What you need to know

• The new XploraOne phone by HMD removes social media entirely.
• Parents get full control, including the ability to approve contacts, restrict calls, and remotely review the device's photo gallery.
• Pricing isn’t confirmed yet, but it’s likely to align with Xplora’s wearable lineup.

Most parents have faced the tough moment when their child asks for a smartphone, and it feels like the only options are making them feel left out or giving them access to the whole internet. It’s a lose-lose scenario that HMD Global and Norwegian smartwatch brand Xplora are finally trying to fix.

Instead of cramming another budget Android device with TikTok-baiting features, the company has teamed up with Xplora to build a phone that tries the opposite approach. The new XploraOne drops social media entirely.

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Xplora has spent years making kid-focused wearables. But this is its first step into feature phone territory. The XploraOne offers core functions, supporting messaging, calling, location tracking, and a simple camera, without added games or app stores.

The camera setup on the XploraOne Mini is simple, though exact specifications have not been shared. The focus is safety: parents can remotely manage contacts, approve calendar changes, set call restrictions, review messages, and access the child’s photo library.

The XploraOne builds on HMD and Xplora’s growing partnership, picking up where the HMD Fusion X1 left off. That earlier device set the tone for the collaboration by baking strong parental controls into a subscription setup that gave families tighter, app-level oversight.

There is no official price for the new kid-friendly phone yet, but Xplora may aim for the same market as its wearables. Parents who’ve been hunting for a phone that doesn’t feel like handing over the keys to the entire internet may want to keep an eye on this.

What you need to know

• HMD Global is pulling back from the U.S., which means don’t expect any fresh Nokia phones anytime soon.
• If you already own a Nokia device, warranties and updates are still a go.
• HMD cites geopolitical and economic reasons for the exit.

If you’ve been holding out for a new Nokia phone in the U.S., you might be waiting a while. HMD Global, the company behind Nokia-branded smartphones, is shifting its focus away from the U.S. market, leaving fans wondering what this means for the future of the Nokia brand.

HMD Global told The Verge that it is scaling back its presence in the U.S., which could mean no new Nokia phones will be launching stateside anytime soon. The company reiterated that existing devices will still get support, meaning security updates and warranties will continue as promised.

The company is calling it “scaling back,” but it looks more like it's fully stepping away from selling phones in the U.S. It’s a quiet exit from a market HMD never quite managed to crack.

As it stands, all buy buttons are gone from HMD's product pages. You might still spot a few Nokia phones on places like Amazon, but those are probably just leftover inventories, and once they're gone, that’s likely it.

Tariffs took a toll

HMD blames its U.S. retreat on geopolitical and economic challenges, which is basically a polite way of saying U.S. tariffs made things too expensive to be worth it. Higher costs, thinner profits, and the market just wasn’t working in its favor.

The U.S. smartphone market is a tough battleground, dominated by big players like Apple and Samsung. HMD struggled to gain traction with carriers and consumers, despite Nokia’s nostalgic appeal. Meanwhile, the company may be refocusing on markets where budget and mid-range phones sell better.

Last year, it began moving away from the Nokia brand to focus on creating original devices and building new partnerships.

To be clear, HMD is not closing shop. Right now, it is focused on making sure the exit doesn’t leave customers or partners hanging. Warranties, support, and service are still on the table, backed by its global teams.

HMD took over Nokia’s feature phone business from Microsoft back in 2016, after Microsoft had its own go at reviving the brand in 2014. At the same time, HMD scored a deal to use the Nokia name on budget and mid-range phones and tablets. That licensing deal runs until March 2026.

What you need to know

• HMD Global, Android phone OEM and former Nokia licensee, allegedly plans to make two Wear OS watches.
• The HMD Rubber 1 could have a built-in 2MP camera, 400mAh battery, tap-to-pay, and health tracking with HR and SpO2.
• The HMD Rubber 1S would have a smaller OLED display and battery with no built-in camera or NFC, but still have 5ATM protection and Qi charging.

Wear OS has had a resurgence in recent years, bringing Android OEMs like OnePlus and Xiaomi back into the fold. Now, HMD Global — which has never made a Wear OS or Android Wear watch — may have two Android smartwatches in the pipeline.

Frequent HMD Global leaker @smashx_60 (via NotebookCheck) posted last Thursday that the company would launch the HMD Rubber 1 and HMD Rubber 1S, with both watches running Wear OS.

The Rubber 1 sounds like the premium model, with a 1.85-inch OLED display, 400mAh battery capacity, Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi support, NFC payments, HR and SpO2 sensors, and 2MP camera sensor. Given that display size, it most likely uses a squircle display, which would be a first for Wear OS.

We don't know what purpose this watch camera would serve, but given that Apple allegedly canceled its camera-embedded Watch in May, it's intriguing to see HMD take a shot at one. If it faces upward, it could support selfies, face authentication, or video calling; if it points outwards, it could take photos, though not with very good resolution quality.

We assume the HMD Rubber 1S is the budget model, with a 1.07-inch OLED display, 290mAh battery, Bluetooth 5.0, and no NFC or built-in camera. It does have an accelerometer for step counting and activities, with HR and blood oxygen data for (presumably) health and sleep tracking.

We don't have any leaked details on price, release date, or whether the HMD Rubber 1 would use the current Wear OS 5 or a different version. But the name "Rubber" implies that it may use rubber materials, possibly to make them durable enough to survive rough treatment from kids.

These HMD watches may target kids rather than adults

Notebook Check points out that Nokia partnered with Xplora, "a leading provider of smartwatches for children," last October. Their promised aim is to deliver "responsible and mindful devices for young people" and "introduce them to the world of technology in a safe and balanced way."

This is a growing focus for HMD, which also announced the HMD Fusion X1 phone for teens earlier this year. And when it comes to kids' smartwatches, many of our current favorites have either one or two cameras, most commonly a selfie cam for calling parents.

Normal smartwatches rarely need cameras. They need to sync with a phone to work, so why bulk up the watch with an inferior sensor to whatever's on your phone? But a kid may not have a phone yet, as a standalone watch is easier for parents to monitor and prevents too much screen time.

Google and Samsung announced Galaxy Watch for Kids earlier this year, adding a new version of Wear OS to the Galaxy Watch 7 LTE with dedicated "teacher-approved" kids' apps, activity monitoring via Google Family Link, and GPS-based location monitoring.

Perhaps Google will announce a more general "Wear OS for Kids," one that's designed to work with squircle displays — possibly similar to the Fitbit Ace LTE OS.

The leak didn't mention LTE calling, GPS geofencing, or other common kids' watch features, so it's not a guarantee that the Rubber 1 series targets kids. It's just the most likely possibility.

Whatever the target audience, we're just as fascinated by the idea of the first squircle Wear OS watch. Wear OS 6 shapes its content for rounded display edges; it wouldn't fit a square-shaped display. But if the HMD Rubber 1 has a 1.85-inch OLED display, that's far too large for any normal circular display, making a squircle most likely.

That would require a serious Wear OS UI redesign for Google. And if it pulls off this redesign for HMD Global, other OEMs like Samsung could use the squircle UI for their own watches, in theory.

I thought I could use a dumbphone for 24 hours as a working adult, but it turns out that's impossible in the modern era. However, I found that the vibrant HMD Barbie Phone is suitable for young children and pre-teen kids.

The Barbie Phone is basically a revamped version of the Nokia 2780 Flip, which is the best dumbphone on the market. Both devices are powered by KaiOS instead of Android, lack touchscreens, and have other limitations that categorize them as "dumb" phones. This isn't all bad, and you still get the basic functions of a mobile phone along with some perks.

The software limitations serve as excellent parental controls while still enabling communication between guardians and their wards. Since KaiOS is much lighter than Android, it doesn't need a ton of memory to run smoothly. This means that even with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, the Barbie Phone doesn't lag or stutter. You can always expand the memory up to 32GB via microSD later if needed.

Everything is vehemently pink

Children adore bright colors, so it's a given that the littles will love this overwhelmingly pink phone. HMD Global partnered with Mattel to deliver the funkiest, grooviest, and most fun packaging I've seen for a phone. The HMD Barbie Phone comes inside a pale pink velvet-lined box with a plethora of accessories.

Your kid can knock themselves out customizing their Barbie phone. There are stickers in the box, replaceable backs for the phone, a beaded lanyard, a handful of cutesy charms, and gems to bedazzle the device as well.

The wide range of accessories included in the set encourages children to express their individuality.

HMD Global includes a bubblegum pink USB-C charger and cable in the box, as well as a pink microfiber cloth for wiping the mirror on the front. That's right, the front of the flip phone has a real mirror with a tiny LED screen built-in. The screen showcases the time, charging information, and notifications.

Thoughtfully crafted design and software

While the Nokia 2780 Flip has the Kai Store with HTML5 apps like Facebook and YouTube, HMD Global intentionally omitted social media from the Barbie Phone, with the exception of an email app.

The reason for this, according to HMD Global, is to keep the device non-intrusive by removing distracting apps. You only get basics like calls and text messages, Wi-Fi, and LTE connectivity on the device, which is why I feel it's an excellent phone for younger kids.

Pre-teens whose parents feel they aren't ready for social media and instant connection with the world still need to be on the grid. The Barbie Phone enables that in a safe and seamless method. It's an excellent "first" phone for a child, preparing them for the responsibility of having a full-blown phone as well.

It's not a boring phone either, with plenty of engaging games, an FM radio, and a music player. There are useful pre-loaded apps like a clock, calendar, to-do list, and voice recorder. There's even a flashlight, a headphone jack, and a single 5MP camera that shoots amicable pictures.

There's a customizable Barbie button on the keypad, which opens the camera app initially.

Typing on the old school keypad takes some getting used to, especially for younger generations who never had to use such phones ever before. The pink plastic buttons are easy to click and you get the hang of it pretty quickly.

I'm glad that this concept lives on in dumbphones, reviving and sustaining the nostalgia of the physical numpad.

It's a small price to pay for a great quality product

HMD Global offers an insanely good price for the Barbie Phone. You can buy it unlocked for about $129.99, often discounted to $99.99 at various retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Buying it locked is a smart idea too, as the cell plan from most carriers is filthy cheap. The HMD Barbie Phone works on all U.S. networks, CDMA and GSM alike. Certain MVNOs like Consumer Cellular offer a great deal with plans starting at just $20 a month, which is super affordable.

Giving a full-blown smartphone to kids isn't a smart idea for countless reasons. More often than not, the cons far outweigh the pros, leaving parents to turn to alternatives like kids' smartwatches and dumbphones instead.

Few phones are built from the ground up with children in mind. Most brands take pre-existing models and tweak them to make them suitable for kids or teenagers by bolstering privacy and security, and adding stricter parental controls.

A lot of thought goes into choosing a phone for a child. If you're not keen on buying your 10 to 14-year-old an Android phone or an iPhone, the dumb HMD Barbie Phone is a fantastic choice. It maintains the right balance of connectivity, modernization, and limitation necessary for a younger child without taking the fun out of owning a phone.

What you need to know

• HMD launched its new Skyline phone to capture the Gen Z audience with an extreme camera focus.
• The device delivers a 6.5-inch pOLED display with Qualcomm's 2023 midrange chip and a 108MP main camera.
• The Skyline's front-facing 50MP camera features autofocus, eye-tracking, and "selfie gestures" to make memories easy to hold onto.
• The HMD Skyline will be available in the U.S. in August for $500.

HMD's next phone launch is here and lends its capabilities to the Gen Z audience looking to document their life through the camera.

HMD claims its Skyline smartphone is "more than just a pretty face" in its announcement blog post. The HMD Skyline struts its stuff with a sharp, rectangular shape and matte finish. Greeting consumers will be a 6.5-inch pOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate.

The screen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and offers a 20:9 aspect ratio.

HMD plugged Qualcomm's 2023 midrange Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC into the phone. Aside from that, Skyline's focus is on the camera and the features users will experience. Users will find a 50MP selfie camera, and HMD states that's where its Gen Z focus comes into play. With such strength, the front-facing lens includes autofocus and eye-tracking software to aid in capturing sharper pictures. 

