What Nokia Android phones need to become a hit

You probably know by now – and you might even have been looking forward to it – the Nokia brand is set for a big comeback in the mobile sector in 2017. On Thursday, HMD Global officially announced its entry into the mobile market, with the Nokia brand Android phones are expected to be released in the first half of 2017.

For months there have been a number of rumors and benchmark listings of various Nokia-branded Android phones, with the most popular codenamed Nokia D1C. HMD Global is likely to unveil its next Nokia-branded Android smartphone at MWC 2017 in February. We take a look at a few things HMD and the Nokia brand need to make a successful comeback.

(Also see: Meet HMD Global, the team bringing back Nokia phones)

An innovative idea
Nokia, among others, has always been known as a creative company. Even at the height of its popularity, the company often took risks to keep its lineup fresh, some of which worked, others not so much. Remember the Nokia Lumia 1020 with its incredible 41 megapixel camera? A device that has yet to be matched on this front, even today. Or the Nokia 3650 with a circular keyboard. Or the double-sliding N96. If you think about it, Nokia has done it all. The company produced phones of all shapes and sizes and while there were failures, many ended up gaining an iconic reputation.

HMD needs to tap into the same kind of creativity. Whether it’s a quirky new design or an eye-catching new feature in hardware, a risky game might just be a breath of fresh air. The worst thing to do here is to be like everyone else.

HMD Global has been very secretive about the design of the next Nokia Android smartphone. A Weibo leak of the Nokia D1C in November revealed fairly standard smartphone design language that barely screams “Nokia”, but hopefully the final product will be more in line with what Nokia fans have come to expect from the company.

Render Nokia D1C

Smartphones for everyone
Over the past few months, rumors have swirled around several Nokia-branded devices, both low-end and high-end. Devices like the Pixel and D1C have been spotted on sites like GeekBench. These are rumored to be entry-level devices, while a recently reported unnamed smartphone is HMD’s high-end Nokia-branded offering with a Snapdragon 820 or 821 processor. The high-end device is rumored to feature a Zeiss lens for the main camera, which is seen in previous Lumia phones.

The most recent rumor suggests that the entry-level device, tentatively called Pixel (not to be confused with Google Pixel), will run Android 7.0.1 Nougat, powered by a Snapdragon 800 SoC, according to the listing. Geekbench.

Meanwhile, the D1C is said to come with a Snapdragon 430 processor with Adreno 505 GPU and running Android 7.0 Nougat, although there have been many conflicting leaks on the subject.

Nokia’s low-end and mid-range devices have been big hits in the past, and it’s good to see that this segment isn’t being ignored by HMD Global. Based on these rumors, it looks like HMD is aiming to deliver premium smartphones for every price range. If HMD ends up only looking at the flagship space to reclaim Nokia’s reputation as a top brand, it will be a mistake.

Price is everything
An innovative Nokia-branded smartphone that keeps nostalgia alive is one thing, but that alone doesn’t make a successful comeback. In the end, it all comes down to price and you only have to look at BlackBerry to see why. Price is what ultimately brought down a promising BlackBerry Priv. That doesn’t just mean having a list of entry-level phones, either.

HMD will have to price its next high-end Nokia smartphone right in order to have a fighting chance against Apple, Samsung and now Google. There are many more players today and the competition is fierce to say the least. In fact, HMD will also have to price its entry-level and mid-range Nokia smartphones if it wants to compete with Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers, which offer high-end smartphones at low prices.

Meanwhile, HMD’s high-end Nokia Android smartphone comes hot on the heels of Samsung’s major recall and discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7, which opens some room for HMD to jump in with a high-end smartphone at the right price. .

Nokia nostalgia
The most important thing for HMD right now is the Nokia name. There’s a lot of nostalgia and an almost childish whimsy associated with the brand, and HMD will likely capitalize on that factor. The ruggedness of a Nokia mobile (which has led to endless memes) and the ‘indestructible’ tag that comes with it are perhaps indispensable in today’s world of thin and fragile smartphones. The classic Nokia ringtone will also trigger fond memories and should definitely come back.

HMD Global must take into account the iconic elements that define Nokia. The nostalgia factor will also allow fans to remember the early days of the brand, rather than the days of Lumia, which is a win-win for the company and the fans.

While officially announcing its entry into the mobile market, HMD said it was working on a range of consumer devices that will emphasize “innovation, quality and experience” to be combined with “the attributes hallmarks of the Nokia mobile phone in terms of design, robustness and reliability”. “. A reassuring quote for Nokia fans everywhere.

Nokia 3310

(Also see: Nokia’s Most Memorable Phones: 5 Phones That Made History)

A Nokia-Android partnership seems to be the right solution. With Android, there’s no shortage of third-party apps that could well complement the out-of-the-box thinking that Nokia was known for. Nokia had already dipped its toes into the Android platform with the Nokia X series, and now hopefully HMD is ready to pick up where Nokia left off.

For many of us, Nokia has never really left our hearts. The company achieved greatness with feature phones like the 3210 or 1100, and continues to sell entry-level feature phones even today with a solid footing in Asian markets, particularly India. It’s safe to say that the feature phone market is far from over, and so Nokia remains relevant even today.

2017 is an important year for the Nokia brand and HMD Global in the smartphone game. In a few months we will know what the two companies have been working on. With companies like BlackBerry failing to make a successful comeback, the Nokia brand is indeed walking a very fine line. Many of us started our smartphone journey with a Nokia device and so our hopes remain high for a successful comeback.