HMD Global, the company behind Nokia phones, has released devices in various segments from feature phones, entry-level phones, to flagships. But it looks like they won't be launching a new Nokia flagship phone anytime soon.
In an interview with Android Authority, HMD Global's Global Head of Product Marketing Adam Ferguson indicated the company had given up and would withdraw from the flagship phone market.
"Making a phone for $ 800 does not make sense to us at this time," said Ferguson, as quoted by the Android Authority.
He added that HMD Global did not want to engage in a 'specs war' with other vendors and preferred to take a different path.
HMD Global last launched the Nokia 9 Pureview flagship phone in 2019. This phone is expected to be Nokia's attempt to return to the premium mobile market it used to dominate.
Unfortunately, the Nokia 9 Pureview received a cold reception in the market, and rumors of a successor have always been followed by news of a delay. Since then, HMD Global no longer launches Nokia flagship phones.
After leaving the flagship market, HMD Global will focus on developing mid-range and entry-level Android phones, as well as feature phones. They want Nokia to be known as a mobile phone brand that lasts for years, is cheap, and has a long battery life.
This new strategy seems quite effective. HMD Global has made six quarters of operating profit since Q3 2020, and Q4 2021 was the most profitable quarter in the company's history.
HMD Global also has other plans to expand its business. One of them is by building another division that focuses on enterprise users. In addition, they also want Nokia to be the leader in the prepaid mobile phone market in the United States by the end of this year.
From there they will slowly develop their business in a direction that supports their main business. Whatever the strategy, hopefully HMD Mobile can keep Nokia from the death of both and avoid a fate like BlackBerry.