Following its surprise handset release at the end of CES and confirmation of three Android-powered handsets at Mobile World Congress, the return of the Nokia brand to the smartphone world continues with confirmation of a US release.
During MWC, parent company HMD Global announced three Nokia-branded handsets. The Nokia 3 is focused on converting feature phone users towards their first smartphone, the Nokia 5 is a slightly smaller and cheaper version of the Nokia 6, and the Nokia 6 itself will feature a SnapDragon 430, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5,5 inch 1080p screen and microSD support for extra storage.
The launch of these handsets in the US was confirmed on the Nokia Mobile Twitter account this afternoon in a reply to a query regarding availability.
@QQwill We're planning on a global release so yes they will be. Get the latest updates by registering at https://t.co/waNGfPppQ8
— Nokia Mobile (@nokiamobile) March 22, 2017
The team behind the new handsets has previously confirmed to me that these Nokia smartphones will run a ‘plain’ version of Android 7 and are expected to pick up Google’s regular security updates as quickly as possible.
What remains to be answered is the distribution strategy for the new handsets. The American market still leans heavily towards subsidised handsets which generally involves network customisation of software - a path that is opposite to the previously stated intentions. Although the Nokia name is a strong one parent company HMD Global is still effectively a start-up out of Finland with limited resources, supporting a US network campaign while launching across the rest of the world would be a risky move.
My suspicion is that a ‘direct to customer’ approach with SIM-free handsets on sale direct from HMD’s website will be the preferred option.
Now read about the smartphone strategy for the new Nokia handsets…
