HMD Global says it has pulled out of the flagship race

07 March 2022
“Making an $800 phone doesn’t make sense for us at the moment,” said HMD’s Global Head of Product Marketing.

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This is smart. Nokia is capable of producing good phones and they have a solid name. In Kenya and other African counties, the markets are flooded with substandard Chinese phones, specifically Tecno, Infinix and Itel. These products have EXTREMELY lousy software and the hardware damages quickly too. If Nokia can produce quality midrange and budget phones at competitive prices, they may have a chance to grab a market share.

    Imo just excuses. Without a flagship, they will be buried under the Samsung and Chinese low-mid rangers. I'll say Nokia brand will go bye-bye in 5 years or less.

      I think their marketing strategy failed from day one. My mom was surprised to see my Nokia 7.2, she thought Nokia died back in 2007. Chinese phones are flooded in UK , from Xiaomi , OnePlus Oppo etc, though I like OnePlus . Nokia also flopped in James Bond Ad.

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        • Nickname optional
        • p6g
        • 08 Mar 2022

        Lol, which flagship they released? Actually, they never were in that race to begin with.

          HMD, please don't slap Nokia's name on your pathetic phones.

          Use your name instead.

          You are such a big disgrace to my beloved brand.

            It is not hard competing in flagship segment. Look do as Poco F1 or F3 did. Low price, best hardware. But issue is, HMD doesnt have the guts to use best harsware and putting up small price.

            Everyone says flagship is 800EUR +. Thats untrue, unless you want to rip of ppl. Tbh F3 is excellent phome, but since price is 430 EUR or so people thinks this is cheap.
            When u put Samsung XX and Nokia XX against each other with same high end SoC, they are already equally powerful, but Samsung costs 500 EUR and Nokia should be 300.

            And then you have flagship killer. U wont get flagship killer with mid tier soc.

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              • Adul Al Salami Kebab
              • gx$
              • 08 Mar 2022

              What flagship? YOU NEVER MADE ONE!!! Either way maybe you should focus on value branding instead and do like Xiaomi? :|

                Flagship is everything! Apple seems to be the only company capable that only flagship (flagship processors) still sells like hotcakes. I bought a Nokia 8 as an investment for Nokia's return to flagship and I was waiting for said new flagships with latest SD8 specs to replace my Nokia 8 back in 2019 but they just disappoint me over and over. No headphone jack, not using the time appropriate SD8 chip, everything.

                HMD Nokia shouldn't exist currently if they keep up with that...

                  • W
                  • Wayne Morellini
                  • 7sq
                  • 08 Mar 2022

                  Purview 9 was delayed with old processor and no multifocus video functionality and slow picture taking. It needed a custom processor for the multiple camera functionality, or at least the latest processor. If it had been released the previous year, fur tj Christmas period, it would have been better. It it had been released early that year, or the year before, better. The delays without upgrades were the issues.

                  Now, it is time for a mid range phone with high end custom camera chip. 8kp50/60 12bits+ 4:2:2/4:4:4 h266, ProRes raw, or braw. 200-240mp, full manual control of photo and video, and users assigned presets, press to auto, user assignable manual control buttons and user definable external USB and wireless controls. Twin+ USB 3.x with one setup for hot swappable SSD use. With external lens adaptor control through wireless or USB. 300mb/s h266 would give good 8k quality, which is good for a Stills Action Cam hybrid, where reasonable quality stills can be extracted from stills footage.

                  Using a horizontal external fold around format, it can fold up to an action cam like size for bike, helmet and surf.and other mounting.

                  That would be the best midrange and camera phone our there.


                  Then, you will have an ultimate camera phone.

