…Well, not quite, and I will explain why later. What is true (and sad) however is the entire Nokia smartphone lineup, including models like the Nokia XR21, has been marked as discontinued on HMD Global’s website – the license holder for the Nokia brand.
These products have been moved to a separate webpage and are no longer listed alongside HMD’s own smartphones. However, fans of Nokia need not panic, as the brand isn’t disappearing entirely.
While Nokia-branded smartphones face an uncertain future, HMD will continue selling Nokia feature phones, which remain popular due to decent sales. This is partly driven by a growing preference for simpler devices, as some consumers move away from always-connected smartphones due to concerns about mental health and digital well-being.
Brief history of Nokia: A tech giant that once was
Nokia Corporation was formed in 1967 through the merger of Nokia Ab, Finnish Rubber Works, and Finnish Cable Works. By the late 1990s, Nokia became a global leader in mobile phones, producing iconic feature phones such as the Nokia 3310 in 2000.
If you don’t know what this phone is, you may ask your older siblings, relatives, uncle, aunt, or parents, and they will tell you the legendary story of a phone that’s almost unbreakable.
However, Nokia lost its market dominance when touchscreen smartphones like Apple’s iPhone emerged in the late 2000s. In an attempt to compete, Nokia partnered with Microsoft in 2011, adopting the Windows Phone operating system in place of its outdated Symbian OS. Unfortunately, this move failed to regain significant market share.
In 2014, Microsoft acquired Nokia’s mobile phone business, including its Devices and Services division, along with patents, and mapping services, for USD7.2 billion (~ RM32.44 billion).
This ultimately did not turn out to be a successful business deal either, leading to HMD Global, a Finnish company founded by former Nokia executives, obtaining the exclusive license to the Nokia brand for mobile phones and tablets in 2016, with Foxconn serving as the manufacturing partner.
Before the licensing agreement expires in 2026, HMD Global has already started transitioning by launching its own HMD-branded smartphones in early 2024, focusing on budget and mid-range devices. This move allows HMD to reduce its reliance on the Nokia brand and emerge as an independent player in the market. That said, this doesn’t mark the end for Nokia-branded phones, as feature phones under the Finnish brand continue to sell well and remain in capable hands—for now.
As for Nokia Corporation, since selling its mobile phone division, the company has pivoted its business to telecommunications and networking, specialising in 5G technology, network software, broadband infrastructure, cloud services, and other related fields.
