HMD Global, the Finnish company renowned for resurrecting the Nokia brand, is embarking on a transformative journey. It intends to introduce smartphones under its very own HMD brand, diversifying its portfolio while continuing to develop Nokia phones.
The announcement comes directly from Jean-Francois Baril, Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of HMD Global. According to his LinkedIn post, both HMD and Nokia phones will coexist, ensuring that consumers can still expect new Nokia devices. However, this bold move shows that HMD Global is ready to establish itself as an independent player in the telecommunications market.
The decision to venture into smartphones under its own brand might be attributed to several factors. Firstly, it’s indicative of the changing dynamics in the smartphone industry, where competition is fierce, and market trends are ever-evolving. By introducing its own brand, HMD Global aims to carve out a distinct identity and cater to the evolving needs of consumers.
Moreover, this strategic shift could be related to the forthcoming expiration of HMD’s licensing agreement with Nokia, which was initially inked in 2016. The agreement allowed HMD Global to reintroduce Nokia-branded devices to the market. With the expiration date approaching in 2026, HMD Global may be preparing for a future beyond Nokia-branded devices.
Source: HMD Global
The move to establish its own brand is not a sudden decision. HMD Global has been diligently building its brand for years with consistent filings with the EUIPO office. However, recent global challenges, including those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, seem to have accelerated its quest to establish a unique identity in the industry.
Jean-Francois Baril emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability and affordability, reflecting the company’s vision to offer high-quality yet affordable mobile devices to consumers worldwide. HMD Global takes pride in its position as one of the fastest-growing 5G smartphone manufacturers, showcasing its resilience in adapting to changing market dynamics.
With an extensive global distribution network, operational capabilities, and a robust in-house software development team, HMD Global appears well-prepared to make a significant impact in the consumer smartphone market. The company’s growth trajectory and sustainability efforts are key indicators of its readiness for this transformation.
The news of HMD Global’s independent smartphone brand has sparked various discussions among internet commentators. Speculation has arisen regarding the future of the Nokia brand, particularly amid rumours of its potential licensing to other companies, including Huawei. However, these discussions remain speculative.
HMD Global has announced a slew of new Nokia smartphones. The most unique of which is the Nokia G22 which is the first smartphone that is launched together with IFixIt. Weird partner for a smartphone right? Well, it begins to make sense when you consider that the Nokia G22 is also the first smartphone from HMD Global to be completely self repairable. The new smartphone is launching with a self-repair kit which will be available via IFixIt in Australia, the United Kingdom and other European Union countries.
The Nokia G22 is another notch in HMD’s line up of affordable, durable and well-supported Android smartphones. It also holds true to the company’s commitment to sustainability with a plastic back made from 100% recycled materials. The new smartphone comes with a 6.52-inch, HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness. It comes with a quad core Unisoc T606 with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal memory. It also supports up to an additional 2TB of memory via microSD.
On the camera front, the G22 will be coming with a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel main sensor. This sensor has an f/1.8 aperture, a 5P lens and is autofocus enabled. A 2-megapixel depth and 2-megapixel macro sensor complete the triple camera setup. On the front is an 8-megapixel fixed focus CMOS sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm pixel size.
It comes with the usual connectivity features including Bluetooth, Near Field Communication, GPS, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and USB-C connectivity. It’s powered by 5,050mAh battery with HMD’s signature promise of up to 3 day battery life. It supports 20W fast charging.
The smartphone will launch with Android 12 and has been guaranteed 2 years of OS upgrades from HMD global.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia G22 will be available in two colours: Lagoon Blue and Meteor Grey. It will be available in two variants: 4GB+64GB and 4GB+128GB. The smartphone will be priced from EUR179 (MYR852.44).
At home QickFix Kits will be available on iFixit.com with prices starting from EUR5 (MYR23.82). HMD Global lists the prices for a replacement battery at EUR24.95 (MYR118.83), and the replacement charging port at EUR19.95 (MYR95.02).
HMD Global is striving to be one of the first mobile manufacturers to factor in the environment when it comes to devices. The new Nokia X30 5G is the first offering coming to Malaysia with an increased sense of environmental responsibility. It is made of 100% recycled aluminium and incorporates 65% recycled plastics in its build. Everything from the packaging to the device itself contains recycled materials. HMD is touting it as the device with the smallest eco-footprint to date.
