HMD Global Considering Launch of Own Brand Phones

HMD Global co-founder, CEO, and chair Jean-Francois Baril announced plans to offer own-brand devices along with fresh partnerships. The decision is following years of being the licensee of Nokia-branded products.

In a social media post, Baril claimed HMD Global is the fastest-growing 5G smartphone manufacturer and a leader in sustainability with its repairable devices. “Now we are ready for the next step of our journey, to enter the market independently as a force to create a new world for telecommunications focused on consumer needs,” he posted on X.

IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo predicted challenges around the introduction of a new brand, noting on X it will be exciting for the company, particularly if it continues to employ the Nokia brand. HMD Global secured a ten-year license to the iconic mobile phone brand in 2016 and has since launched a range of new smartphones and rebooted feature phones designed to cash in on the Nokia brand’s cachet.