After months of rumors and leaks, finally HMD Global has confirmed that Nokia brand will be back in the market in 2017. After this, most of the Nokia fans have started celebrating the return of their favorite brand. But, I am not excited even If I was a Nokia’s die hard fan. No, It is not because I have moved on. I have a proper reason to back my thoughts.
Before you should be excited for Nokia’s come back, you must take a look at Nokia’s past. I am sure you heard the news when Microsoft bought the mobile phone business from Nokia two years ago for $7.2 billion. I am not sure what Microsoft thought while making this big deal, but it regretted and the company wrote off about $8 billion on the account of the acquisition. It also fired hundreds of Nokia employees it acquired.
After selling phone business to Microsoft, Nokia’s mobile phone business almost ended and Nokia moved on with telecom infrastructure business. Nokia also acquired Alcatel-Lucent to strengthen its telecom business but it was not even taking a look back to its past. Later Microsoft sold the Nokia branding rights to HMD Global earlier this year. Yes, this was the good news that brought Nokia back.
Nokia smartphones are coming back and if you are excited, you must know that Nokia is not the same Nokia that is coming back. HMD Global is entering the smartphone market with Nokia branded smartphones. HMD Global will be using the Nokia’s brand name to sell its smartphones and tablets. For this, Nokia and HMD Global have signed a strategic licensing agreement for next 10 years. Under this license, HMD Global will use Nokia’s brand name. Nokia will get the license for each devices HMD Global will sell.
HMD Global will sell these devices in Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, India, and China. HMD Global has also worked closely with Google for these devices. New Nokia devices will be Android based products. Finally, it is like a dream comes true seeing Nokia devices running on Android platform.
It means this is not the same Nokia which is coming back in the market. It is a new company that will be selling its products in the name of Nokia. So expecting the same brand trust and product quality is just a foolishness.
If you are also excited for Nokia branded smartphones, you are just excited because of your old emotions. But, you must know that you are actually waiting for a different brand with the same name.
It is not the Nokia but HMD Global is coming with Nokia branded products. We can only hope to get the same kind of product quality.