Source: Nokia.com
While it remains one of the most environmentally conscious devices, it isn’t leaving performance behind. The Nokia X30 5G comes equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 695 5G. The system on a chip (SoC) is paid with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. When it comes to the display, it comes with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It also has a 90Hz refresh rate and 700 nits peak brightness. The display comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection and scratch-proofing.
In the camera department, the Nokia X30 5G comes with a dual camera setup. This setup is consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor that is complemented by a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The main 50-megapixel sensor comes equipped with optical image stabilisation (OIS) with an f/1.8 aperture. The complementary 13-megapixel ultra-wide sensor comes with a 123° field of view and an f/2.4 aperture. On the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera with aq f/2.4 aperture.
Source: HMD Global
HMD continues to offer more than just the basics when it comes to the camera experience. In line with its PureView experience, the camera comes equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) which allows users to capture the best pictures with a click of a button. The new app interface also puts your frequently used settings at the tip of your tips for quick access and snapping. Capture Fusion allows you to reap the benefits of both the 50-megapixel main camera and the ultra-wide camera bringing details to the focal point of your picture.
All of these features are powered by a 4,200mAh battery with a guarantee for 800 charging cycles. It comes with USB Type connectivity for charging and data and IP67 dust and water resistance.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia X30 5G will be available in stores from mid-November 2022. Pre-orders are now ongoing on Shopee and Lazada. Pre-orders will be entitled to a free Nokia clear case and Nokia Comfort Earbuds worth MYR250.
The smartphone will be available in Cloudy Blue for MYR2,099.
Nokia came back into the smartphone market with quite a bang. Unfortunately, they are not as popular as they were before. Still, Nokia is a popular smartphone maker with Android within their devices. They are popular in the scene of affordable Android devices – the entry-level to mid-range smartphone segment.
They kick off 2022 with a more modest note though. They have just released their Nokia G21, the replacement to their entry-level champion, the G20. This time, they have focused on all the important stuff that is aimed to make the device more reliable than ever.
Source: GSM Arena
Nokia retained a few things from the G20 though. The Nokia G21 still comes with a large 5,050mAh battery that has a quoted battery life of three days while being a little thinner at 8.5mm thick. While that is also the same promise before, Nokia is ensuring that the G21 can last for three days by improving its power saving modes, or rather to implement them in stages. The first power saving mode triggers at 20% and still allows you to run most of your apps as normally as possible. The second, more aggressive power saving mode kicks in at 10% to extend the battery life even more.
Nokia also increased the charging speed on the Nokia G21 to now be delivered at 18W via a USB Type-C. Interestingly Nokia is reportedly shipping the device with a 10W charging brick. To fully take advantage of 18W charging speed, you need to buy a new charging brick.
The new Nokia G21 also comes with a large 6.5-inch LCD display with 90Hz refresh rate. Running the display at 90hz always can drain its battery though. There is an adaptive feature to reduce the display’s refresh rate to 60Hz (when needed) to get more battery life out of the device. It is also now a HD+ 720p display. Which means you can watch Netflix, Prime Video, and even YouTube at HD resolutions.
Source: GSM Arena
You get a new 50-Megapixel shooter out the back of the device. The new improved camera also features a night mode, and Super Resolution function to capture highly detailed images. Sadly, there is no more ultra-wide-angle lens on the device though. Alongside the 50-Megapixel sensor are two 2-Megapixel sensors, one is a macro lens, the other a depth sensor.
Inside the device is also a more powerful System on a Chip (SoC). It comes with a Unisoc T606 12nm chip with eight cores. Two of the performance cores are ARM Cortex A75 cores while the other six efficiency cores are Cortex A55 cores that is still more powerful than the eight Cortex A53 cores from the previous Helio G35. The Unisoc T606 is also paired with a 4GB RAM and up to 128GB of storage and microSD expansion.
Oddly enough, Nokia has not bothered with 5G with this device, it is 4G capable still. On that note as well, the Nokia G21 ships with Android 11 at the time being. Nokia claims that the G21 is Android 12 ready though, which means that the Nokia G21 can be updated to Android 12 as and when it is available. HMD also promised two OS upgrades on their devices, which also means that it will be upgradable to Android 13 when it is available.
Security wise, nothing much has changed too. You still get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that also doubles as a power button. Of course, there is the regular face unlock function that you might be used to on modern Android devices today. The facial recognition now allows you to wear your face mask and unlock the device though.
