HMD, licensee of the Nokia cellphone model, is hanging up on the U.S. cellphone market

July 13, 2025

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On Threads, Wired’s Julian Chokkattu shared a press release from HMD that was launched a couple of days in the past. The corporate is thought for licensing the Nokia identify since 2016 to be used on Android smartphones, characteristic telephones, tablets, and equipment. Within the assertion, HMD says that it’s “scaling again” its U.S. operations. Noting that it has a precedence to make sure a seamless transition for its clients and enterprise companions, HMD says it can honor warranties, proceed to supply service for present merchandise, and supply full assist globally.

The corporate says that the “difficult geopolitical and financial atmosphere” has led it to chop again on its U.S. operations. We assume that these “geopolitical and financial” points are associated to the tariffs that the U.S. is imposing on merchandise being imported into the US. Whereas the corporate is utilizing the phrase “scaling again,” it appears extra possible that this assertion marks the tip of HMD’s enterprise promoting telephones and different associated shopper electronics within the U.S. HMD additionally talked about that it deeply values the contributions of its U.S. colleagues who’re affected by the corporate’s motion and says that it’s going to proceed to assist assist them throughout the transition.

Among the Nokia telephones constructed by HMD introduced again older, fashionable Nokia characteristic telephones that had been large hits earlier than the iPhone took smartphone recognition to a brand new degree. These included the Nokia 3310 (initially launched in 1997 and re-released by HMD in 2017) and the Nokia 8110 (launched in 1996 and re-released in 2018 because the Nokia 8110 4G). The latter was the “Banana cellphone” utilized in “The Matrix.” The Nokia 3310 re-issue introduced again the enduring “Snake sport made well-known with the unique launch.

The 5 12MP cameras on the again of the 2019 Nokia 9 made by HMD. | Picture credit-PhoneArena

In 2019, HMD introduced again the PureView identify initially used on the Nokia 808 PureView in 2012. The Nokia 9 PureView had so many points, we gave it a 4 out of 10. The processor on this 2019 flagship was from 2018; there have been points with the digital camera software program, and the battery rapidly ran out of energy throughout a typical day. In January 2024, HMD determined to cease utilizing the Nokia identify and offered its new telephones underneath the HMD moniker, which stands for Human Cellular Units.

The Wired’s Julian Chokkattu shares HMD’s goodbye message to the U.S. on Threads. | Picture credit-Threads

HMD’s licensing settlement with Nokia ends in 2026. Except one other firm desires to offer the identify one other shot within the extremely aggressive smartphone market, it seems that Nokia will quickly be a part of BlackBerry as two early leaders within the smartphone business that could not sustain with the modifications to the system that had been first made by by Apple in 2007.