For ease, the company states content creators won't need to press the shutter manually. The Skyline includes built-in "selfie gestures." Users can make the classic peace sign with their hands, which is reportedly one of three other hand signals one can make to snap a photo.

The matte back panel features a vertical triple camera array, which features a 108MP main sensor, a 13MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens with Capture Fusion Technology. The main camera comes equipped with a 50mm lens to give your portrait shots that lovely bokeh (blurry background) effect.

Additionally, users utilize the 4x zoom capability for up-close, crisp photos.

The HMD Skyline continues the European brand's stance on self-repairability. With that, the device makes repairs simple as it's the first to utilize HMD's second-generation tech. Essentially, users will find a 65% reduction in the steps it takes to pop out parts and snap in new ones.

The post states consumers will find a "screw-driven camshaft" to help speed up the disassembly process. After several screws and the display cable, users can remove the Skyline's screen and slot in a new one if the old one received damage.

Elsewhere, HMD highlights its "dumbphone" functionality, also known as "Detox Mode." Enabling this setting will block apps and contacts from disturbing a user whenever they need to unwind.

There's a lot to do, which is why the HMD Skyline features a 4,600mAh battery that is estimated to last 48 hours between charges. The Skyline is also the first Qi2-capable Android phone, as HMD states users can charge wirelessly at 15W. The company states that the battery should retain 80% of its maximum capacity through at least 800 full charge cycles. If something goes wrong, the Skyline's Gen 2 repairability is said to make it easy to replace the battery.

Holding your photos will be up to 256GB of internal storage, paired with up to 12GB of RAM. Users looking for extra space can grab a MicroSD card of up to 512GB.

Users can grab the HMD Skyline off the official page for a $500 starting price in the U.S. in August. The device offers two colorways: Neon Pink and Twisted Black.

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape. 

This week, the U.S. government signed a bill into law that could lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok, X plans to take on YouTube with its own smart TV app, Google revealed the I/O 2024 schedule with some news on the next major version of Wear OS, a major update to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses brings useful AI features, and HMD revealed its first non-Nokia-branded smartphones.

The jump to Wear OS 5

Read more here.

Google I/O 2024 is set for mid-May, and with it, we will hear a lot about what the company has planned for the upcoming year in terms of hardware and software. With the schedule now out, we have a glimpse of what will be discussed at the event, including the next version of Wear OS.

Wear OS 3 marked a resurgence for Google's Wear OS, and since then, the company has continued to make efforts to improve it. With Wear OS 5 now confirmed to be present at I/O 2024, it seems Google is ready to push to the next major version. This differs from the past few years when the platform went from Wear OS 3 to 3.5 and then to Wear OS 4. Now, like Apple's WatchOS platform, Wear OS will apparently start making early version jumps, which is a good sign for the platform.

What will we see? So far, there's not much to go on, but Google has hinted at some things, like an update to the Watch Face Format, which helps developers create more battery-friendly watch faces. But we'll have to wait and see what else we get when I/O starts.

TikTok could be banned in less than a year

Read more here.

It's finally happened. After years of battling the global phenomenon of TikTok, the U.S. government has issued a bill that is set to ban the app nationwide. After passing through the Senate and House, President Biden signed the bill into law, which gives TikTok owner ByteDance 270 days to sell the app, thus cutting it from its ties to the Chinese government. If that doesn't happen, then Google and Apple will no longer be able to offer the app within their respective app stores.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew has long defended the company, saying it has spent billions of dollars to protect American data. He took to the platform after the bill was signed, calling it "unconstitutional" and indicating that TikTok plans to fight back.

There is still plenty of time before the deadline, so this could go either way, but it doesn't look good for TikTok in the U.S., especially since ByteDance has reportedly indicated that it does not plan to sell the app.

Meta's smart glasses get even smarter

Read more here.

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are already pretty excellent, but Meta just dropped a huge update that brings more smarts to its glasses. The update now lets users engage in POV-style video calling via WhatsApp and Messenger, but that's not even the best part.

With the built-in camera and support for multimodal AI via Meta AI, owners of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses can now ask their glasses questions about what they're seeing. This includes translating menus, creating recipes, learning more about specific animals or buildings, and much more. It's like Google Lens on your face, and without having to pull your phone out of your pocket.

The update is only available in the U.S. and Canada, but it makes an already great pair of smart glasses so much better, notably as we wait for Meta's next AR glasses to debut sometime in the near-ish future.

X is going after YouTube with a TV app

Read more here.

For more X randomness, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, is preparing to launch a smart TV app. Why? Why not? X CEO Linda Yaccarino posted a short video on X showing off a bit of the app, which will be centered on video content, not unlike YouTube. She said the app will be your "go-to companion for a high-quality, immersive entertainment experience on a larger screen" and that it will feature trending videos, enhanced search, and AI-powered topics to help personalize the experience.

The app will also work across devices, so you should be able to start a video on your phone and continue it on your TV, or you can just cast videos from your phone to the TV if you prefer.

The app is still in the works, but it will apparently be widely available soon. Does it have what it takes to replace YouTube on your TV? Who knows.

HMD Global does its own thing

Read more here.

Nokia is getting pushed aside as the first HMD Global-branded phones were just launched. The company's new Pulse lineup consists of three phones that are offered in vibrant colors. The top model is the HMD Pulse Pro, although it offers roughly mid-range/budget specs, likely to keep the price down. It has an HD+ display with a 50MP dual-camera setup, a 5,000mAh battery with 20W charging support, and 6GB of RAM. The phone is powered by a Unisoc chipset and runs Android 14 with a promise of two OS upgrades (we're looking at you, Motorola).

The Pulse Plus and Pulse both also sport HD+ displays, 5,000mAh batteries, and 10W charging, but the Plus gets a 50MP camera, while the Pulse settles for a 13MP shooter. They use the same Unisoc chipset but with 4GB of RAM in addition to 128GB and 64GB of expandable storage for the Plus and Pulse, respectively.

All phones only support 4G connectivity, which is a little disappointing in 2024, especially for the first HMD-branded phones. The devices also aren't available in North America at the moment, but a separate HMD Vibe is set to arrive at some point at a very affordable price.

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• Major Google Pixel 8a leaks highlight features and software update promise
• We may know when the summer Galaxy Unpacked launch will happen
• Android 15 has a new dark mode switch with the same old problems
• The Vivo X100 series is making its global debut with impressive camera gear
• FCC votes to restore net neutrality and is set to begin regulating ISPs
• Rumored Pixel Tablet relaunch could finally bring long-awaited accessories
• Google really needs to launch a new Nest Hub Max, and it might just happen
• The Ayaneo Pocket S is incredibly powerful and incredibly expensive
• YouTube TV drops a new NFL Sunday Ticket deal to celebrate the Draft
• Galaxy Watch 7 rumor puts blood sugar monitoring back on the table

What you need to know

• HMD has debuted its first original lineup of phones under the "Pulse" series.
• The trio features the same Unisoc T606 CPU and Android 14. However, the Pulse Pro offers a set of 50MP cameras and a 5,000mAh battery with 20W fast charging.
• HMD launches its Pulse series in international markets, though the company plans to bring the "HMD Vibe" to the U.S. market.

HMD Global announces the launch of its "first original" trio of devices dubbed the Pulse series.

According to a press release, HMD states the new Pulse series is the beginning of its commitment to bring self-repairable devices to consumers. Under the "Gen 1 repairability" title, the company adds its partnership with iFixit should help users quickly find the parts they need if anything goes wrong.

The HMD Pulse Pro leads the trio with a 6.6-inch HD+ display. The back of the phone contains a vertical dual camera array featuring a 50 MP AF Dual camera and a 2MP depth sensor. HMD states consumers will find a Super Night and Tripod mode alongside Flash Shot and AI HDR.

The company adds that the Pulse Pro's AI Super Portrait mode should help reduce any blurring found during nighttime shots. The front of the device offers a 50MP selfie camera, as well.

Powering the device is the Unisoc T606 CPU. Additionally, consumers can grab 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone supports microSD expansion of up to 256GB.

HMD packed a 5,000mAh battery into the Pulse Pro, which is estimated to last up to 59 hours and is capable of 20W fast charging. Android 14 will greet users out of the box. HMD states it has committed to providing the device, and the rest of the series, with two years of OS updates.

The HMD Pulse Pro will be available soon in international markets in Glacier Green, Twilight Purple, and Black Ocean.

For the HMD Pulse Plus, consumers will see the same 6.6-inch HD Plus display with a 90Hz refresh rate as the Pulse Pro. However, the Pulse Plus comes with a lower 8MP front-facing selfie camera. The device's sleek back panel contains a vertical dual camera array with a 50MP AF Dual Camera and a depth sensor to help "snap quality pictures with ease."

Interestingly, HMD has kept the same Unisoc T606 CPU for the Pulse Plus, like its Pro sibling. Internally, the device will offer 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and up to 256GB of expandable storage via microSD.

Those interested in the HMD Pulse Plus will find the same 5,000mAh battery inside, though it features slower 10W charging capabilities.

This model is available now in Apricot Crush, Midnight Blue, and Glacier Green.

The last of the trio, the HMD Pulse, remains the same in terms of CPU and display capabilities. The smallest sibling differs with its dual camera array as the device offers a 13 MP AF Dual camera. The front selfie camera remains the same at 8MP.

HMD has packed the same battery as the Pulse Plus inside the vanilla model with 10W charging and an estimated 59-hour runtime.

The base model drops slightly for memory and storage as HMD puts it up with 4GB of RAM and only 64GB of internal storage. The device still retains its microSD slot, capable of holding up to 256GB of extra storage.

Much like the Plus model, the HMD Pulse is available now for international markets. Consumers can find it in Dreamy Pink, Meteor Black, and Atmos Blue colorways.

While HMD's initial trio of devices are only for overseas countries, the company informed Android Police that it will bring one to the U.S. While specifics weren't given, it was stated that U.S. consumers will receive the "HMD Vibe," a play-off the HMD Pulse and Pulse Plus models. The device will reportedly go for $149 whenever it finally arrives.

What you need to know

• At MWC 2024, HMD Global formally introduced its new path forward as it becomes "HMD" (Human Mobile Devices).
• HMD announced it is bringing a Barbie Flip Phone to the market this summer, alongside the return of an "iconic" Nokia phone.
• The company is also focusing on improving the repairability of smartphone screens and launching its first "HMD" branded device later this year.

HMD Global is moving forward with its 2024 ambitions of simply becoming "HMD" (Human Mobile Devices) as its MWC 2024 kicks off with several teasers.

According to a press release, the company made good on its interest in expanding its partnerships, which is why the company stated it's working with Mattel to create a Barbie-inspired flip phone. Interested consumers will find a boost of nostalgia as the device is said to be a "retro" flip phone that breaks the norm of Android phones.

The Barbie flip phone is said to launch this summer.

Additionally, HMD teased that Nokia isn't gone (just yet). As the brand shifts into its "Human Mobile Devices" era, consumers will "continue to see Nokia phones, and we will bring back an iconic phone this summer." The company adds that "new brands" are on the horizon this year, as well.

MWC 2024 also held HMD's new primary goal, which is "about making phones that are affordable, beautiful, desirable, and repairable." Specifically, the Finnish brand is targeting the repairability of smartphone displays, effectively "reducing the number of steps it takes" to fix one.

James Robinson, HMD vice president of Europe, Americas, and Enterprise, stated, "We’re excited to make that process as easy as possible, starting this summer."

The new process HMD referenced will likely become clear during its formal announcement later this year. Moreover, the company hopes to achieve this goal without asking too much from consumer wallets.

For HMD's smartphone ventures, it looks like it's eyeing this summer to launch it. Consumers are said to be looking for a device that "is a platform for innovation" as HMD works to make technology more accessible around the world.