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
Source: GSM Arena
The Nokia G21 is supposed to be available soon. The suggested retail price for this device is from €170 (MYR 806*) onward in Nordic Blue and Dusk colour options. Oddly enough, different regions get different packages for the device. For Malaysia, there are no confirmations on its availability and official pricing at this point. But we are looking forward to seeing the Nokia G21 making its way here.
*Approximately based on the exchange rate of €1 = MYR 4.74 on xe.com as of 14/02/2022
The Tablet has had a tumultuous start in the tech industry. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the last time you had a tablet was more than 5 years ago. However, times have indeed changed especially when it comes to the embattled tablet. We’ve entered an era where tablets are becoming more than just screens; they’ve become the cornerstone of our entertainment systems and, in some cases, our productivity. However, with that being the reality, we’ve also been forced to pay even more for them – until the Nokia T20.
The new Nokia T20 is a unique combination of affordability, versatility and security. It brings together the cornerstone features of a tablet and ensures that your data is safe while you work and play. Not only does it bring some of the immersive technologies we’re so accustomed to when it comes to Nokia smartphones, but it also packs a versatile package that can adapt for any use. In fact, we’ve got 5 reasons that make it one of the most versatile tablets on the market.
1. Specced Out To Meet Your Every Need
The Nokia T20 isn’t like other tablets that force you to choose between having a flagship experience or long-lasting specifications. Instead, the tablet is specced to be able to meet your needs. It comes with a quad-core processor with 2 large performance cores and 6 power efficiency cores allowing it to seamlessly switch between performance and power-efficient modes when in use. You won’t be hungry for a wall socket on the go nor will you be edging to throw the T20 against the wall when you’re gaming.
In addition, it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can handle almost anything you can throw at it. If that isn’t enough, you’ll be able to get up to 512GB of additional storage through the microSD card slot. Combine this with a crisp 10.4-inch display with 2K resolution and you’re set to seamlessly glide between work and Genshin Impact. If you’re looking to make the experience THAT much better, you’ll just need to pair a Bluetooth Keyboard or Controller depending on whether you want to complete that document or defeat that final boss.
Oh! Did we forget to mention? It’s also built for work (or play) on the go with support for 4G LTE connectivity. Of course, it supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0. In addition to that, the 4G LTE version comes with GPS support.
2. Immersive Entertainment with Hardware that Makes a Difference
If you’re looking for a tablet built for entertainment, you might have just found it with the Nokia T20. It comes equipped with a 10.4-inch in-cell display with 2K resolution. That resolution is higher than most other tablets in its price range! It has a typical brightness of 400 nits so you can even see what you’re doing under the sunlight and with a 5:3 aspect ratio, you’ve got even more visibility when you’re in that game of Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile.
The visual experience is complemented by Nokia’s OZO Audio technology which creates an immersive soundscape with the stereo speakers that come with the T20. In fact, HMD global debuted this technology with the Nokia 6 in 2017 and have been improving it with every generation. You’ll be able to hear every note in the concerto you’re listening to while working and every footstep in that battle royale game you’re playing online.
3. Create A Curated Experience For Your Kids
It’s always a challenge looking for a tablet that will cater to your child while allowing you to keep the experience safe for them. With the Nokia T20, you’ll be able to create a walled-off garden for your child to play in. They will get to enjoy every experience available without you needing to worry about untoward content or security risks.
Setting up the experience is as simple as A-B-C thanks to Google Kids Space. You can set up a Google account for your child and create the experience you want for them. In fact, you can do this remotely using the Family Link app. In fact, you can set up and change limits without disrupting their experience. They will get an uninterrupted experience on the Nokia T20 including in the Play Store and on YouTube. However, certain content will be filtered out according to your settings to keep you at ease. You’ll even be able to set time limits to screen time and app usage!
4. Quality with A Proven Legacy
Nokia devices have a proven legacy of quality. In fact, their devices were so hardy that Malaysians always say that their devices can be used in self-defence! With a legacy like that, where else can you go but up when it comes to quality. The Nokia T20 is made of quality materials that are built to last. The body of the tablet is made of Sandblasted aluminium which is not only a sight to behold but also sturdy with enough rigidity to leave unattended with your kids. Even the glass on the screen is made of toughened glass to withstand the rigours of child use. It also comes with an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance.
Pair this with the bundled rugged case which comes together with your brand-new Nokia T20 and you have a truly ruggedized tablet. Not only does it have the built quality but also the additional protection that it needs when you or your child use it.
