Who will now manufacture Nokia phones? Company exploring new partnerships with large-scale mobile manufacturers due to...

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is currently seeking partnerships with large-scale mobile phone manufacturers to produce its devices, according to a post shared by a company executive on a social media community platform. The company is presently in a global licensing agreement with HMD Global, which owns and operates Nokia’s mobile division. In 2024, HMD Global began marketing Nokia devices under its own brand.

Nokia-HMD Global Licensing Agreement

In a Reddit post, Nokia’s community manager invited major mobile manufacturers to connect via the company’s website to explore collaboration opportunities. This move suggests that Nokia is actively looking for new ways to sell phones with its branding, as its current 10-year licensing deal with HMD Global is set to expire in 2026. There is also a possibility that the agreement could be renewed, as HMD Global owns Nokia’s mobile division, which it acquired from Microsoft in 2016.

To understand the context, it’s essential to examine the events that occurred between 2016 and 2024. HMD Global was formed in May 2016 by former Nokia executives to revive the iconic brand. The company signed a decade-long licensing deal with Nokia to produce and market its phones, which had previously been sold under Microsoft’s Lumia branding. However, in February 2024, HMD Global launched Android smartphones under its branding, limiting the Nokia name primarily to feature phones.

Nokia’s Future Beyond HMD Global

These developments indicate that Nokia is now looking beyond HMD Global for potential collaborations. With the licensing deal expiring in 2026, Nokia will be free to enter new agreements with other manufacturers who could produce, market, and distribute smartphones under the Nokia brand. However, neither Nokia nor HMD Global has officially disclosed what will happen once the current agreement ends.