Finnish company HMD Global, which is the licensee to distribute Nokia-branded phones globally, is mulling to introduce its HMD Global-branded devices in India by April 2024, the media has reported. The company intends to market both Nokia-branded phones and HMD Global phones until 2026. The difference between and Nokia devices and HMD Global-branded handsets will be more OS updates for the latter, as compared to rivals, says a report by 91Mobiles.
It is to be noted that Nokia handsets, made by HMD Global come with stock Android OS. HMD Global-branded models will also feature vanilla Android, the report added.
The report added, citing sources, that the HMD Global-branded devices will be aggressively priced and will be sold primarly via the online channels, which could be e-commerce platforms Amazon.in and Flipkart, among other online platforms. The Nokia devices, on the ther hand, will be sold via offline channels such as brick-and-mortar stores.
The Finnish tech major's initial focus will be on budget and mid-range phones during the launch phase, which would be gradually broadened into offerings in the flagship cateory.
Meanwhile, amid an overall declining smartphone market in India, HMD Global introduced HMD Easy Pay, a smartphone financing solution, in partnership with DMI Finance last month. HMD Global is intending to "redefine the way customers access and own Nokia smartphones". HMD Global expects its sales to get a boos of 25 per cent-30 per cent in the country, courtesy of the easy financing option.
It should be noted that South Korean tech giant had launched a similar financing solution that it calls Samsung Finance+ in 2019, which gives instant offers to prospective buyers.
Nokia Models Covered Under HMD Easy Pay Programme
To begin with, the HMD Easy Pay programme covers a number of Nokia-branded smartphone models, including the Nokia G42 8GB/256GB model, Nokia C32, Nokia C22 and Nokia C12 Pro, offering options to suit diverse customer preferences. HMD Easy Pay will essentially work by providing easy finance for Nokia smartphones, and ensure speedy loan approvals. It will also offer digital application process as well as offers, such as no-cost EMIs.