5. Guaranteed Security with Timely Updates
HMD Global isn’t just releasing devices without thinking about software support and security. They’ve actually guaranteed updates for all their devices! The Nokia suite of devices will come with 2 years of major OS updates. So, if in those 2 years, there are 5 major updates, you can rest assured you’re Nokia T20 will get them. In addition, HMD Global is guaranteeing security updates for an additional year after that. That’s 3 years of security updates!
In addition to this, the Nokia T20 also comes with Android 11 out of the box. It’s also set to receive the Android 12 update very soon! So you’ll be up to date with the latest software experience and security patches in no time.
Could you be asking for more when it comes to the tablet that is available for only MYR1,099? You’d be hard-pressed to find many other options which come with the thought and experience that comes with the Nokia T20. You don’t even have to leave your home to get your tablet, it’s available online on Shopee and Lazada.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE IS AN ADVERTORIAL COMMISSIONED BY HMD GLOBAL. IT MAY NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE TECHENT EDITORIAL BOARD.
HMD has been pretty busy with new devices for their Nokia portfolio. Hot off their announcement of their first Android-powered tablet, the company is releasing another entry into their affordable smartphone lineup – the Nokia G50 5G. The new smartphone brings 5G connectivity to the sub USD$300 price point.
Source: HMD Global
The new addition to Nokia’s lineup brings a Snapdragon 480 5G processor paired with an Adreno 619 graphics processor. The processors are complemented with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. You can add on more memory with a microSD card. On the display side of things, it comes with a 6.82-inch IPS LCD panel with an HD+ resolution of 720×1560 pixels.
Source: HMD Global
On the camera side of things, the Nokia G50 5G comes with a triple sensor setup. The main sensor is a 48-megapixel sensor with a wide field of view and an aperture of f/1.8. It also has Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF). This is complemented by a 5-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front is an 8-megapixel wide selfie camera. Both setups are able to shoot video in 1080p at 30 frames per second (fps).
When it comes to connectivity, the Nokia G50 comes with support for 4G LTE and 5G connectivity on both mmWave and Sub6 bands. It also supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/b/ac and WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and FM radio. It also has support for GPS with A-GPS, GALILEO and Beidu. HMD has also included a side-mounted fingerprint sensor in the G50. The G50 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery. HMD continues to guarantee multiday battery life with its optimisations to Android.
The Nokia G50 continues HMD’s approach of bringing affordable smartphones with software support. The new smartphone is promised two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security updates. It will come with Android 11 pre-installed.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia G50 is currently available in the US and other select countries with availability to increase in the coming months.
It’s available in Midnight Sun and Ocean Blue with pricing starting at USD$299 (MYR1,247.46).
HMD Global seems to be pushing more Nokia devices this year and even entering new spaces. The latest device to enter the Nokia portfolio is an Android-powered tablet – the Nokia T120. The tablet also marks the brand’s first entry into the tablet space since it was first relaunched. It’s also part of a resurgence in the Android tablet space which has been spearheaded by the likes of Lenovo, Samsung and Xiaomi.
The Nokia T20 is a unique tablet. It comes with a UNISOC system on a chip. Never heard of them? Well, UNISOC is a Chinese semiconductor company. The specific SoC used is the UNISOC Tiger T610 which is an octa-core processor. It’s a 12nm chip with two high-performance Cortex A75 cores and six high-efficiency Cortex A55 cores clocked. The caveat, if you haven’t picked up on it just yet, is that the cores are relatively dated. The A75s were last used in Qualcomm’s 2017 flagship Snapdragon 845. However, that may be a boon to Nokia’s new tablet as it’s definitely a factor in keeping the price down.
The processor is complemented with either 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. If you need extra memory, there’s support for a microSD card. On the display side of things, the Nokia T20 comes with a 10.4-inch LCD with 2000×1200 pixel resolution and a 5:3 aspect ratio. It has “toughened glass” for protection. It supports Wi-Fi 5 (802.11b/g/n/ac) and Bluetooth 5.0. There is also a 4G LTE variant that supports 4G connectivity. On the camera front, it has a 5-megapixel selfie camera and an 8-megapixel main sensor. The Nokia T20 is powered by an 8,200mAh battery capable of 15W fast charging through a USB-C cable. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The tablet itself will have an aluminium back which should give it some added durability. HMD is claiming that the battery will be able to last up to 15 hours on a single charge. The company has also committed to three years of security updates and 2 years of major Android updates for the tablet. The Nokia T20 will launch with Android 11.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia T20 will be making its way to select markets starting on October 6, 2021. It will be priced at €UR199 (MYR961.49) for the Wi-Fi only version. The 4G LTE version will be priced at €UR239 (MYR1,154.78).
