Nokia's Farewell: From Nostalgia Revival to HMD Independence, Memories Will Fade

Nokia's Farewell: From Nostalgia Revival to HMD Independence, Memories Will FadeHowever, this revival of nostalgia may also mark the end of the Nokia smartphone era. In May 2016, Nokia partnered with HMD, granting them the Nokia brand license

Nokia's Farewell: From Nostalgia Revival to HMD Independence, Memories Will Fade

For most people, Nokia is more than just a phone brand, it's a nostalgic memory. This May, Nokia brought back a classic model, the Nokia 3210, which was sold out within two days of its release. The only things left were memories and anticipation. This iconic phone, first released in 1999, created a sales miracle of 160 million units in an era before smartphones became mainstream.

Twenty-five years later, the Nokia 3210 revival retains the signature hourglass design, but features metal coating, a 2.4-inch IPS screen, a 1450mAh battery, built-in Himalaya and Migu Music apps, support for Alipay payments, and the classic Snake game.

However, this revival of nostalgia may also mark the end of the Nokia smartphone era. In May 2016, Nokia partnered with HMD, granting them the Nokia brand license. In August of this year, Nokia announced the official account closure and the official HMD platform took over operations. This move means that future products in the domestic market will no longer use the Nokia logo, instead adopting the HMD brand.

The recently released HMDSkyline phone is a prime example. While the front design replicates the Nokia N9, the back features the HMD logo. This phone boasts a 6.5-inch OLED screen with FullHD+ resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1000 nits. It has a 50MP front camera, a triple rear camera system consisting of a 108MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens. Powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, it comes with a 4600mAh battery, supports 33W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. It is only available in a 12GB+256GB storage configuration and retails for between 2999-3299 yuan (the price fluctuates with each restock).

Recent rumors indicate HMD is developing a phone called the Skyline G2, aiming to pay tribute to the Nokia Lumia 1020. This phone is expected to feature an FHD+ resolution OLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, a 4900mAh battery, and 33W wired charging. Renderings suggest the Skyline G2 will retain the metal contact points on the back, potentially supporting accessories like camera grips and wireless charging cases.

For context, the Nokia Lumia 1020 was released in 2013, running Windows Phone 8. It featured a 41MP, 1/1.5-inch Zeiss-certified lens, second-generation OIS optical stabilization, 3x lossless digital zoom, 4-second long exposure, and a combination of Xenon flash and LED fill light.

According to the HMD website, information about Nokia smartphones is being gradually removed and cleared, leaving only some feature phones. This suggests that HMD will no longer produce Nokia smartphones and will focus on building its own brand.

For those who have used Nokia phones, those memories may truly just be memories... The Nokia era may be over, but its classic designs and the nostalgia it evokes will forever be remembered.