The iconic Nokia brand might be heading for a revival-again. After quietly stepping away from its relationship with HMD Global last year, Nokia is reportedly looking for a new partner to carry its mobile legacy forward. 
A post by a Nokia Community Manager on Reddit suggested that the company is ‘open to collaborating with a large-scale mobile manufacturer,’ reigniting speculation about the brand’s return to phones.
While HMD Global once brought Nokia back into the smartphone game, it appears their run is nearly over. Nokia-branded phones have disappeared from HMD’s website, replaced by HMD-branded alternatives. The split also reflects a broader wind-down of Nokia’s licensing efforts, which once included TVs by Streamview, headphones by RichGo, and laptops by OFF Global-deals that now seem to be in the past.
HMD itself is facing challenges, including a retreat from the U.S. market. Meanwhile, Nokia has had to combat rumors of being acquired-most notably by Samsung-but strongly denied those reports. Financially, Nokia remains afloat: in Q1 2025, it posted an operating profit of €156 million on net sales of €4.39 billion. Its Q2 results are expected soon.
The big question: if Nokia truly seeks a new mobile partner, who should it be? Should an established giant like Xiaomi or Asus step in? Could we see a surprising twist, like Nvidia entering the fray with custom SoCs? Or perhaps it’s time to let go-the brand, for many, is just a shadow of its former self without the innovation that made it great.
From the N-Gage and 7600 to the E90 Communicator, Nokia’s past was filled with bold designs and unique ideas. Without that spirit-and direct involvement from Nokia-the name alone may not be enough to compete in today’s aggressive mobile landscape.