It will only be available in Nokia’s signature Ocean Blue colour.
Smartphone cameras have been on a roll in the past two years. OnePlus launches their OnePlus 9 flagship series in partnership with Hasselblad, OPPO’s Find X3 Pro comes with a microscopic lens, Samsung pushing technology with 108-Megapixel sensors, Sony even pushing the limits of their 12-Megapixel sensors with their Alpha camera knowhow. These are nothing new, to be fair. Co-branding smartphone cameras with big camera brand names started with Nokia and Zeiss. The phenomenon hit the main stage with HUAWEI and Leica’s big partnership since the HUAWEI P9.
With the advancement in camera technology on smartphones though, has these brands made proper cameras obsolete? While nothing bigger sensor still has its own advantages in terms of low-light performance and detail, smartphone cameras have progressed so much with the software that they are paired with that even low-light photography is a breeze with a smartphone. The advancement of smartphone technology also made it easier for you to get the shots you want in less time and less work than a DSLR or mirrorless.
What does this mean for dedicated cameras though? Does this mean we can replace these kinds of stuff with the small slate in our pockets? Or, should you still spend your hard-earned money on a proper camera that could set you back anywhere between half the price of a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to multiple flagship smartphones? We discuss this in this episode of Tech & Tonic.
Nokia’s XpressMusic line up was one of the most iconic brands back in the day. It was hard to find a youth without one of the many XpressMusic phones in their hands. It was a must have with some of the most unique features for music lovers.
This year, HMD Global is bringing back the ethos of XpressMusic in the new Nokia 5310. Yes, the company is making it a yearly affair to bring back one of Nokia’s iconic feature phones. The new Nokia 5310 comes with the familiar XpressMusic design with the red bands flanking the sides of the display. It comes in black and white.
The Nokia 5310 isn’t like the other revivals that HMD Global has done though. It only comes with 2.5G connectivity and is powered by a MediaTek MY6260A and has 8MB of RAM and 16MB of internal storage. Yep! It’s a feature phone through and through. It’s got a 2.4-inch TFT screen and is powered by a 1200mAh battery.
That said, the Nokia 5310 keeps the XpressMusic tradition of having dual loud speakers. It also has quick access music buttons on the red strip on the side of the screen.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia 5310 will be available in selected markets starting March 2020. It will retail for €39.
HMD Global has long been one of the only Android smartphone manufacturers to support Google’s Android GO platform. The platform sought to bring better performance to lower end smartphones to improve the overall user experience. Instead of building in most of the apps into what limited space the device has, it optimises based on usage and allows users to stream or download; whichever suited their needs better.
The Nokia 1 was one of the first devices to support the platform. That doesn’t change with the new Nokia 1.3. Coming with the Snapdragon 215 processor, the new affordable smartphone looks to carve a niche in the lower end for itself. The Snapdragon 215 is a quad core processor clocked at 1.3GHz; unlike it performance centric brethren, the 215 does not adopt a bigLITTLE configuration and is made of four Cortex A53 chips. This is supported by 16GB on on board storage and 1GB of RAM.
It comes with a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The screen of the Nokia 1.3 will have a HD+ resolution of 720×1520 pixels with a pixel density of 295 pixels per inch. It will be powered by a 3,000 lithium polymer battery and have HMD’s signature all day battery life.
On the connectivity front, the Nokia 1.3 comes with support for WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2 LE and GPS. It also is 4G capable.
Camera Experience Powered by Google’s Camera GO
The new Nokia 1.3 is one of the first smartphones to come with Google’s new Camera GO app. The new Camera GO app is made to enable advanced features such as portrait shots on lower-end, sub USD$50 smartphones. The app plays well with Google’s Android GO, in fact, Google says that the app is deeply integrated with the system.
On the Nokia 1.3, the Camera GO app will be working with the single 8-megapixel sensor of the smartphone. It is autofocus capable and has HDR support. On the front, the Nokia 1.3 omes with a single 5-megapixel sensor.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia 1.3 will be available starting in April 2020. It will be availble in Cyan, Charcoal and Sand colours. It looks to be costing about € 95 (MYR 447.29).