Early February held HMD's teasers for its plans in 2024 alongside its efforts to create its own "distinct" line of devices. It was also during that time that HMD mentioned it was looking to collaborate and secure "several licensing partnerships." The company stated it was done creating more Nokia phones. However, its MWC announcement seemingly shows its interest in returning an old device to the modern age.

Meanwhile, HMD's phone leaked as we got an alleged look at a rendering of the device's matte black finish and dual camera array.

What you need to know

• HMD Global begins to tease 2024 as the "year of Human Mobile Devices" as it looks to create original devices and new partnerships.
• CMO of Nokia Phones and HMD, Lars Silberbauer, confirmed as much in a LinkedIn post, stating that HMD is moving into its own "distinct" line.
• A previous leak has potentially spoiled what HMD has in store, but it's unclear whether the device is mid-range or budget.

HMD Global is seemingly moving on from Nokia, which could be for good this time.

The company's latest press release teased 2024 as the "year of Human Mobile Devices" (via Android Police). HMD states it will continue to create "phones that are tough, fun, secure, fast, and affordable." This makes one believe HMD is moving Nokia to the backseat as it quickly glances over the iconic line stating, "we're still makers of Nokia smartphones and Nokia 'dumbphones.'"

The company follows it up by saying, "but we're gearing up to bring you even more, including original HMD devices, and phones from all-new partnerships."

Lars Silberbauer, CMO of Nokia Phones and HMD, stated in a post on LinkedIn, "While we've been known as the makers of Nokia phones, our vision extends beyond this legacy."

He added, "We're transitioning from being a licensee to becoming a multi-brand company with our own distinct HMD brand product line, complemented by several licensing partnerships and significant brand collaborations we're itching to unveil at MWC later this month."

So, truly, it appears that HMD Global is done with crafting more products for its Nokia line. However, the company's post states users can continue to lean on them for technical support "right through their warranty periods." HMD Global is also keeping its existing line of Nokia phones, tablets, and accessories available for purchase on its website.

It's not the first time we're of HMD's departure from Nokia's brand, as a report from September suggested a "new portfolio" of devices is on the horizon. The primary difference in this report is that HMD was previously assumed to create its own devices and Nokia's simultaneously. That no longer seems to be the case with what's reported now. Moreover, HMD will still own Nokia's license until 2026.

As the company looks forward to 2024, a leak from January showed its first phone is ditching Nokia branding right on cue. Supposed renderings of HMD's new phone showed a matte black design, a flat display, and a rectangular dual camera array.

Its specifications are still a mystery but it's speculated that the device could fall within the realm of a budget or mid-range device.

What you need to know

• HMD Global, the company behind Nokia, could debut its first-ever self-branded smartphone this year.
• A sneak peek of the upcoming HMD smartphone has surfaced through leaked renders.
• The leaked images showcase a black matte back, flat display, and a distinctive rectangular camera bump housing dual rear cameras.

HMD Global seems to be preparing its first self-branded smartphone, and thanks to a leaked image, we've got a sneak peek at this new phone brand.

According to 91mobiles, the phone seems to feature a flat screen, a pinhole selfie camera, and a slick matte black finish on the back with two rear cameras. It also looks like the phone is made from plastic, and who knows, HMD might launch this handset in some other colors too.

HMD snagged the Nokia brand rights back in 2016 and has been churning out Nokia phones ever since. But in September 2023, HMD CEO and Chairman Jean-Francois Baril revealed that the company was working on its very own smartphone brand. The latest leak seems to suggest that HMD's plan is now taking shape.

As seen in the image above, the phone rocks HMD's logo at the back, just to make it crystal clear that it's not your run-of-the-mill Nokia device. The material appears to be plastic, which is a solid bet that this could be a budget or mid-range device. As for the specs, well, they're still under wraps at the moment.

Last November, eagle-eyed folks at GSMChina spotted two HMD-branded phones on the IMEI database, labeled N159V and TA-1585. However, chances are, those model numbers might just be for the same phone, playing the field with different digits for some regional differences.

As per 91mobiles, HMD may introduce its first self-branded phone in April, and India is supposedly one of the first markets to receive it. But it's not stopping there. According to leaker Evan Blass, Verizon is hopping on the bandwagon, which means this phone is hitting store shelves in the United States (via PhoneArena).

Beyond the basic design, it's a closed book. But it's a strong indication that HMD's breaking free from Nokia's nest, and this phone could be its first solo flight. Whether it soars or stalls remains to be seen.

What you need to know

• The company behind Nokia phones is making a "new portfolio of HMD branded mobile devices."
• HMD Global will make Nokia phones and HMD phones simultaneously, plus other unnamed "partners." 
• HMD obtained the Nokia license in 2016 but only has access to it until 2026, unless a new agreement is signed.  

HMD Global CEO Jean-Francois Baril announced on Monday that the company would establish its own HMD brand of smartphones. HMD is best known for its Nokia-branded phones, but now it wants to make a bigger name for itself within the Android community.

In his LinkedIn announcement, Baril explained that his company would produce HMD and Nokia phones in tandem. He did not give a timetable but mentioned in a comment that we "will be hearing very soon about [their] launch."

In addition, Baril hinted that HMD would work with "other partners" to produce phones. We don't know yet who these partners are, but the post emphasizes HMD's expertise in the European market, which may indicate where these phones will sell. 

HMD Global acquired the Nokia license in 2016, after Microsoft sold off its smartphone business and lost access to the brand. Since then, HMD started off with a wide range of Nokia phones with Android One software and fast updates, including the experimental Nokia 9 Pureview camera phone, before slowly transitioning its focus to budget Android phones and tablets.

Although long-time Android fans associate the Nokia name with excitement and innovation, HMD's time with the brand has had no shortage of controversies. Part of the blame goes to Google, which could never deliver the speedy updates that the Android One program promised. 

When HMD itself failed to update the Pureview to a promised Android 11 update and then "gave up" on flagships for budget fare in 2022, it pushed a lot of former Nokia customers to other brands.

HMD Global has ownership of the Nokia license through 2026. It's possible that the company could extend this license, but this latest move suggests that (at the very least) HMD is covering its bases in case it cannot, building brand awareness with consumers instead of remaining tied to another company's name.

In the meantime, HMD will still continue to make phones like the recent Nokia G22, a sub-$200 phone that was designed to be easily repairable by consumers. 

What you need to know

• HMD Global announced the Nokia G22 at MWC 2023. 
• This is a new budget phone coming to the market designed with repairability in mind. 
• The company partnered with iFixit to provide tools and guides on how to repair the Nokia G22. 

Mobile World Congress 2023 is coming to a close, but there's one device that still has us decently excited. The Nokia G22 has largely gone under the radar, considering there were plenty of foldables and concept phones that stole the show.

There's a very good chance that the Nokia G22 could be the phone that ends up selling the most. It's not that the specs will blow you away or anything, or that the G22 does something that the rest of the best cheap Android phones don't. But it's immediately apparent that the focus here is on sustainability and repairability. 

HMD Global actually went so far as to partner with iFixit, in order to provide tools, guides, and the necessary parts so you can repair the G22 if something breaks. As it currently stands there are four different guides, walking you through the steps to replace the Back Cover, Battery, Charging Port Assembly, and Screen Assembly.

It's not so much that every phone should be able to be repaired by the person who owns it. But when a new phone is launched, and the parts are readily available, we can't help but think that it's another win for the "right to repair" initiative.

There aren't very many smartphones on the market that make repairs easy, with the only notable option being the Fairphone 4. And that's kind of the market that the Nokia G22 is entering, and the company aims to extend this easy repairability to future phones.

But the Nokia G22 has a bit of a better chance to succeed given that the Fairphone 4 is priced just below $600. Meanwhile, HMD Global is launching the Nokia G22 with a retail price of $179. 

That being said, this is still a budget-friendly phone, and while repairs are possible, they might be a bit too much for some. For example, if you want to replace the Nokia G22's screen, the iFixit guide is comprised of a total of 39 different steps. But on the bright side, you won't need to worry about needing a specialized heat gun to remove the adhesive. 

Of course, this isn't going to make waves in the same way that a similar phone made by Samsung would. But we're all for new devices that can be repaired, as one of these might just catch on and spark the change the market needs.

•  Phone deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Samsung | Amazon | Verizon | AT&T

What you need to know

• HMD Global says it is no longer interested in competing with rivals in the flagship smartphone segment.
• The company plans to stay focused on making entry-level and mid-range devices that offer great value for money.
• HMD Global hasn’t launched a new flagship phone since 2019.

If you’ve been holding out hope for a Nokia flagship phone, you might be disappointed by HMD Global’s plans for the premium segment.

Speaking to the folks at Android Authority, Adam Ferguson, head of product marketing at HMD Global, said, “Making an $800 phone doesn’t make sense for us at the moment.” He added that the company doesn’t “want to get involved in a massive spec war with other players.” Instead, it wants to “stand for something very different.”

HMD Global is currently focused only on making competitive entry-level and mid-range devices that can give the best budget Android phones a run for their money. 

The Finnish brand is also hopeful of performing well in the U.S. smartphone market. As per Strategy Analytics, HMD Global aims to be the No.1 brand in the U.S. prepaid smartphone market by the end of the year.

While the strategy may be a little disappointing for Nokia fans, it is helping HMD Global make more money and boost its smartphone shipments. Data from Strategy Analytics shows the company’s smartphone shipments have seen decent growth since the first quarter of 2021. 

In Q4 2021, HMD Global shipped 3.2 million smartphones globally, up from 2.8 million during the same period a year earlier. The company’s smartphone revenue grew 41% YoY during the October to December period, setting a new record.

The Nokia 9 PureView, which was unveiled in February 2019, was the first and only "proper" flagship phone that HMD Global released. It now looks like a successor to the phone may not arrive anytime soon. 

What you need to know

• During CES 2022, HMD Global announced four new smartphones: the Nokia G400 ($239), Nokia G100 ($149), Nokia C200 ($119), and Nokia C100 ($99).
• The G400 is the only 5G model, and has a surprising 120Hz refresh rate and 6GB of RAM.
• It also plans to release a new clamshell flip phone, the $79 2760 Flip.
• All of these new phones will release in the first half of 2022.
• In an interview with Android Authority, the company acknowledged its failings with the Android 11 rollout.

Most recent Nokia phones have fallen into the $300-or-less category, offering simple software and competent specs at an affordable entry point. Phones like the Nokia G20 and Nokia X100 have made a good impression.

In 2022, it looks like HMD Global will double down on the budget smartphone category, releasing phones almost anyone can afford and partnering with more carriers. At CES 2022, HMD Global announced two new midrange "G" phones and two ultra-cheap "C" phones.

Breaking down Nokia's early 2022 lineup

The most promising model is the $239 Nokia G400. It will have a 6.6-inch FHD+ display and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is something many mid-range phones and basically all budget phones lack. With a 48MP main sensor, a robust 5,000mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, it's perfectly respectable for this price range.

It'll also support 5G connectivity — somewhat rare for this price point — and will work with some new carriers (Dish Wireless and Consumer Cellular) in addition to HMD's usual partners (T-Mobile and TracFone). And it'll likely ship with Android 12 out of the box.

We don't know yet what chip it will have, but the G400 sounds remarkably similar to the X100's specs, another $250 phone. $40 more expensive than the G20, cheaper than the G50, and around the same price as the X100, the G400 exhibits just how convoluted Nokia's naming schemes have become. Still, it's an intriguing phone we're looking forward to testing.

Meanwhile, the $149 Nokia G100 will downgrade to a 6.5-inch HD+ screen and 4G connectivity but retain the same 5,000mAh battery. We don't have other specs yet, but at this price point it'll likely have just 4GB of RAM and a slower refresh rate. Both the G400 and G100 will release sometime in the first half of 2022.

Nokia also announced the $119 C200 and $99 C100. Of the two, the C100 seems more intriguing, thanks to a compact 5.45-inch screen for people who prefer small phones. It'll have truly budget specs, from an 8MP main camera to a 3,000mAh battery, but could easily number among the best Android phones under $100 when it launches in Q1 2022.

