Nokia Phone Brand Licensing May See a New Change: Removal of "Exclusive" Status for HMD Global Sparks Speculation

Nokia Phone Brand Licensing May See a New Change: Removal of "Exclusive" Status for HMD Global Sparks SpeculationRecently, HMD Global quietly modified the description of its relationship with the Nokia brand in its marketing email footer. The original statement, "HMD Global Oy is the exclusive licensee of Nokia-branded phones and tablets," was changed to "This email address is now operated by HMD Global Oy, licensee of Nokia-branded phones

Nokia Phone Brand Licensing May See a New Change: Removal of "Exclusive" Status for HMD Global Sparks Speculation

Recently, HMD Global quietly modified the description of its relationship with the Nokia brand in its marketing email footer. The original statement, "HMD Global Oy is the exclusive licensee of Nokia-branded phones and tablets," was changed to "This email address is now operated by HMD Global Oy, licensee of Nokia-branded phones." This subtle change has sparked speculation about the future direction of Nokia brand phone licensing.

The original statement clearly stated that HMD Global was the "exclusive" licensee of Nokia-branded phones and tablets. However, the current statement removes the word "exclusive" and simply describes it as a "licensee" of Nokia-branded phones. This difference in wording raises questions: Will HMD Global no longer be the exclusive manufacturer of Nokia-branded phones and tablets? Will other companies produce tablets or phones under the Nokia brand in the future?

According to Nokiamob, a foreign media outlet, this change may indicate that HMD Global may have lost the exclusive manufacturing license for Nokia-branded products. Looking back at the history of Nokia brand licensing, in addition to authorizing HMD to manufacture "Nokia" branded phones, Nokia Finland has also authorized Streamview to launch "Nokia" branded televisions/set-top boxes, RichGo to launch "Nokia" branded headphone audio products, and OFFGlobal to launch "Nokia" laptops. However, since 2023, these licensed products have gradually ceased production/sales.

It is worth noting that the brand licensing agreement between HMD Global and Nokia will expire in March 2026. The removal of HMD Global's "exclusive" status may be a sign of changes to the agreement between the two parties, or it may simply be a description adjustment. However, regardless of the ultimate reason, this change suggests that Nokia brand phone licensing may be entering a new phase of development.

Currently, HMD Global has not made an official response to this matter, and Nokia has also remained silent. Regarding the future direction of Nokia brand phone licensing and whether new partners will emerge, we will have to wait and see.