Nokia has returned to the world mobile market but this time with an android enable operating system Smartphone.
Nigeria and other African countries cannot for now have the new Nokia-branded- Smartphone in their local markets as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is checkmating supply and order.
‘The first Nokia-branded Smartphone is a 1,699 yuan ($245) device and will be exclusive to the Chinese market”, the HMD Global, a start-up formed of ex-Nokia employees which owns the licenses to the Finnish firm’s brand, said during the announcement of the new 5.5-inch Nokia 6 Android device on Sunday.
The first Nokia-branded smartphone will be a 1,699 yuan ($245) device and will be exclusive to the Chinese market.
HMD Global, a start-up formed of ex-Nokia employees which owns the licenses to the Finnish firm’s brand, announced the 5.5-inch Nokia 6 Android device on Sunday.
Features of the Nokia 6 include:
- High-definition display
- Aluminum body
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
- 64-gigabyte storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front ‘selfie’ camera
Data from eMarketer estimate that there will be 593 million Smartphone users in China this year, upfrom 552 million in 2016. HMD still feels there is growth in the world’s second-largest economy.
“It is a strategically important market where premium design and quality is highly valued by consumers,” HMD Global said in a press release.
Unlike in Nigeria where the mobile market is dominated by foreign brands, the Nokia said it is ready to compete with strong players in the industry despite their strong hold of the domestic market.
Dominant brands among domestic Chinese players include Oppo, Vivo and Huawei, which collectively own around 47 percent of the market, according to Counterpoint Research. On top of that, Apple has struggled with revenues in Greater China falling 30 percent year-over-year in its fiscal fourth quarter.
That’s why HMD is selling the Nokia 6 through one of China’s biggest online retailers JD.com when it becomes available in early 2017.
“Launching our first smartphone device, in such a strategically important market, with JD.com a trusted online retailer marks a signal of intent,” Nestor Xu, vice president of Greater China at HMD Global, said in the press statement.
In Nigeria Nokia was among the first set of brand widely used among phone users. It is known for its durability and battery life and adorability.
There are however hopes as the brand upgrades with the move from its window operating system to the league of the android brand that the African market will soon be consider for deal and usage.