As for the C200, it'll have a 6.1-inch display and 4,000mAh battery, making it a more traditionally sized budget phone.

We don't know yet how many updates these phones will receive or which chipsets they'll use, but are cautiously optimistic about them. Recent Nokia phones have tended to include welcome perks like expandable storage, 3.5mm headphone jacks, Google Assistant buttons, and dual SIM support. These features found at such low prices would be a perk many Android users will appreciate.

Nokia is also releasing a new feature phone in Q1 2021, the 2760 Flip, targeted mainly towards seniors.

Acknowledging past mistakes

In an Android Authority interview, HMD CMO Stephan Taylor acknowledged how poorly it handled Android 11 updates last year.

One of the slowest OEMs to update its phones, Nokia Mobile frequently fell behind its promised roadmap for updates and failed to deliver a promised update to the Nokia 9 Pureview.

"We did have not as much success with the Android 11 rollout, and I think we've learned from that," Taylor said.

According to Android Authority, Taylor attributed their slow rollout to the fact that Nokia "wasn't part of the Android 11 beta program" and on its "wide device portfolio." It's fair to say that Nokia released a boatload of phones in 2020 and 2021, which likely made it difficult to speedily deliver updates to all of them.

Compared to previous years, Nokia's announced phones all fall into a budget category where most other companies rarely deliver timely updates. That puts less of a time crunch on HMD, while also making it easier to create software that works on all its phones all at once.

"As we move forward, certainly on the global perspective, we've got a more focused level of device, and we're already in the beta program with Android 12," Taylor says. Given that we've already seen Android 12 stable builds for the X20, X10, and G50, it's fair to say that HMD's rollout this year has been much smoother.

Since HMD Global acquired the Nokia Mobile brand in 2016, its smartphone business has mostly stood on three legs: affordability, clean and secure software, and speedy, reliable updates. If you take away one of those legs, a stiff breeze could send its business tumbling, with budget brands like Motorola — or major OEMs with budget phones like Samsung — eager to fill the gap.

With the news last week that the Nokia 9 PureView wouldn't receive Android 11 — the second of two promised updates for a flagship phone — HMD Global has broken trust with its loyal customers. And it needs to approach 2022 like it has something to prove.

"Smartphone updates have been the cornerstone of HMD's value proposition basing it on the vanilla Google Android experience," says Counterpoint Research's VP of Research, Neil Shah. "Deviating from this core promise especially for the flagship could hurt the brand's mindshare which it has built up."

Last year, we didn't expect Nokia phones to have any issues with updates. It couldn't live up to the promise of Android One and match Pixel speeds, but Nokia did always manage to update phones more quickly to the latest OS than any competitor. Counterpoint noted Nokia was the fastest brand to update all its devices to Android 9, then led its software "trust rankings" in 2020.

But then Android 11 arrived and cut off Nokia's claim to fame at the knees. Its roadmap made promises that the Finnish company couldn't keep. Its 2020 flagship, the Nokia 8.3 5G, didn't roll out until February. Meanwhile, most phones' updates were pushed back several months into the summer and fall of 2021, leaving Nokia well behind every brand except Motorola.

Nokia 9 ≠ Nokia XR20

Then, of course, there's the Nokia 9 PureView. We weren't impressed with it at launch, and in hindsight, you might have questioned whether the 2018 Snapdragon 845 SoC could handle Android 11 in 2021 with reliability. But we certainly didn't expect a $700 phone only to get one OS update like a cheap Motorola phone.

In its explanation, HMD Global said that "incompatibilities between the camera and the software would have led to a compromised experience that does not meet our high standards." As an apology, it will offer current PureView owners 50% off a Nokia XR20 through late March in 2022. Or you can stick with Android 10 since it'll still receive security updates for the next couple of years.

Look, I reviewed the Nokia XR20 and gave it 4.5 stars. It's a great rugged phone with decent performance and cameras, clean software, and nice intangibles like a 3.5mm jack and Google Assistant button. Plus, it will (supposedly) get updated to Android 14, giving it some longevity.

But even if HMD treats it like a flagship, it isn't one. It has the same Snapdragon 480 5G chipset as the $250 OnePlus Nord N200 5G. Even with 6GB of RAM, it's mid-tier at best; the $500 price is based on its ruggedness more than its performance. And even if the Pureview's five cameras turned out to be a weird gimmick, they still take RAW photos that will trump whatever the XR20 has to offer.

I don't know of another example of an Android OEM failing to deliver on a promised update for a flagship phone, so I don't have a point of comparison on apology gifts. But for die-hard Nokia fans to receive a $250 coupon off a thick phone with slower performance as a consolation prize for a blatantly broken promise is kind of a joke.

Shah agrees that HMD's gesture wasn't an "effective" one. He suggested a better option would be to buy back the Nokia 9 once it released a proper flagship. Of course, this is predicated on a Nokia flagship arriving anytime soon, which isn't a given.

The worst possible time to slip up

The real issue is that Nokia's trademark update reliability is failing while every other OEM is investing heavily in software support. Over the last year, Google released its Tensor chip with five years of security updates, Samsung will give all of its phones three OS updates, and other OEMs like OnePlus and Xiaomi will offer three OS updates on flagship phones.

As OEMs emulate Nokia's speedy software update strategy, with much more distinctive software skins and features, Nokia phones are languishing with old stock software for months.

I want to believe Nokia will course-correct this year. But it's December, and Nokia has yet to release an Android 12 roadmap for its phones. It began testing the developer beta on the Nokia X20 in September, but has yet to launch it publicly on any other Nokia phone.

At the moment, HMD Global seems to be emulating Motorola by releasing a ton of cheap, similar phones while avoiding throwing weight behind a true "flagship" that would have to compete against the big fish. Several Nokia 2021 phones use the same Snapdragon 480 5G chipset; you won't find any flagship Snapdragon 800s, or even mid-range 700s, in these phones.

In theory, it could do worse than emulate the #3 U.S. smartphone vendor. There are some obvious issues with this strategy, though.

Motorola barely updates its phones, so it can afford to go quantity over quality in a way Nokia can't. It has clearer branding, too. You know what you're getting when you buy a Moto G Power vs. a Fast or Stylus; but does anyone outside of HMD know why an X20 has better performance than an X100? Vague numbers don't inspire brand loyalty.

And while Motorola also uses clean Android software, it does add unique gesture controls to open your favorite apps, which makes its phones more distinct to use.

The biggest issue, of course, is that Motorola lucked into a bigger market share after LG's exit from the smartphone industry, rather than benefitting from a genius strategy. So if HMD Global follows the Moto playbook, it may not be thrilled with the result.

How to fix this mess

Nokia Mobile still sells over 40 million feature phones per year. But for smartphone sales, it comprises less than 1% of the current market share, selling about half the smartphones that it did even a couple of years ago.

If HMD Global doesn't want its PureView debacle to be the nail in the coffin for its smartphone relevance, it needs to do more. Since most smartphone brands prioritize flagships and take about six months to update their cheap phones, Nokia could double down on updates and try to push them out on its cheap phones well before the competition. Or, it could try to release another proper flagship to try and drum up some excitement.

Shah believes they should release a "premium" flagship — but it won't be that easy, requiring "differentiation and investment in R&D for the camera, material design, display, battery technologies, etc., which has been elusive and has been heavily dependant on ODMs." Most current Nokia phones have very similar designs; something as unique as the Nokia 9, executed better, could help the brand make an impression.

Otherwise, Shah believes Nokia can "counterbalance this snafu" by the strength of its brand and Finnish team while pushing out more trademark mid-range phones. But it has its "work cut out to pivot" to a new "value proposition" that isn't dependent on fast, boring software updates.

Whatever it does, HMD Global and Nokia Mobile need to find a way to convince people that the PureView's premature end was an isolated incident, not a worrying sign of things to come. Otherwise, there's no way its phones will make a serious dent against the best budget Android phones that offer better software, prices, or speed.

What you need to know

• Nokia is launching six new smartphones today, four of which are part of new lineups.
• The X-series brings 5G smartphones to an affordable price point, and the G series offers extended battery life.
• The new smartphones will start arriving globally later this month at a starting price as low as €75 ($86).

Since its return to the smartphone market, Nokia has made some of the best cheap Android phones on the market thanks to HMD Global. The designs may not stand out like the Lumia days of yore, but Nokia's smartphones often feature very sturdy builds, inoffensive designs which you can see in devices like the Nokia 5.4. That continues with Nokia's latest launch, which introduces six new smartphones and two new smartphone series, all of which offer great value, impressive battery life, and years of updates.

Nokia X-Series

Nokia's new X-series represents the cream of the crop in Nokia's new mid-range smartphone offerings. Both the Nokia X10 and X20 offer visually identical designs with 6.67" FHD+ hole-punch displays, quad-camera systems with Zeiss optics, and striking colorways. Both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480, enabling 5G connectivity at some of the lowest price points.

Both smartphones differ in their camera specs; the Nokia X10 comes with a 48MP main sensor, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP depth sensor, and 2MP Macro camera, whereas the Nokia X20 bumps up the main camera to a 64MP sensor. Configurations for the Nokia X10 include 6/64GB, 4/128GB, and 6/128GB models, and the X20 will be available in 6/128GB and 8/128GB configurations. Nokia touts two-day battery life for both smartphones, and they'll run Android 11 out of the box with three years of software and monthly security upgrades.

The Nokia X10 will be available in Forest Green and Snow colorways this June, starting at just €309. The Nokia X20 will be released this May in Midnight Sun and Nordic Blue colorways, starting at €359.

Nokia G-Series

The new Nokia G-series may be a step down from the X-Series in terms of specs, but what these new phones lack in power, they apparently make up for in battery life. The company claims that the 5050mAh battery found in the Nokia G10 and Nokia G20 will provide up to three days of battery life. Both phones come with a 6.5" HD+ teardrop display and up to 4GB of RAM.

The G10 features a 13MP triple camera array, 32/64GB of expandable storage, and the MediaTek G25 chipset. The G20 steps things up a bit with a 48MP quad-camera setup, 64/128GB of storage, and the MediaTek 35 chip. Both phones will be eligible for two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security updates.

Both the G10 and G20 will be available this month starting at €139 and €159, respectively, meaning anyone looking for the best Android phones under $200 might want to consider either model. The phones will be available in the Night colorway, while the G10 will also come in Dusk and the G20 will come in Glacier.

Nokia C-Series

Nokia is refreshing its C-series lineup with two new additions, the C10 and C20. Both devices feature HD+ displays that clock in at 6.5", 5MP cameras on the front and back, and 3,000mAh batteries. The Nokia C10 is 3G only and will come in 1/16GB, 1/32GB, and 2/16GB configurations. The C20 is a little more capable with LTE connectivity and 1/16GB, 2/32GB configurations.

The Nokia C10 will launch in June in Light Purple and Grey colorways starting at €75, and the Nokia C20 will launch this month starting at €89 and in Sand and Dark Blue colorways. If anything, these are decent options for anyone looking for the best phones for kids. Unfortunately, there's no mention of OS upgrade eligibility, but they will get two years of quarterly security updates.

Lastly, HMD Global is launching the new Nokia Lite Earbuds with an in-ear design, Bluetooth 5, and up to 36 hours of total playtime. The earbuds will also be available this month in Charcoal and Polar Sea colorways and will retail for just €39, making them a good option for anyone looking for the best cheap wireless earbuds.

What you need to know

• HMD Global may soon start working on its own custom Android skin.
• The company is hiring a "User Experience Designer."
• Nearly all Nokia-branded phones from HMD Global run stock Android UI currently and are part of the Android One program.

HMD Global is among the few smartphone makers that still offers devices that are part of Google's Android One program. According to a new report from XDA Developers, however, that may soon change.

