TECH

End of an era: HMD Global discontinues all “Nokia” smartphones

In a significant development that marks the end of an iconic chapter in mobile history, HMD Global has officially discontinued all Nokia-branded smartphones. The once-revered brand, synonymous with durability and innovation, has now exited the smartphone space entirely under HMD’s stewardship. Even the Nokia XR21, lauded for its rugged build and reliability, has been quietly retired. The Nokia smartphones have been moved to a separate category on HMD’s website, symbolizing their formal departure from HMD’s active product portfolio.

Nokia was once a titan in the mobile phone industry, dominating the market with its feature phones and innovative devices. However, the rise of iOS and Android smartphones in the late 2000s saw Nokia’s fortunes decline. In 2017, HMD Global acquired the rights to manufacture and market Nokia-branded phones, fueling hopes of a resurgence. The company launched devices like the Nokia 6, which garnered attention for its build quality and stock Android experience.

Over the years, despite valiant efforts to compete with industry giants like Apple, Samsung, and Google, Nokia-branded smartphones struggled to regain their former glory. While the devices offered unique features, like the infamous nine-camera Nokia 9 PureView, the brand failed to keep pace with rapidly evolving consumer expectations and aggressive competition.

The writing was on the wall when HMD announced its multi-brand strategy in 2024, focusing on developing its own line of devices. The slow phase-out of Nokia smartphones was inevitable, with their absence from major announcements and dwindling presence on HMD’s global website. Now, the discontinuation of all Nokia-branded smartphones signals HMD’s complete pivot to its in-house brand.

While Nokia-branded smartphones are now a thing of the past, the Nokia name endures in the feature phone segment. HMD continues to sell Nokia-branded dumb phones, which are still popular in certain markets. Moreover, Nokia, as a company, has successfully transitioned into the network infrastructure and telecommunications space. Today, it is a leader in 5G technology, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, proving its resilience and ability to adapt.

Nokia’s departure from the smartphone market is a bittersweet moment. While it may no longer grace our hands as a smartphone, its legacy as a pioneer in the mobile industry remains etched in history. The Nokia brand, synonymous with reliability and innovation, will forever hold a special place in the hearts of tech enthusiasts worldwide.

Founded in 1865 in Finland as a paper company, Nokia underwent several transformations before becoming a telecommunications giant. However, in a market where the pace of innovation is frenetic, the brand lost relevance.

In the 1990s, Nokia emerged as the world's leading manufacturer of cell phones, leading the market with iconic devices such as the Nokia 3210 and Nokia 3310. These models became famous for their durability and, especially, their long battery life (believe it or not, a single charge could last several days on standby).

In addition, the company was a pioneer in several technological innovations, such as the introduction of personalized ringtones and the popular game Snake, which became well-known in Brazil as the "snake game".

In 1998, Nokia overtook Motorola to become the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, a position it held until 2011. It is important to remember that its investment in technologies such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) helped to consolidate its leadership, allowing its devices to be compatible with mobile networks in several countries. Despite its initial success, Nokia faced serious challenges starting in 2007, with the launch of the iPhone by Apple and, later, with the emergence of Android. While its competitors were betting on touch screens and modern operating systems, Nokia insisted on using its own operating system, Symbian. 

However, it was unable to compete in terms of usability, design and integration with applications, which ended up leaving the company behind. This delay in adopting a competitive strategy for the smartphone market was fatal for Nokia. In 2011, in an attempt to regain ground, it entered into a partnership with Microsoft and launched devices with the Windows Phone operating system. And as many will remember, Windows Phone failed to attract app developers and lost market share, leaving Nokia increasingly irrelevant in the industry.

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