HDM gives up, Nokia struggles to find a partner to revive the brand

According to a post on the Nokia subreddit, a Nokia Community Manager posted a notice stating that the company intends to license its brand.

The notice reads: "If you are a large-scale mobile phone manufacturer and would like to explore cooperation opportunities, please contact us."

The announcement comes shortly after the company ended its brand licensing partnership with HMD Global. The question now is whether Nokia brand licensing is still valid in the current context?

Notice from Nokia Community Manager looking for smartphone manufacturing partners.

Nokia finding a potential partner through Reddit is a bit odd. While Reddit is a good place to find information and discussion, it’s not the best place to find a company to buy or license a brand.

The previous deal reportedly allowed HMD to release smartphones and feature phones under the Nokia brand, but now Nokia is opening up the opportunity to partner with a "large-scale mobile phone manufacturer."

The news comes nearly two years after HMD announced it would be making smartphones under its own brand, although it will continue to offer feature phones under the Nokia brand. HMD's licensing agreement with Nokia is set to expire in 2026.

There have been rumors that Samsung is interested in buying Nokia’s networking business. However, Nokia has denied these rumors. Although Nokia is no longer the consumer technology giant it once was, the company still owns many valuable patents related to mobile and networking.

HDM has managed to build its own brand before the deal with Nokia ends in 2026.

HMD has invested in many Nokia-related patents and has hired many former employees of its Finnish compatriot. They have also launched some notable products such as the Nokia 9 PureView, but have not continued to develop many high-end phones.

Instead, HMD has shifted its focus to mid-range products and repairable phones. The company recently announced it was exiting the US market due to a “challenging geopolitical and economic environment.”

With the announcement coming from Nokia, the question remains whether a “bigger brand” can do better for the Nokia name than HMD did before. A bigger company can offer more premium products and has strong marketing resources.

However, the Nokia brand seems to have weakened in the eyes of younger consumers, making it harder than ever to compete with giants like Samsung and Apple.