HMD Global is hiring a "User Experience Designer," which suggests the company may be looking to create a custom skin to differentiate its phones from other Android OEMs. Currently, all of the company's phones offer a stock Android UI. Its best Android phones also happen to be part of the Android One program, which guarantees two major OS upgrades and security updates for up to three years.

The job description on LinkedIn doesn't reveal a lot of information, but notes that the UX/UI designer be responsible for "user interface elements like menus, tabs, and widgets." Since the company doesn't explicitly mention anything about a custom skin, there is a possibility of HMD Global looking for a designer to revamp its first-party apps.

Even if HMD Global is indeed planning to create a new UI for its phones, it could still continue to release Android One devices. Some of Motorola's Moto One series phones, which are part of the Android One program, also come with a fair bit of customization on top.

The clean software experience is one of the key selling points of Nokia phones right now, and ditching it in favor of its own skin could potentially be a really bad idea.

What you need to know

• Juho Sarvikas, former CPO of HMD Global, has announced his departure from the company.
• Sarvikas spent 15 years at Nokia, helping push Symbian phones, transitioning to Windows Phone, and helping with Nokia's resurgence to the smartphone industry.
• His departure will come at the end of April, after which his plans are unknown.

Nokia has been through a lot these past 15 years. From its rapid decline from the top to its transition to an exclusive Microsoft partner, only for the mobile business to get swallowed up and quickly dismantled into nothing. Now, as the company continues to build itself back up as a major Android OEM, Nokia is losing one of its most esteemed employees. Juho Sarvikas, the Chief Product Officer and Vice President of North America at HMD Global, has just announced his departure from the company via Twitter:

Juho was a major part of Nokia's business for the past 15 years, starting as a product manager behind the Nokia E61. He eventually helped launch Symbian phones like the Nokia Nuron in North America and led the U.S. launch of Lumia Windows Phone devices with the Nokia Lumia 710. He then went onto Microsoft for a brief period after Nokia's mobile division was acquired, before eventually ending up back at Nokia via HMD Global.

As the Chief Product Officer at HMD Global, he helped reintroduce Nokia to the smartphone industry and is often seen at device launches. Nokia now makes some of the best cheap Android phones on the market, like the Nokia 5.4, thanks to great design and clean software. His departure comes as the company focuses its efforts on reemerging as a top Android OEM. Sarvikas has not stated what he plans to do after he leaves the company next month.

This is the second major executive departure from an Android OEM within the past week, with Kyle Kiang leaving OnePlus this week amid the OnePlus 9 going on sale.

What you need to know

• HMD Global is holding a launch event on April 8th.
• The company is expected to launch new phones, including a Nokia G10.
• HMD Global could also announce its first true flagship since the Nokia 9 Pureview.

HMD Global is holding an event to launch new Nokia-branded phones in April. The event will be held on the 8th, at 3 PM GMT. It's likely to be a virtual event given the current global clime, so we can also expect a live stream.

Given that it's a Nokia mobile event, one could expect the company to launch new Android phones. Rumors lead us to expect a Nokia 9 Pureview and Nokia 7.2 successor to debut last year, but those phones failed to materialize. It is possible that they do so at this event.

In lieu of those, HMD is also said to be considering a revamp of the Nokia phone branding. A Nokia G10 could be the first phone to launch, according to NokiaPowerUser, alongside two new X-series phones codenamed Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. The G10 is speculated to be a rebranded Nokia 5.4 just based on the spec list, while the X-Series phones aim just a bit higher. They'll compete with the upcoming A52 5G for a place as one of the best cheap phones 0f 2021, so it'll be interesting to see how they stack up upon release.

April 8 is only weeks away, so we don't have long to wait before Nokia spills the beans all of its own volition.

Nokia 8.3 5G

The Nokia 8.3 5G pairs 5G and stock Android with the company's slick hardware design. The device has a lot of promise with its quad-camera setup, slick Pixelworks screen, and Snapdragon 765 but the $699 price may cause some to bulk when rivals like the Nord are compared.

• $549 at Amazon
• £289 at Amazon

What you need to know

• HMD Global today announced the Nokia 8 V 5G UW.
• It's an mmWave version of the Nokia 8.5 5G which launched in the U.S. in October.
• You'll be able to buy this phone from November 12 for $699 when it launches.

HMD Global today announced the launch of the Nokia 8 V 5G UW, its first affordable flagship for Verizon. Based off the Nokia 8.3 5G, the phone follows a similar template as many affordable flagships we've seen all year like the Pixel 5 and the LG Velvet. It's got a nice big 6.81-inch FHD+ screen, a powerful Snapdragon 765G SOC, and a quad-camera system for taking quick photos.

Software-wise, despite not being part of the Android One program, it still provides the same exeriences as its non carrier counterpart. Which means you'll get a clean build of Android that's very close to Pixel phones with 24 months of support. Sadly it ships with Android 10, but an Android 11 update is expected shortly.

Source: HMD Global

Commenting on the launch, Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer and Vice President North America, HMD Global, said:

Brian Higgins, SVP - Device and Consumer Product, Verizon, added:

The Nokia 8 V 5G UW will go on sale for $699 on November 12. It'll also ship in a Meteor Gray colorway that's distinct from the Polar Night HMD Global is selling elsewhere.

HMD Global makes excellent smartphones, but the company has struggled to make waves in the high-end market. It's tried with the Nokia 8 Sirocco, and again with the Nokia 9 Pureview, but none have really caught on. The Nokia 8.3 isn't going to be that phone that grabs eyeballs in the same way the Lumia 1020 did back in its day, but it's moving HMD Global and the Nokia brand away from being a strictly "cheap" brand, and that's worth something.

Nokia 8.3 5G

The Nokia 8.3 5G pairs 5G and stock Android with the company's slick hardware design. The device has a lot of promise with its quad-camera setup, slick Pixelworks screen, and Snapdragon 765 but the $699 price may cause some to bulk when rivals like the Nord are compared.

• $599 at Amazon
• $699 at Verizon

What you need to know

• HMD Global has shared the timeline for its Android 11 rollout.
• The Nokia 8.3 will receive the update first, followed by the Nokia 2.2, Nokia 5.3, and Nokia 8.1.
• Nokia's 2019 phones will get the Android 11 update in Q1 and Q2 2021.

Google released Android 11 a month ago, and while we haven't heard from HMD Global about when Nokia phones will be updated, the Finnish manufacturer shared the Android 11 rollout schedule. The first set of Nokia phones will receive the Android 11 update before the end of the year, with older devices scheduled to make the switch to the latest version of Android in Q1 and Q2 2021.

Android 11 rollout schedule for Nokia phones

HMD Global will roll out the Android 11 update in four waves. The first wave of devices will get the update later this year and extending into Q1 2021, and include the Nokia 8.3 5G, Nokia 2.2, Nokia 5.3, and Nokia 8.1. Here's the full breakdown:

Nokia Android 11 first wave (Q4 2020 - Q1 2021)

• Nokia 8.3 5G
• Nokia 2.2
• Nokia 5.3
• Nokia 8.1

Nokia Android 11 second wave (Q1 2021)

• Nokia 1.3
• Nokia 4.2
• Nokia 2.4
• Nokia 2.3
• Nokia 3.4

Nokia Android 11 third wave (Q1 - Q2 2021)

• Nokia 3.2
• Nokia 7.2
• Nokia 6.2

Nokia Android 11 fourth wave (Q2 2021)

• Nokia 1 Plus
• Nokia 9 PureView

A key differentiator for HMD is the fact that its phones run Android One, making them eligible to receive timely updates. So in that context, it is puzzling to see that the Nokia 7.2 won't get the update until the end of Q1 2021 — six months after the release of Android 11.

Basically, if you want a guaranteed update to Android 11 on a Nokia phone before the end of the year, the Nokia 8.3 5G is your best option. That phone is now available for $699, but if you're spending that kind of money, you may as well get the Pixel 5, which also costs $699 on Amazon. The Pixel 5 launched with Android 11 and is guaranteed to receive three Android version updates.

Google Pixel 5

The Pixel 5 features a 90Hz OLED panel and a Snpdragon 765G chipset with Sub-6 and mmWave 5G connectivity. You also get 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, all-day battery life with 15W wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, and the best cameras you'll find in this segment.

• $699 at Amazon
• $699 at Best Buy
• $699 at B&H Photo

Have you listened to this week's Android Central Podcast?

Every week, the Android Central Podcast brings you the latest tech news, analysis and hot takes, with familiar co-hosts and special guests.

• Subscribe in Pocket Casts: Audio
• Subscribe in Spotify: Audio
• Subscribe in iTunes: Audio

What you need to know

• HMD Global is said to be planning a phone launch in November.
• The company is said to be announcing the Nokia 9.3 Pureview there.
• It may also launch the 7.3 5G, the successor to the well-reviewed Nokia 7.2 at that event.

HMD Global is set to announce the Nokia 9.3 Pureview this November, a report from NokiaPowerUser claims. The company has not released a flagship phone in over a year, despite updates to more affordable phones in the meantime.

Alongside the Nokia 9.3, the company is also said to be announcing a new Nokia 7.3 5G powered by the Snapdragon 690, the same processor said to be shipping with the U.S. model of the OnePlus Nord.

The Nokia 9.3 is said to be the true Nokia 2020 flagship, coming with the Snapdragon 865 SOC, up to 8GB of RAM, a 6.3-inch QHD+ pOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and 5G support.

As of late 2020, the company hasn't had much luck with flagships. Neither the Nokia 8 Sirocco nor the Nokia 9 Pureview has been successful either critically or commercially. Rather, its low and mid-range phones have been the ones to find success. It's not a surprise that the company recently announced a slew of them at an event last week, alongside the global availability of the Nokia 8.3 5G. Perhaps this rumored phone may break that poor streak.

Nokia 8.3 5G

The Nokia 8.3 5G pairs 5G and stock Android with the company's slick hardware design. The device has a lot of promise with its quad-camera setup, slick Pixelworks screen, and Snapdragon 765 but the $699 price may cause some to bulk when rivals like the Nord are compared.

• See at Nokia

What you need to know

• HMD Global will present a "great new line-up" of Nokia phones next week.
• It's expected to launch the Nokia 7.3.
• Rumors floating around say that HMD may not announce the Nokia 9.3 at that event.

HMD Global is announcing new Nokia smartphones next week, the company shared on Twitter. It'll be hosting a virtual event on September 22nd, teasing not just a new line-up of phones but a "very special guest."

As for what could be coming, there are a few guesses. The Nokia 8.3 was announced a couple of months ago, next week would be a good time to announce availability. HMD Global has yet to bring successors to the Nokia 7.2 and 6.2, those could also be on the cards. Rumors from Nokia Anew already indicate that the company plans to announce a Nokia 7.3 on that date, with an announcement of the flagship Nokia 9.3 being pushed back to year-end. On the other hand, the company did announce the Nokia 8.3 5G months ago and has yet to release it to customers, so there's a precedent already set for an extended announcement to retail lag.

In any case, even in HMD's event doesn't whet your appetites, Google has another event coming up just after that for the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G. OnePlus is also said to be preparing for the release of the OnePlus 8T. No matter your budget, it seems that now's a good time to be looking for a new Android phone.

What you need to know

• HMD Global has raised $230 million as part of a recent funding round from big-name investors including Qualcomm, Google, and longtime partner, Nokia.
• The company is now valued at over $1 billion.
• HMD Global expects to launch 5G phones in the latter half of 2020, including the Nokia 8.3 5G.

Google, Qualcomm, and Nokia were among companies that invested $230 million into HMD Global as part of a Series A2 funding round, the company announced today. It will use this investment to fund the development of further 5G devices as the new standard becomes commonplace. The company also confirmed to VenureBeat that it was now valued at over $1 billion.

HMD Global has been making Nokia phones on Google's Android One platform since 2017, The lineup has included including loved models like the Nokia 7 Plus, unique ones like penta-lens Nokia 9 Pureview, and yet-to-be-released ones like the Nokia 8.3 5G.

