that, you will only get to see HMD Global’s mobile phones.
Along with this, the old Nokia which is working in the telecommunication space today. So it will keep working there. It will keep making different equipment there. It will develop 6G technology there. And it will do other things. But they will never make their place again in the mobile phone and smartphone market.
The Nokia Legacy
This is the problem with Nokia. The brand recognition that people recognize that brand. Today, it has become an old brand. It has become in the memory of people. Like what happened with Kodak at one time. Kodak was very popular for its cameras.
But when digital cameras came, it resisted there. And Kodak ended there. But still, its name is there. People keep taking out TVs with its license today.
Final Words
The same thing happened with Nokia. In a time, the feature phone market was the king. It used to make the most mobile phones. But as soon as the smartphone came, the story ended.
Now, there is no chance of its comeback. And it never seems that a company like Nokia will be able to show something. Or will it be able to make its own place in the market?
Let’s see what happens in the market in the coming time. Will Nokia replace other companies? Or what will happen in the market?
