HMD Global pledges affordable 5G smartphone

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HMD Global pledges affordable 5G smartphone
Sanmeet Singh Kochhar presenting the new line-up of HMD Global's Nokia devices in Dubai on Tuesday.

Dubai - Nokia maker working with key industry partners to bring next-gen standard to more users

By Alvin R. Cabral

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Published: Tue 29 Oct 2019, 2:01 PM

Last updated: Tue 29 Oct 2019, 4:33 PM

Finland's HMD Global officially rolled out its new Nokia handsets in the UAE on Tuesday, capping another year in which it has successfully brought the iconic mobile phone brand back into the consciousness of consumers.
It also made sure that it continues to ride on its pledge to bring flagship capabilities to friendlier price points: The banner device of the latest line-up, the Nokia 7.2 - which is the brand's first triple-lens camera with a 48MP main sensor - starts at only Dh999.
This has always been one of HMD Global's objectives, offering phones "designed to bring in smartphone experiences at lower price points and make it more affordable for users to buy", Sanmeet Singh Kocchar, the company's general manager for the Middle East, told Khaleej Times at an event on Tuesday.
"We see that a lot of people that earlier may have used a [higher] price-point phone are now very happy buying one from the Nokia series."
"With the Nokia 7.2 we aim to push the limits on what fans can get from one of our popular Nokia 7 series smartphones," Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer of HMD Global, said in a statement, adding that the new phone is "for aspiring creators across the world at a truly incredible price".
The price game goes the same for 5G devices. At this point in time, smartphones that are able to support the next-generation mobile standard are priced quite high; HMD Global aims to bring its same game plan to this spectrum.
"Our vision is to get 5G to everyone. We're working on more affordable 5G devices," he said, pointing out that HMD Global and Nokia are working with key industry partners, including Qualcomm and Google, on how "we can get the best 5G experience at an affordable price".
The company also sees no rush to launch 5G devices, given the current state of the new standard.
"The [5G] ecosystem still has some issues, but it will eventually come together at some point," he added. "It's difficult to say whether we should go first or operators should go first; everyone needs to work together because this will remarkably change the way we work."
HMD Global in September said at a briefing that, indeed, a 5G Nokia phone is coming in 2020. Kochhar declined to give further details.
Apart from the Nokia 7.2, HMD Global also officially rolled out the Nokia 6.2, the first in the 6 series to don a triple camera and PureDisplay. It also has battery life of up to two days.
Completing the cast are the Nokia 800 Tough, the first rugged device from HMD Global; the Nokia 110 feature phone and another retro offering, the Nokia 2720 Flip, a clamshell phone reminiscent of a trendy form factor from the past.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com
 


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