Speaking to Reuters, Chief Executive Florian Seiche differentiated its Android One offerings from Google's Pixel products, saying: "Google is delivering a similar experience on its own Pixel range, and we are a perfect complement to their own initiatives. They're focused on fewer selected geographies and channels; we are much broader and also present in emerging markets."

2020 hasn't been kind to either Google or HMD Global, the latter has seen sales decline in Q1 2020 as a result of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Nokia 8.3 set to debut in just a couple of weeks, HMD Global thinks sales will rebound, noting that demand had already resurged in June. "We believe the second half of this year will see a broader set of 5G phones in the market, and we believe the true mid-tier range will probably be in the first half of next year," Seiche told Reuters.

Nokia 7.2

The Nokia 7.2 is the nicest midrange Nokia phone being sold right now, and one of the best Android One phones on the market as well. Its elegant nordic design, clean software, and decent cameras make it a budget offering worth considering.

• $344 at Amazon
• $299 at Best Buy
• $347 at Walmart

What you need to know

• The Nokia 8.3 has made an appearance on Amazon Germany.
• It's an indication that the phone's release date is closer than we may have thought.
• Nokia announced the phone was coming in summer 2020 for €599.

The Nokia 8.3 is Nokia's first 5G phone for 2020, and despite an announcement in March, it has yet to make a debut. But there are indications that the launch date is coming closer and closer. Spotted by the folks over at Love Nokia, Amazon Germany now lists the Nokia 8.3 5G. It doesn't go so far as to offer a price or a release date, it's just an addition of the upcoming phone to Nokia's pre-existing slate.

Nevertheless, Nokia did promise the phone would be released in summer 2020, and we're either already in summer or three days away from it depending on what you subscribe to.

The Nokia 8.3 5G is shipping with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765, a processor that's proving to be popular with smartphone OEMs who want to ship decently powerful phones without paying the Snapdragon 865 tax. Camera-wise, it's coming with a 64-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with large 1.4-micron pixels, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera to wrap it up. Shipping with Android One as all Nokia phones do, you'll find a bloat-free version of Android 10 on this.

When it launches, it'll be priced at €599 with Clove in the UK already listing at £499.

Best Nokia Phones in 2020

What you need to know

• HMD Global is working on an affordable 5G smartphone powered by Mediatek's 800-series.
• The phone is set to sit somewhere on the mid-range of the company's smartphone line-up.
• HMD Global has already launched (but not released) its first 5G smartphone in the Nokia 8.3.

HMD Global is rumored to be building a 5G phone powered by Mediatek's Dimensity 800 Series SOC. It will be one of the firm's first wallet-friendly 5G phones even as prices balloon past the $1000 mark.

The report comes from Nokiapoweruser (via TechRadar) and pegs the Mediatek-equipped phone as one of HMDs mid-range phones (think the Nokia 6 or 7 series of phones.)

"[W]ith the 800 series 5G chipset family, we are bringing 5G to the mid-tier and mass market," said TL Lee, head of MediaTek's wireless business unit when the series was announced at CES. "Everyone should have access to great technology. The Dimensity 800 Series will power the New Premium segment for 5G, bringing consumers flagship smartphone features and performance at mid-range price points."

HMD Global has seen sales struggle as it competes with other affordable phones from Google, Xiaomi, and Motorola in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and a fleet of 5G equipped handsets could be a differentiator before the wireless standard becomes the norm. That being said, the rumored phone is reportedly slated for a launch in early 2021 (with the slim possibility of a late 2020 launch), so the market landscape may have changed by then.

HMD Global has already announced the Nokia 8.3, albeit months ahead of availability. If its Nokia 7.3 or 6.3 ships with a chip that's almost as good, all other things being equal, the company could see another affordable midranger that stands out as much as the 2018 Nokia 7 Plus.

Nokia 6.2 review: This $250 phone is surprisingly good

What you need to know

• Android 10 has finally reached the Nokia 1 Plus.
• It's one of the first Go Edition handsets to receive the update.
• The first wave of updates is scheduled to run through May 4th.

HMD Global is now rolling out Android 10 (Go Edition) to the Nokia 1 Plus, after similar updates hit phones like the Nokia 3.2, 4.2, and 6.2 this month.

Besides the typical Android 10 features, Android 10 (Go Edition) is a more secure version of Android Go, with Google's Adiantum encryption now built-in. Phones will also get faster, as Google notes that devices running on Android 10 (Go edition) can launch apps 10% faster than before.

Not all Nokia 1 Plus users will get it at once, the update to Android 10 will come in waves. The first wave will be hitting the following regions: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen.

HMD plans for 50% of those regions to have the update by May 2nd, with 100% of them receiving it by the end of May 4th. Future waves have yet to be announced at time of writing.

Here's when your Nokia phone will get the Android 10 update

Nokia's commitment to Android One means all of its phones feature a clean interface with no bloatware. Nokia's devices make up a vast majority of Android One phones, and although one of the benefits of owning an Android One device is fast updates, that hasn't been the case so far.

While Nokia rolled out the Android 10 update to six devices by January 2020, a bulk of its phones are starting to get the update just now. Nokia revised its Android 10 update schedule earlier this year, delaying the update for several phones.

Overall, Nokia is updating 21 devices in its portfolio to Android 10. Here's the status of Nokia's Android 10 rollout:

List of Nokia phones already on Android 10

• Nokia 9 PureView: December 2019
• Nokia 8.1: October 2019
• Nokia 7.1: December 2019
• Nokia 7 Plus: January 2020
• Nokia 6.1: January 2020
• Nokia 6.1 Plus: January 2020
• Nokia 2.2: Rollout started (April 22)
• Nokia 2.3: Rollout started (April 22)
• Nokia 3.2: Rollout started (April 9))
• Nokia 4.2: Rollout started (April 9)
• Nokia 6.2: Rollout started (April 28)
• Nokia 7.2: Rollout started (April 1)
• Nokia 8 Sirocco: Rollout started (April 15)

If you're on the Nokia 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 4.2, 6.2, or the Nokia 8 Sirocco and don't see the Android 10 update just yet, hold tight. These updates are rolled out in phases, and it usually takes a few weeks for everyone to receive the OTA.

List of Nokia phones waiting to get the Android 10 update

Nokia has committed to delivering the Android 10 update to most of its older devices in Q2 2020 The update should be rolled out to the Nokia 5.1 Plus sometime in May, with other phones in this list set to follow shortly thereafter. There's no tentative timeline just yet, but if the April rollout is any indication, most of the devices on this list should be updated to Android 10 by June:

• Nokia 5.1 Plus
• Nokia 3.1 Plus
• Nokia 2.1
• Nokia 3.1
• Nokia 5.1
• Nokia 1
• Nokia 1 Plus

Nokia had its share of issues during the rollout, with the Android 10 update causing a host of issues on the Nokia 7.1, with basic features like calling and Wi-Fi connectivity disrupted for several users. Nokia 6.1 users also saw Wi-Fi issues after making the switch to Android 10.

And while Nokia has done a decent job delivering platform updates to budget devices in its portfolio, it hasn't been as diligent when it comes to rolling out regular security updates. The manufacturer has committed to delivering quarterly updates for most phones, and although that's still better than most brands, it doesn't quite live up to the promises of Android One.

What you need to know

• HMG Global is updating the Nokia 2.3 to Android 10.
• The phone was slated to receive the update back in Q1 2020, so the company is a little behind schedule.
• It's rolling out in multiple countries as a 1GB download

The $129 Nokia 2.3 from HMD Global did not ship with Android 10 out of the box, despite launching in the U.S. nearly five months after the OS' launch. While the phone was slated to receive the update sometime by the end of March, HMD Global's revised schedule pegged the 2.3's rollout to sometime between Q1 and Q2 2020. And right on schedule, the update is now rolling out worldwide.

Nokia's support pages further clarify that the update will be staggered in waves. The first wave covers 40 countries, all the way from Armenia to Yemen. Most of the countries listed are in Europe or Asia. The U.S. is noticeably missing. You can check out the full list here.

10% of the countries will be updated today, with HMD expecting the full rollout to be complete by April 26. It hasn't stated when Wave 2 will roll out, though, hopefully, it won't be too long after the April 26 conclusion of the first wave.

What you need to know

• HMD Global has introduced a global roaming data SIM card called HMD Connect.
• The SIM card works in 120 countries across the globe and offers plans starting at €9.95 ($10.7).
• You can activate your SIM and manage bundles using the HMD Connect App, which is now available to download from the Play Store.

HMD Global introduced the Nokia 8.3 5G, Nokia 5.3. and Nokia 1.3 smartphones at its online-only event held in London earlier today. In addition to the new phones, the Finnish company has also announced HMD Connect, a global roaming data SIM card, which it claims can help you save up to 70% on roaming charges.

The HMD Connect data SIM lets you stay connected when roaming in more than 120 countries. To get started, you will need to shell out €19.95 ($21.5) for the starter kit. The starter kit includes a SIM card, along with 1GB of data valid for 14 days. If you want more than one SIM, you can get additional starter kits for just €10 per kit.

HMD Connect plans start at €9.95 ($10.7) with a validity period of 14 days. For that money, you get between 250MB to 1GB of data, depending on your location. In case you run out of data before the expiry of the plan, you have the option of pay-as-you-go renewal at €5 ($5.4). These upgrades, however, do not extend the 14-day validity period.

You can activate your SIM and track your data usage in real-time with the HMD Connect app. The app can now be downloaded from the Play Store.

HMD Connect

HMD Connect lets you stay connected in over 120 countries around the world, with data packages starting at €9.95 for two weeks.

• €19.95 at HMD

What you need to know

• HMD Global has released a revised schedule for updating its phones to Android 10.
• Updates for the Nokia 3.2, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.1 Plus, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 1 Plus, and the Nokia 8 Sirocco have all been delayed to sometime in Q2 2020.
• The schedule also clarifies the timeline for the Nokia 2.3, Nokia 7.2, and Nokia 6.2, which weren't available at the time of the first schedule.

One of the biggest draws of HMD's phones is the software support. With nearly every phone in the company's lineup in the Android One program, the company promises two years of software support for all of them. Heck, it even decided to extend support for some of its earliest phones to one more year beyond what it initially promised.

And while it's making good on those promises, and even updating some of its lowest-cost phones to Android 10, it's doing so at a much slower pace than it previously promised. The new schedule, posted by the company's Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, is now as follows:

It shows off the phones the company has already updated, most of these being its latest and highest-end models. Unfortunately, however, Q1 2020 is going to see only one model, the Nokia 2.2, updated. All of the other phones that the company had previously promised to update during this period have now been delayed to either sometime between Q1 and Q2 or to Q2 2020 itself. Sarvikas lays some of the blame on COVID-19, much like Xiaomi did for its own stumbles with Android updates.

For comparison, here's the previous update schedule that the company released in August 2019 below:

The new schedule also clarifies HMD's plans for the Nokia 7.2, Nokia 6.2, and Nokia 2.3, which had not yet been released when the first roadmap was made available. All three phones are expected to be updated in the aforementioned buffer period between Q1 and Q2 2020.

Best Nokia Phones in 2020

What you need to know

• HMD Global has opened pre-sales for the Nokia 2.3 in the U.S. on Amazon.
• The new handset will set you back $129.
• Like the Best Buy release before it, It ships in only two colors, ditching HMD's Cyan Green for just Sand and Charcoal shades.

After launching exclusively on Best Buy last month, the Nokia 2.3 has now landed on Amazon, available for pre-order towards the 9th of February for the same relatively inexpensive $129.

For the price, you're getting a pretty decently specced handset. You'll see a 6.2-inch HD+ screen with a small waterdrop notch, face unlock powered by the 5MP front-facing camera, a dual-camera at the rear for portraits, and a Google Assistant button for those who want quick and easy access to the service.

Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global said:

The Nokia 2.3 won't replace your Pixel 3a or Moto G, it's aimed a bit lower than that. For people who just want a solid Android experience and don't care too much about specs and having the best photos, HMD's a tempting option.

