The Finnish company HMD Global made its name in the smartphone market with the licensed Nokia-brand Android smartphones. The brand got a certain buzz from the Nokia smartphones running Android in the first years of operation. However, in recent years, it has been focusing more on the low-end smartphone market. After years of sticking only with Nokia-branded smartphones, HMD will start launching self-branded smartphones. Is this a preparation for dropping the Nokia branding? Time will tell, but the first HMD smartphone has been spotted online with a 108 MP camera.
New Smartphone with 108 MP Camera Emerges in Promo Images
Today, a design render emerged for a dual-camera HMD smartphone. The major highlight of this camera setup is the 108 MP camera shooter. This is the second render that emerges for the unannounced HMD smartphone in a week.
The latest HMD smartphone info comes from Suomimobili, a Finnish Online publication. It shared a product render of the HMD smartphone allegedly taken from the official website. The shared URL of the page shows a 404 error, which adds some weight to the leak. The render shows a woman sitting over a Cyan-colored smartphone with the HMD branding on the back. The smartphone has a dual rear camera setup with a Cyan accent around the camera rings. Another interesting detail is the 108 MP OIS on the rear camera module. It suggests that the main 108 MP camera will come with optical image stabilization.
The render looks like an official promotional render that will appear during official teasers for the smartphone. Perhaps, HMD Global spilled the beans and made the image live ahead of time. One interesting detail is that the image appears similar to the HMD smartphone render that leaked a few days ago. It revealed a smartphone with dual rear cameras and a similar camera design.
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More HMD Smartphones Coming Soon
In a separate leak, the trustworthy tipster Evan Blass (@evleaks) shared codenames for the first batch of HMD-branded smartphones on X. These are the Pulse, Legend, Pulse+, Legend Plus, Pulse Pro, and Legend Pro. The upcoming 108 MP camera smartphone may bear one of these codenames.
According to new information, HMD Global will target budget and mid-range segments in the beginning. The new HMD smartphones will offer a stock Android experience and deliver more OS updates than the competition. That’s a similar approach to what the company has been doing with Nokia.
Conclusion – HMD Smartphones Emerge, Will Nokia Fade Away?
The new HMD smartphone is the first of many devices set to come under the company’s self-brand. This is a move to prepare for the nearing end of the licensing agreement with Nokia. The company’s operations with Nokia smartphones started way back in 2016 with the launch of the Nokia 6. During the first two years, HMD managed to grab attention with interesting devices like the Nokia 7 series. The company managed to launch one flagship in the form of the Nokia 9 PureView. The device promised a unique twist in the camera with its Penta-Camera setup. Unfortunately, the camera setup didn’t deliver and the company’s only flagship was considered a failure.
Since 2020, we saw HDM Global slowing down its Nokia smartphone business with less appealing smartphones. The company started to focus on the low-end segment with simple smartphones equipped with Unisoc or MediaTek chipsets. Considering that the licensing deal will expire in 2026, we believe that HMD will try to consolidate its name in the smartphone market. If the move turns out to be successful, then the brand probably won’t have enough reasons to renew the deal with Nokia.
In the end, the rise of HMD smartphones also means the possible end of the Nokia-branded smartphones. For now, both HMD and Nokia smartphones will co-exist and India will be a key market for the brand. We will see how the situation will change in the coming years.