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                    • AnonD-731363
                    • SH3
                    • 08 Mar 2022

                    Well my plans for buying successor of Nokia 9 purewiev are gone.
                    Feeling sad a little bit.
                    It could be best flagship of a year.
                    Stock android offered by Nokia is best.
                    While other companies like Samsung, or Xiaomi gives tons of bloatware which cost tons of disk space and ram Nokia gave us clear android experience purified from any evil UI, MUI etc. No bloaware which acted as a mandatory and couldnt be deleted.
                    I really dont understand why some brands have for example google chrome in their evices and then they have another internet app defined by UI like Samsung have for example.
                    Two things doing same is a complete waste.
                    Google chrome is great enough no need for another bloatware which does same.
                    If i ever wanted an internet app nothing is better than TOR.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • mXr
                      • 08 Mar 2022

                      Elop and Hmd too Nokia down the drainage dustbin
                      These 2 people need too be gone in the drainage and left there too root

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • 6wN
                        • 08 Mar 2022

                        Anonymous, 08 Mar 2022Yes, they improved a lot. They put a lot more bloatware too.You are lying. I use A52. It has less bloatware than my S6. One UI is very lightweight.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • P$b
                          • 08 Mar 2022

                          Where are the mid-rangers? Not in India for sure; XR20, which is an entry level phone with ruggedness is priced on par or above flagships. India truly deserves X20 and other similar lower mid-rangers.

                            • S
                            • S
                            • uvU
                            • 08 Mar 2022

                            Ajbumpben, 08 Mar 2022My advice to u get urself Nokia X10, I sold my 6.1 plus &am... moreI bought a nokia 6.1 plus despite people whining about defective charging port at half price . I have to say , it's better in all aspect from my last spec king realme u1. No more eye sore , updated , great organic camera , feels like holding a premium polished smartphone . Hmd at it's peak . Proud .

                            Bought nokia 4.2 after his realme 2 main board fried right after warranty period . Going strong for 2 years .

                              Whether folks like it or not specs sell phones and numbers make a difference when it comes to specs. 2 modern chips that spring to mind are the Snapdragon 480 and the 695. Both these chips may actually perform better in some areas to say the 720/732/750 but psychologically people will see 4xx and 6xx as inferior to 7xx simply because in people's minds the higher the number the better the performance regardless of how many times reviewers and manufacturers say otherwise. It's the same with screen resolution, if a phone has a 1080p screen and is cheaper than a 720p screen people gonna go for the cheaper phone with better screen. I think Nokia could attract people to consider their phones by simply putting in 1080p screens and using 7xx chips or even the 695 now. Unfortunately keep churning out what may well be decent handsets with the 480 chip and 720p screens costing more than Xiaomi/Poco/Realme etc with (on paper at least) far better specsheets and cheaper prices is not the way to succeed in the cutthroat smartphone business. Specs and price are crucial imo and Nokia don't seem to understand this sadly.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • n$4
                                • 08 Mar 2022

                                Anonymous, 08 Mar 2022They will eventually pull out themselves from smartphones m... moreMotorola has a better background than Nokia. Motorola is one of the first major players in android game back in 2008.

                                They brought many good phones to the market, HMD did nothing, not even one single phone worth to reminded.

                                  Other Chinese Company rebrand phones, give them new name, bringing back old phones with a Tag of New year, also big specs with bad performance, the only thing u get is fast charge which after 3/4 months ur battery become trashy y not hate on that. The only company phone have not regret using is Nokia phones, have switched & regretted it then go back to d Nokia. No hate, just use ur trashy brand & leave Nokia users with theres. Nokia ain't going anywhere, we will all b surprise...

                                    Nokia has always been known to make cheap phones. Were they ever known for flagships even during heyday during the 2000s? One of the most popular phones of all-time is the 3310. Not exactly a flagship when first released. The best selling cell phone ever is the Nokia 1100 at 250M. Their majority of sales comes from cheap phones.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • XWg
                                      • 08 Mar 2022

                                      They will eventually pull out themselves from smartphones market.
                                      Even motorola has managed to stay in the game.

                                        My advice to u get urself Nokia X10, I sold my 6.1 plus & 5(my wife) to get a Xaomi Note 9s & Redmi 8 (4G Ram) I almost die* using it, u will never regret using a Nokia phone even with a low specifications they are always better & point of corrections SD480 is an advanced SD750G & it beat SD750G in performance, they built Quality from phone to charger.. I don't know y all this hate... When u change ur 6.1 plus u will understand, I use X10 but I still want to get 6.1 plus