What you need to know

• The next Nokia flagship is reportedly the Nokia 9.2 Pureview.
• It will launch after June 2020.
• The smartphone will ditch the Nokia 9 PureView's approach, and position itself as a Nokia 8-esque affordable flagship.

HMD Global's adoption of the Nokia brand started off great with the Nokia 8, 8 Sirocco, and then the 7 Plus. Since then, the firm has been treading water, putting out phones that have been pretty good on paper, but not all that great or competitive in real life. The firm reportedly deferred from launching its next flagship and pushed it later down the line to avoid repeating those mistakes.

As per NokiaMob, HMD Global is making a few changes. First, the headphone jack isn't coming along with Nokia's next phone - not shocking considering the Nokia 8 Sirocco dropped it. The firm will be adding a Snapdragon 865, a potentially bezel-less display like its newer mid-range phones, and a 32/48 MP front-facing camera. To flesh this report out, NokiaPowerUser says that HMD Global is considering pricing this in line with the Nokia 8, a phone which was cheap for what it offered.

Finally, it'll be dropping the fancy camera sensors from the Nokia 9 Pureview for a more conventional Toshiba lens. It'll still be a camera focused phone like most Nokia flagships, it'll just be taking a different approach than the previous one.

As these are rumors, it's important to take them with a grain or two of salt. A flagship phone by HMD Global that plays to its strengths would be fantastic. The firm has had all the right ingredients to make a good stock Android phone that could trade blows with Google's Pixel line. It's only due to the firm's habitual snatching defeat from the jaws of victory that it seems too good to be true.

HMD Global hasn't made a good phone in 2019. That doesn't bode well for the Nokia brand

What you need to know

• HMD Global has opened pre-sales for the Nokia 2.3 in the U.S. on Best Buy.
• The new handset will set you back $129.
• It ships in only two colors, ditching HMD's Cyan Green for just Sand and Charcoal shades.

HMD Global is bringing its visually arresting new budget phone, the Nokia 2.3, over to the U.S. It's starting pre-sales this week at Best Buy, with Amazon coming next week.

For $129, HMD Global is handing you a 6.2-inch HD+ display, a waterdrop notch, and a tall 19.9 display ratio. There are your table stakes dual-camera setup with a 12MP main shooter and a 2MP depth sensor for portraits. The firm is also throwing in Recommended Shot, a feature that captures images before and after the shutter button is engaged and recommends the best one. It's a lot like the Google Pixel's Top Shot.

Other notable additions include a dedicated Google Assistant button, face unlock with the 5MP selfie camera, and a massive 4,000 mAh battery.

Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global said:

The Nokia 2.3 sadly won't ship with Android 10 out of the box. Nokia says it's an Android 10-ready phone and it's also in the Android One program, so you probably won't have long to wait.

What you need to know

• HMD Global is bringing back the Nokia C-series with Android Go.
• The first phone is the Nokia C1, aimed at emerging markets.
• Its specs are on par with the pre-existing Nokia 1 Plus.

HMD Global has announced the launch of the new Nokia C1 .This is a revival of the C-series line the firm used to sell back before the rise of the smartphone. Aimed at the EMEA region, the Nokia C1 will reportedly retail from KES 6,000 ($59) in Kenya. Specs-wise, it's exactly what its price would suggest. You'll find 1GB of RAM paired with a MediaTek processor, 16GB of storage with a micro-sd option, and a 5.4" FWVGA+ display. Power-wise, there's a 2,500 mAh battery with a Micro-USB charger. Both sides of the phone feature a 5MP camera with LED flash and machine learning to squeeze out the best from the cameras.

It's all driven by Google's Android 9 Pie Go Edition with a Google Assistant button. It's not a device aimed at western audiences, and it's more like the Nokia 1 Plus — intended as a step-up from feature phones for users in developing markets.

HMD Global's portfolio is a large and rapidly growing one. The company aims to capitalize on the Nokia brand by bringing cheap and cheerful devices paired with the occasional flagship. The Nokia C1 is just a continuation of that strategy.

HMD Global has been making Android phones under the Nokia brand for over two and a half years now, and in that time it has established itself as a favorite among those seeking a clean Android experience. HMD teamed up with Google early on, committing to Android One on all its phones. Doing so allowed Nokia to get up and running without investing too much time and resources into making its own skin, leaving more time for launching new devices.

The brand has been busy during that time: HMD has launched 25 Nokia-branded Android phones to date, and while a few were re-branded variants for global markets, that is a lot of phones in just over 30 months. HMD has largely focused on the budget segment in emerging markets like India and China, two countries where the Nokia name still has a strong pull. While some Nokia phones made their way to the UK and U.S., the brand's primary focus continues to be on Asian markets.

HMD has launched several great products over the last two years, but it looks like that initial momentum has dried up. There haven't been any noteworthy devices this year aside from iterative updates and a flagship that doesn't quite work. That's in stark contrast to last year, when HMD rolled out the Nokia 7 Plus and followed it up with the Nokia 8.1.

The Nokia 7 Plus was one of the best phones of 2018. It showcased HMD's best traits — classic industrial design, great internal hardware, and clean Android — and was a clear indicator of the brand's resurgence under Android. It's no wonder, then, that the device sold remarkably well in the markets where it was available. The fact that it wasn't officially sold in the U.S. was a travesty.

HMD launched the Nokia 8.1 soon after, switching to a glass design and updated internal hardware. But it has been nearly a year since the launch of the Nokia 8.1, and we're yet to see a decent mid-range option that builds on the Nokia 8.1. HMD instead unveiled the Nokia 7.2 earlier this month at IFA, with the phone running the same Snapdragon 660 chipset as the Nokia 7 Plus.

Sure, HMD's strategy hasn't been about offering the most robust specs — just like Google — but making the most out of that hardware. Still, there's no excuse for launching a phone at the end of 2019 with a chipset that's nearly three years old, when the competition is fielding flagship-level hardware in the same segment. HMD needs to follow up and deliver a device that can take on the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus. Being a bit-part player just doesn't cut it anymore, and the Finnish manufacturer needs to take a good look at its strategy going forward.

HMD as a company needs to succeed because there aren't enough manufacturers focusing on Android One. Xiaomi rolls out one device a year, but no other brand offers anywhere close to the range of devices running Android One as HMD. With Motorola fading into obsolescence, HMD Global is now the flag-bearer for the Android One program. If you need a budget phone with clean Android, Nokia phones are the default choice.

That's why it's so frustrating to see HMD continue to roll out iterative updates. Its big bet with the Nokia 9 PureView didn't pay off, and it now feels like the brand is content to just rehash older designs with little to no changes. That is a disservice to the Nokia name — a brand that has long been associated with some of the boldest designs we've seen over the decades. Sure, some of those devices failed to hit the mark, but at least Nokia was willing to experiment, and more often than not it found a winning formula.

That's what HMD needs to deliver: it already manages to stand out on the software front; now it needs to rekindle some of that hardware brilliance that made the Nokia name great.

What you need to know

• The Nokia 3 V is headed to Verizon exclusively for $168.
• It features a big 6.26-inch HD+ display, Snapdragon 429, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.
• It will be available for purchase starting August 26 at select Verizon stores or online.

Update August 26:

The day has come and the Verizon exclusive Nokia 3 V is now available. Head into a Verizon store near you or check it out online to get your hands on this new Nokia post paid phone.

On August 20, HMD announced a brand new budget-friendly phone called the Nokia 3 V exclusively for the Verizon network. The new handset features a huge screen, two days of battery life, Android 9 Pie, and a $168 price tag.

Despite the $200 price, the Nokia 3 V comes packed with features. Some of its highlights include a 6.26-inch HD+ display, face unlock, two days of battery life, and a dedicated button for Google Assistant.

With the Google Assistant button, you'll be able to get instant access to the AI at any time. In fact, there are three different ways to access Google Assistant with the button. After pressing it once, Google Assistant will pop open ready to answer all of your questions, give directions, set a reminder, an alarm, or much more.

Double pressing the button will give you an overview of your day in the Assistant screen, with personalized info such as upcoming appointments on your calendar or bills that need to be paid. The final way to use the Google Assistant button is by long-pressing it, which will keep it active until you release for asking long questions.

Under the hood, the Nokia 3 V is powered by a Snapdragon 429 processor, 2GB of RAM, and features 16GB of storage. There is also a notification light incorporated into the power button on the side.

Besides having decent specs and some extra features thrown in, there is one area that Nokia phones really stand out, and that's software support. For many budget-level phones, updates are out of the question. However, Nokia stands behind its hardware, and is guaranteeing a year and a half of monthly security updates along with two OS upgrades.

That's impressive for most flagship phones, let alone a sub $200 budget device. This ensures that your phone will continue to stay secure, as well as get all the new features in future OS updates.

The Nokia 3 V goes on sale officially on August 23, 2019, for $168 from Verizon. It will be available in Blue and can be purchased in select Verizon stores or online through Verizon's website for $7/month for 24 months on a Verizon device payment plan.

What you need to know

• HMD will store all device data from Nokia phones at a Google Cloud facility in Finland.
• The Nokia 4.2, Nokia 2.2, and Nokia 3.2 are the first devices to make the switch.
• Older Nokia phones will be migrated with the Android Q update.

HMD Global came under intense pressure earlier this year after it was discovered that a few Nokia 7 Plus units "mistakenly" sent device data to China. HMD has apologised for the error, and is now taking measures to ensure it doesn't happen again.

HMD has announced that it is moving its data collection center to Europe for improving device security and providing a better customer experience for Nokia users. The phone activation and performance data for all Nokia phones going forward will be stored at the Google Cloud facility in Hamina, Finland.

This change aims to add additional levels of security and privacy. HMD plans to make use of Google Cloud's advanced data analytics and consultancy firm CGI´s data science expertise to deliver better data security. This move also ensures that the data collected by Nokia devices will be covered by EU data privacy guidelines under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2 and the Nokia 2.2 will be the first Nokia phones to start storing data at the new center, with HMD noting that data from older Nokia devices will be migrated following the Android Q update later in the year.

HMD Global's chief product officer Juho Sarvikas also mentioned that the move will allow the brand to deliver updates faster:

Recently, the Nokia 7 Plus — the best phone from the new HMD-owned Nokia by far — was found to be sending private data from a Norwegian user's phone to a remote server in China. It seems that every time the phone was turned on, unencrypted data containing Henrik Austad's location, the SIM card number, and the phone's serial number went flying through the tubes to a Chinese server. HMD Global says this was an "error in the packing process of software" and that it has been fixed.

This may be the most recent case of such a "mistake" but it's not the only one. Most notably, OnePlus was found to be doing the same thing in a beta build, and also fixed things pronto. We're glad the companies involved provide quick fixes, but how in the hell does this sort of "mistake" happen?

China has laws, too

For starters, collecting and sending the data isn't a mistake. The software was written this way on purpose and the data being collected and sent to China is supposed to be collected and sent to China. Just saying "it's a mistake" makes it sound like a software engineer somewhere screwed up while writing the code.

Where the screw up really happened is when the software was built for markets outside of China. The Chinese government requires users of mobile devices to provide this information every time they are being used. When you light up your screen, the Chinese version of Big Brother wants to know where you are and it does so by tracking the hardware by location. The debate about how horrible and overbearing this sort of law is aside, the people who wrote the OS for phones like the Nokia 7 Plus were required to do this and it sounds like they have done a good job.

If a company were to try and sell a phone that doesn't comply with these laws, it would face the wrath of the Chinese government. So would the software engineers who didn't include the "feature". It's no wonder why it's done for phones made and sold in China.

Norway is not China

Henrik Austad doesn't live in China. He wasn't visiting China when he noticed this, and most likely the phone in question hasn't been back to China since it was assembled. There is no reason for this data to be collected at all, let alone sent off to the Chinese government. So why did it happen?

