+- Parapo Forums (http://www.ekitimi.com/Forums)
+-- Forum: PARAPO FORUM (http://www.ekitimi.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: TECH GUYZ (http://www.ekitimi.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=21)
+--- Thread: Nokia bounces back with Android smartphones (/showthread.php?tid=1551)
Nokia bounces back with Android smartphones - Mhiz Rebecca - 01-11-2017
Nokia-branded handsets are returning to the
market with the first announced device being a
$26 dumb phone complete with the classic
“Snake” mobile game.
Earlier this year, a company called HMD Global,
which is formed of ex-Nokia executives, acquired
the rights and intellectual property licenses from
the Finnish firm. This gives HMD exclusive global
brand licensing rights for the next 10 years.
Under the agreement, Nokia will receive royalty
payments from HMD for sales of every Nokia
branded mobile phone or tablet.
The first result of this deal is the Nokia 150 and
Nokia 150 Dual SIM – two feature phones
announced by HMD on Tuesday which will cost
$26. They are so-called “dumb phones” – without
internet connectivity.
HMD Global’s Nokia-branded device is expected
to go on sale in the first quarter of 2017.
Here are some of the features of the devices: FM
radio and MP3 player; 2.4 inch screen; Physical
keypad; Battery life – 22 hours of talk time and 31
days on standby
In a nod back to the classic durability of Nokia
phones, HMD said the devices are “built to last”.
The company has also pre-loaded “Snake Xenzia”
onto the phones, which should excite Nokia fans.
Both handsets will come in black or white, cost
$26, and will be rolling out in Asia-Pacific, India,
the Middle East, Africa, and Europe in the first
quarter of 2017.
As expected, the phone will run on Android, and
HMD has confirmed that it will ship with Nougat,
the seventh major version of Google’s operating
system. Unlike the Nokia Lumia range of Windows
Phone-powered handsets, using Android should
allow the brand to tap into the wide range of
third-party Android applications available on the
market.
Launching in China opens up a number of
interesting dynamics. Unlike the markets in
Europe and North America, the Chinese market is
one that is still going through its growth phase.
Re-establishing ‘brand Nokia’ is going to be easier
here than it would be in the saturated citadels
where Nokia once ruled.
There are still many emerging markets where the
Nokia 150 might find appeal, helped by the $26
price tag as well as the strong Nokia brand.
Nokia exited the phone business when it
completed the sale of the division to Microsoft in
2014. The U.S. technology giant failed to make the
acquisition work and has since wrote off its entire
purchase of Nokia and announced 7,800 layoffs,
mostly in the phone division.
Since that sale, Nokia has been focusing on its
crucial Networks division and new areas of
technology such as 5G Internet, virtual reality and
health care. For Nokia, this will help them earn
revenue without having to manufacture phones.