The rise, dominance, and epic fall - a brief look at Nokia's history

12 August, 2015
A couple of years ago, Microsoft reached a deal to acquire Nokia's struggling devices and services business, and just recently, the Finnish company sold its HERE mapping unit to a group of German car-makers. It’s true that Nokia has had a terrible last five years, but this doesn’t take away the fact that it was this very company that effectively defined the mobile industry for over a decade prior, and gave us some of the most memorable phones.

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  • A
  • Azhar Jamal
  • 2AY
  • 18 Aug 2015

Awesome history Nokia have, I have used almost every handset mentioned here and still having a 7280 Lipstick with me. Hats off for Nokia

    • 0
    • 000000000
    • vx6
    • 18 Aug 2015

    Clinton, 17 Aug 2015No mention of the 3310????kind of looking for 33010 too..

      • r
      • rape01
      • FQP
      • 18 Aug 2015

      the fall in world sales was caused by company's rejection to use android operating system, i loved nokia phones, they were the best, but i will never become a microsoft phone user... never..

        • J
        • Jeffry
        • 2Au
        • 18 Aug 2015

        We would't have iPhone, Samsung, HTC or any other mobile company if it wasn't for the Nokia! Good job Nokia! We salute you.

          • L
          • London
          • m2m
          • 18 Aug 2015

          Most companies that rise that fast - will fall at a similar rate. That is, the telecomms division grew very rapidly and was likely to fall that way too.

          You can see other old companies rise slowly and fall slowly (IBM) and the other kind. That's business!

            • m
            • moorthy
            • utf
            • 18 Aug 2015

            Once upon a time Philips was the leader in electrical appliances. Despite several companies coming up, Philips appliances still have a good demand now. We hope that the recent acquisition of Alcatel by Nokia may bring back the Nokia mobiles.

              • E
              • Elop Killed Nokia
              • d%q
              • 18 Aug 2015

              Nokia was on seriously considering releasing Android devices but Elop insured that it would never happen. He sabotaged Nokia to the point the Microsoft could acquire them on the cheap. The bad part is even Microsoft couldn't get the windows phones to work.

                • N
                • Nech
                • 9LB
                • 17 Aug 2015

                Thank you GSMA for the great article.
                Truly humble beginnings for Nokia
                but as the article mentioned, Nokia was a snail to move on to bigger things; very good, capable, touch screen phones, for one.
                None the less; I have the Nokia Lumia 925.
                I only tried WP OS since i'm already tired of the closed ecosystem that is iOS in iPhones and (lag after a couple months) in Android.
                So far, loving the durability and design of the Lumia 925 and the buttery smooth, lag free, Windows Phone OS.
                Cant wait for Windows 10 on mobile.

                ==Nelson, from Belize.

                  • C
                  • Cicily
                  • Hkt
                  • 17 Aug 2015

                  cliff, 17 Aug 2015Proud Nokia(E63) user here since 2010, still Up and Running... moreThat was more like a calculator than a phone the ugliest designs by any company till date.

                    • D
                    • AnonD-418045
                    • uuJ
                    • 17 Aug 2015

                    I have used......
                    Nokia 3220
                    Nokia 3230
                    Nokia N-gage QD
                    Nokia N70
                    Nokia N73
                    Nokia N81
                    Nokia N82
                    Nokia N85
                    Nokia N86
                    Nokia 3110
                    Nokia 5130
                    Nokia 5300
                    Nokia 5800
                    Nokia N900
                    Nokia C2-02
                    Nokia X2-02
                    Microsoft lumia 532

                      • s
                      • sajid
                      • XNI
                      • 17 Aug 2015

                      I still love nokia phone, more durable. Hope you can get success again. Thanks Nokia for all the technology you offered us. Thanks

                        • j
                        • jfdi
                        • 0ps
                        • 17 Aug 2015

                        Best looking phone I ever had was the Nokia 6500 slide (in brushed steel), gorgeous!

                          • D
                          • AnonD-430415
                          • Lc1
                          • 17 Aug 2015

                          Like many, many people, I used to say "NOKIA IS NOKIA..." hope they rise again from ashes... believe if they bet on Android they would be in the top...

                            • R
                            • Rahul
                            • vIh
                            • 17 Aug 2015

                            Still a nokia user and huge fan. Expect to see it rise again and soon

                              • D
                              • AnonD-331351
                              • PEq
                              • 17 Aug 2015

                              nokia sucks so bad. S40 lineup was gross. They finally added brightness control option in S40 in 2013 *_* symbian is rubbish - useless junk. UI is horrible no improvement even in the anna/belle. what do you expect?? It was necessary to point out that nokia was wrong and it happened. and they will never rise again. today's competition is more dangerous than ever before - 2010 was an easy year!!! RIP Nokia and never come back, you're not welcomed.

                                • N
                                • Narayan
                                • Hkq
                                • 17 Aug 2015

                                I have nokia 5233 it still works really well
                                W/o replacing battery

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 30f
                                  • 17 Aug 2015

                                  Still using a N86, with light use (only whatsapp actually) lasts almost a week.
                                  The signal is way better than many top samsung around, my father's S4 first.

                                    • N
                                    • Nico
                                    • 3rC
                                    • 17 Aug 2015

                                    Nokia Xpress Music my dream phone that I never had that time. Im using the Nokia 6300 phone till now.

                                      • t
                                      • tron
                                      • 6qZ
                                      • 17 Aug 2015

                                      It is not Nokia fail - it is Elop fail .Or he was a Trojan horse ?

                                        • C
                                        • Clinton
                                        • QKq
                                        • 17 Aug 2015

                                        No mention of the 3310????