Nokia, once a giant in the mobile phone industry, has been out of the phone-making game for several years now. While Nokia-branded phones have been available since the company sold its mobile business, they were actually manufactured by HMD Global, a Finnish company. 
However, this partnership is coming to an end next year, and the question remains whether we’ll continue to see new Nokia phones in the market after the split.
To make matters worse for Nokia, HMD Global has announced plans to scale back its operations in the United States. This move suggests that Nokia phones haven’t been as successful as HMD hoped, leading them to cut their losses in this challenging market.
As HMD Global faces the pressures of a tough geopolitical and economic landscape, the company has decided to reduce its presence in the US. A statement from HMD Global explained that while they are scaling back, they will ensure that existing customers continue to receive full support, including warranty coverage and service, until the transition is complete.
Despite the end of the collaboration being set for March 2026, Nokia is already on the lookout for a new partner to help continue the Nokia-branded phone legacy. A Nokia Community Manager recently posted on the Nokia subreddit inviting large-scale mobile manufacturers to reach out if they were interested in licensing the brand. This post has since been deleted, but it was captured in a screenshot by the folks at Mobilissimo. While this doesn’t confirm any new partnership yet, it indicates that Nokia is actively seeking one.
It’s clear that Nokia’s focus has shifted from mobile phones to patents and network divisions, which bring in more revenue. Given the current mobile market’s saturation with brands like Oppo, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi, it seems unlikely that a new partner will be able to revive the Nokia phone brand to its former glory.