When the Chinese-made Nokia 7 Plus was built for other markets, it required a bit of software modification. Support for Chinese-specific network tech like TDMA can be removed, Mandarin is no longer the default language, and certain apps are removed or changed for a more Western point of view. Part of this process is to remove some of the code the Chinese government requires in order to fulfill its communication and transportation laws, like reporting who and where you are every time you unlock your phone.

I'm not going to pretend I know how difficult it is to find this in the code or how difficult it is to remove it. It very well could be weeks worth of work; it also could be as easy as Control+F and the delete key. I have no idea because I've never seen the source code for a Chinese phone and probably don't ever want to see it. But I do know one thing: shipping a phone to be sold in Norway with this code still enabled is inexcusable.

"Mistakes" do happen. Sometimes more often than they should.

I'm not going to say HMD Global is at fault for anything other than overlooking something that should have never been overlooked. I'm also not going to have any ill will towards the (probably overworked and underpaid) developer(s) who missed it and said everything was good to go or the quality control department that didn't check things well enough before it was shipped. Sh&t Happens, and as long as it doesn't happen again, we should chalk it up as a stupid "mistake".

But if things like backdoors and secret data transmissions happen more than once — I'm looking at you, BLU — these companies need to be branded with a scarlet letter and shunned. I'd still buy a Nokia-branded or OnePlus phone, because things were handled correctly and quickly once the problems were found. I just think it's important that we all understand what happened and don't think it somehow resembles things like Huawei and ZTE's troubles with the U.S. government.

Carry on, HMD, but try and do better next time, OK?

HMD Global is starting to gain momentum in India following the launch of the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The phone introduced a notched design and improvements on the hardware front, but more than that it signaled HMD's intent to become more aggressive in the Indian market. Retailing for just ₹15,999 ($220, the Nokia 6.1 Plus goes up against of the likes of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and the ZenFone Max Pro M1 in the country.

With the Nokia 5.1 Plus, HMD is continuing the same strategy. The phone shares most of the same design elements as the Nokia 6.1 Plus but is available at a lower ₹10,999 ($150) price point. To accommodate the price tag, HMD had to make a few changes on the hardware side of things, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the Nokia 5.1 Plus is a fantastic budget phone.

Nokia rolled out its first device with a notch with the 6.1 Plus, and the company is fully embracing the cutout with all the Plus models. The Nokia 5.1 Plus has an even wider cutout at the top of the display, and it looks like the upcoming Nokia 7.1 Plus will follow suit.

At 5.86 inches, the Nokia 5.1 Plus is marginally taller than the 5.8-inch Nokia 6.1 Plus, but the screen resolution has been lowered to HD+ (1520x720). The overall design aesthetic is near-identical to that of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, with the only major change being the lack of chrome accents around the power and volume buttons and the camera sensor.

The power and volume buttons have a decent amount of tactile feedback, and it's great to see HMD make the switch to USB-C charging. There's also a 3.5mm jack located up top, and the hybrid SIM card tray lets you fit in a MicroSD card in the second SIM card slot.

Android manufacturers have done little to justify the presence of the notch, and the Nokia 5.1 Plus doesn't fare any better. There's a sizeable chin at the bottom of the display that includes the Nokia logo, and while Nokia is trying to free up some real estate by offering the cutout, in this particular instance it would have made more sense to go with a traditional 18:9 setup. It's not even fully clear why the Nokia 5.1 Plus has a wide cutout, as it doesn't look like the entire space is being utilized.

Both the front and glass feature 2.5D glass panels with a polycarbonate chassis sandwiched in between, and just like the Nokia 6.1 Plus the 5.1 Plus has excellent in-hand feel. While it isn't as conducive to one-handed use, it is better than most other devices in this category.

When it comes to the hardware side of things, the Nokia 5.1 Plus has all the bells and whistles. There's 3GB of RAM along with 32GB of storage, a MicroSD slot, 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, dual 13MP + 5MP cameras at the back, 8MP front shooter, and a 3060mAh battery. Interestingly, HMD has decided to go with MediaTek's Helio P60 in lieu of Qualcomm hardware, and we'll have to wait and see if that decision ends up hurting the phone when it comes to software updates.

HMD is pushing the Nokia 5.1 Plus as a gaming phone, and the Helio P60 is just as capable as the Snapdragon 636 in this area. The Helio P60 has two 2.0GHz Cortex A73 cores paired with two 2.0GHz Cortex A53 cores and a Mali-G72 MP3 GPU, so the device isn't exactly lacking when it comes to power.

That's evident in day-to-day usage — the Nokia 5.1 Plus doesn't really slow down or lag during everyday tasks, and the 3060mAh battery is more than adequate to last an entire day with room to spare.

There is a 409MB day-one software update available for the device that offers a host of bug fixes and stability improvements, and the software experience is largely unchanged from what you get on other Android One phones. There's zero bloat to be found, and while the phone comes with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, HMD says the device is ready for Pie, with an update planned in the coming months.

The Nokia 5.1 Plus will be available in India starting October 1, and you'll be able to pick up the phone from Nokia's website as well as Flipkart. The phone will be sold in a single 3GB/32GB option that will retail for ₹10,999 ($150), with Gloss Black and Gloss Midnight Blue color options available.

For the price, the Nokia 5.1 Plus definitely looks like a great phone, and the design combined with HMD's track record with updates should give it a leg up in this category. Combined with the aggressive pricing of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, it looks like HMD is positioning itself to take on the likes of Xiaomi.

The only unknown is the Helio P60 and if HMD will be able to deliver timely updates. If it manages to do so, the Nokia 5.1 Plus will have no issues taking market share away from Xiaomi and others in this space. I'll have much more to share about the Nokia 5.1 Plus in the coming weeks, but what do you think of the device? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

See at Flipkart

HMD Global, the company responsible for the return of Nokia and BlackBerry phones, recently acquired a trademark that used to be synonymous with the best smartphone camera experiences around — PureView.

First spotted by Nokiamob, the PureView trademark was officially transferred from Microsoft to HMD Global on August 23, 2018. If you visit HMD's page for the European Union's Intelectual Property Office, the PureView brand is sitting there front and center.

Nokia first introduced the world to the PureView brand back in 2013 with the Nokia 808 PureView. Following that, we saw Nokia attach its PureView branding to a number of Windows Phones such as the Lumia 1520, 1020, and 920.

Cameras on Nokia's Android phones have been good, yet nothing to write home about. It's possible the company is getting ready to double-down on its mobile photography game now that it holds the PureView name, but then again, it could just have gotten the trademark for the sake of owning it and nothing more.

Nokia 6.1 Plus preview: The start of something great

Google's big hardware release this year is expected to be the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL this October, but starting next year, we could see a mid-range Pixel added to the lineup.

According to Roland Quandt on Twitter, Google's currently working on a "mobile device" that's powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 710 processor and is scheduled for a release at some point during the first half of 2019. There's no word on pricing or other specs, but this sounds a lot like the mid-range Pixel we first heard about last April.

In addition to Google, HMD Global is also reportedly working on a Snapdragon 710-powered Nokia phone that'll be released even earlier this autumn or winter. The Nokia phone is currently codenamed "Phoneix" while the Google one is known as "Bonito." For what it's worth, Bonitos are a type of medium-sized fish. Medium-sized fish = mid-range Pixel phone? Perhaps.

The term "mid-range" typically means that corners are cut in some areas to keep prices low, but thanks to the Snapdragon 710, performance shouldn't see much of a hit at all. I recommend reading through Jerry's breakdown of the chipset, but it's essentially a Snapdragon 845 with better power efficiency and scalebacks where they make sense.

HMD Global's already proven to be one of the best players in the mid-range Android space, and I'm beyond excited to see what kind of work Google can do here, too.

Snapdragon 710 chips mean nobody has to spend $1,000 on a phone

Last year, a company by the name of HMD Global revived the Nokia brand and started releasing a heap of Android and feature phones under the iconic name. 2017 proved to be rather successful for HMD, and to ensure things stay that way, the company recently raised an additional $100 million in funding.

According to Reuters, new investors include FIH Mobile (a subsidiary of Foxconn) and DMJ Asia Investment Opportunity. Jean-Francois Baril, a former Senior Vice President at Nokia, lead this latest round of funding.

HMD Global sold around 70 million Nokia phones in 2017, resulting in total sales of $2.1 billion.

Per HMD Global CEO Florian Seiche —

Nokia's already announced a heap of phones for this year, with some of the highlights being the Nokia X6, Nokia 7 Plus, and the alluring Nokia 8 Sirocco. HMD's been using the Nokia brand to do exciting things in the Android space, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Nokia 1 review: Android Go has a lot of potential

The Nokia 6 was one of the many Nokia phones released in 2017, and although it wasn't the best budget phone we saw throughout the year, it still put up a solid fight and offered a tremendous amount of value thanks to steep discounts offered by Amazon's Prime Exclusive system. We're expecting a refresh at some point this year, and thanks to a Chinese retailer, we now have a clear look at the Nokia 6 (2018) in all of its glory.

Starting off with the design, the Nokia 6 is once again made out of aluminum (6000 series this time around) and will be available in two different colors – black with gold accents and white with copper accents. The bezels appear to be trimmed down compared to last year's Nokia 6, and because of this, the capacitive navigation buttons have been moved on-screen and the fingerprint sensor is now on the back below the camera.

The display is once again 5.5-inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and although it's not directly mentioned, our guess is that Nokia will once again use an LED panel rather than AMOLED. Also here is a 16MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, 8MP front camera, 3,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging, and 32 or 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB.

One of Harish's biggest complaints about the 2017 Nokia 6 was with its performance. The phone shipped with the Snapdragon 430, and while it's a perfectly fine processor, it struggled to power the Nokia 6's 1080p display. This time around, Nokia is using the much more capable Snapdragon 630 and pairing it with an increased 4GB RAM.

The Nokia 6 (2018) will ship with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, and according to the site it's listed on, pre-orders will begin January 10. As for price, the 32GB model is listed at €191 and the 64GB variant is €216.

CES 2018 is right around the corner, and assuming this information is correct, we can probably expect an official announcement from Nokia next week.

Nokia 6 review: A great phone with one major drawback

Back at MWC in February, HMD Global unveiled the Nokia 3310 – a throwback to the classic phone by the same name that first came out in 2000. The phone was originally announced with only support for 2G networks, but in September, HMD announced a 3G version with faster data speeds. That variant was already confirmed to work in the United States, and shortly following that announcement, the 3310 will officially be making its way to the States for immediate purchase.

Best Buy will be the official retailer for the Nokia 3310 in the U.S., and preorders are actually open starting today (October 23) if you want to hand over your dollars ASAP. The phone costs $59.99, and it'll launch on Sunday, October 29 in Azure, Charcoal, Warm Red, and Yellow.

You'll be able to use the 3310 on any GSM networks (including the likes of T-Mobile, AT&T, Cricket, MetroPCS, etc.), but if you were hoping to use it on a CDMA network such as Sprint or Verizon, you'll be out of luck.

Is the Nokia 3310 worth 60 bucks even with the 3G speeds? For most people, probably not. However, if you're a nostalgia finatic and want to get your hands on an updated piece of the past, this isn't the worst way to go.

See at Best Buy

In a low-key affair, HMD Global — the Finnish company that snagged exclusive rights to Nokia's branding — has launched its first Android smartphone. Dubbed the Nokia 6, the phone will be exclusively offered on China's JD.com for ¥1,699 ($245).

The phone itself is crafted out of aluminium, with HMD Global describing the process thusly:

In terms of hardware, the Nokia 6 offers a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass, Snapdragon 430 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, dual-SIM connectivity, 16MP camera at the back with PDAF, Dolby Atmos sound with stereo speakers, Bluetooth 4.1, LTE, 3000mAh battery, and a fingerprint sensor. The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

With 552 million smartphone users, China is a "strategically important market" for HMD Global, which is why it is launching its first handset in the country. The brand is set to launch six phones under the Nokia name this year, so we should hear more about its plans at Mobile World Congress. If the Nokia 6 is any indication, it's going to be an exciting year for the brand.

See at Nokia