back to article The wait is over ... Nokia's BACK!

Anyone looking for the much-anticipated “New Nokia” to make a splashy comeback might have to wait a little longer. HMD gave a very low key launch to the new phone, the first Nokia-branded smartphones for two years*, at the weekend. The new device was announced in the Chinese language only, on a Sunday morning. It’s more a …

  1. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    Nokia

    Market have changed a lot, Nokia will take a lot of effort to get somewhere.

    They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there, if they make good their promise, and deliver good quality then they will be able to make inroads once more.

    But, as said, the market have changed, and it will take a *lot* of effort to make a dent.

    Do it right, and win.

    Do things wrong, and fail.

    Should be interesting to watch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there

      Do they??

      Quite a few will have bought Windows phones when Nokia had their name splashed all over them.

      Very few were impressed with the experience they got out of those mobiles.

      "Is there and app for that??"

      Not on a windows phone there isn't!

      1. lglethal Silver badge
        Go

        Re: They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there

        Just curious (based on your comment), but are there a large number of loyal Chinese Nokia customers?

        Was Nokia ever big in China? If so, then I can see what you mean, but if it was only ever big in the West then brand loyalty wont make such a big difference when the only planned market is China.

        As I have no data either way, I will watch what happens in the future with polite interest.

        1. Dan 55 Silver badge

          Re: They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there

          Nokia was huge in China. Nokia made China specific models like the 801T and put Symbian on them when Lumias were being sold (or, failing to sell) everywhere else because that's what China Mobile wanted.

          1. Andus McCoatover
            Windows

            Re: They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there

            Nokia huge in China? Surely you're joking? How can a Japanese company* possibly succeed in China?

            *Every 'merkan knows Now-keeah is Japanese. I've been corrected many times on my visits there when I said it was based in Finland ("Fin-land? What state is that in???").

      2. strangelybrown

        Re: They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there

        Actually, the Nokia WP phones were very good devices indeed from the 800/900 up to the 925. True, there wasn't an app for that, but then for the most part it the OS came with an embedded app (Office, SatNav, connected People Hub for FB/LinkedIn). The only other useful stuff was National Rail, and a few others - and they were present. Given I've never felt the need to play endless fruit or sweet themed versions of Connect 4, it was all good.

        Because I liked WP, I happily got a 950 when the 925 came up for replacement. It's obvious Nokia had left the party by that stage - the camera autofocus hardly functions (they all do it apparently), It's cost engineered to a point where a mid 80s edition of Buckeroo would feel more solid. WP/Win10 is usual MS effort - better in places, but missing so much from it's predecessor (people hub is especially poor comparatively). Apps? Couldn't tell you, as it still has all the onboard stuff I need. It is so much less than the sum of its parts now though.

        In short - Nokia WP Phones were really good, once you got over the misconception you need an app for literally everything in your life. Post Nokia WP (i.e. the 950/950XL). Just don't - MS took that bus and drove it off the cliff... on fire... Good job Elop.

        1. cambsukguy

          Re: They still have a couple of loyal customers here and there

          Hmm, the people I know with a 950 have a wildly different experience to you.

          The screen is beautiful, the camera is fast, the flash is very natural, the HDR is excellent and controllable, the UI is fast (because the processor is fast I imagine).

          I have dropped mine at least three times and have a small crack in the (flimsy) rear cover.

          Add the fact that it has a removable battery and an SD card slot and, as a previous 800, 920 and 1020 owner, I am very pleased.

          The fact that it costs less than half of what an iPhone costs is just icing on the cake - like you, I don't miss too much of the App gap.

          I also appreciate full Office and built-in maps/navigation.

    2. Steve Channell

      Re: Nokia

      The defining characteristic of a "Nokia phone" was clever software to make the battery last twice as long as the Market leader with exceptional call quality and text messaging.

  2. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    By the by, given the chance I will not try to do business in the smartphone/android market, as it is saturated. Rather, I will focus my efforts somewhere else where there is an open niche or market instead :)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Maybe the smartphone/flamethrower market?

      Or for the SA market, a phone whose battery self-combusts should there be 3 failed login attempts or a SIM swap...

  3. thomas k
    Thumb Up

    Welcome back!

    I hope they can make a go of it. My trusty old N900 is still plugging away, keeping me entertained at work with lovely classical music in stereo 5 nights a week, still on the original battery, too.

    1. mathew42

      Re: Welcome back!

      I miss my N900. Jolla is their successor, but sadly the tablet project failed.

      The phone sounds reasonable. If it has standard interface, is dual SIM and also supports a microSD card at the same time it will be worth a look. 4GB of ram sounds crazy for a low-end phone.

      1. Andus McCoatover

        Re: Welcome back!

        Jolla is their successor?

        Just went to Jolla shop. Everything's out-of-stock. Are they still going? Hope so.

  4. djstardust

    Whatever ....

    More landfill Android for the far east market.

    Nothing to see here, move along kids .....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Whatever ....

      Do you there's nothing to see in your post? I agree.

  5. Useless User

    Everyone loves a comeback... again?

    Who want's a bland looking Chinese badge-engineered NOKIA with a Chinese fork of Android?

    I'll stubbornly hold on to my N9 and my Lumia 920 until they fall apart ; )

    1. cambsukguy

      Re: Everyone loves a comeback... again?

      You will be waiting some time for the 920 to fall apart, my old one is still doing sterling service being worked all day by an offspring with unlimited data.

      I suspect the built-in battery is the limiting factor and only then for the majority that can't replace it.

      That and water/loss of course.

  6. ukgnome

    Looks like it will soon be time to ditch the apple.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      If you're impressed with that, why not go buy any other generic bland landfill droid?

    2. Lusty

      Re: ditch the Apple

      I would love it if this were true. I've had iPhones since the 3s (4s, 5s, 6s, and iPods galore) but every iteration has gotten a little worse for me to the point that I can barely use the MP3 player any more it just fills me with rage (interface design) and the wifi is up/down (and takes out my Sonos with it somehow) and phone signal is worse than ever. Also, no Apple, I don't want your FUCKING UPDATE!!

      I really don't want to switch to Android because, well, I understand computer security and privacy. That only leaves MS phone at the moment which isn't a real option. Someone needs to come up with a good option soon and I think they will make a killing because I know a lot of people fed up with iPhone not willing to go Android, and I know a bunch of people fed up of hoping their next Android will the "the one" and being similarly disappointed. How did we end up here, the future used to look so promising :(

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: ditch the Apple

        Please, Nokia or whoever you are - THINK DIFFERENT! This is just another featureless pile of bland steaming android dogturd. If you want to relaunch the Nokia brand do something different.

        Good solid build quailty. Removable/replaceable battery - maybe even different battery options - a slimeline one, and a chunky longlife one like you used to do! Not all of us are obessed by thinness. A proper OS designed and fit for purpose - not as somekind of eco-system lock-in or a spy in the works. Various camera options. Slide out proper querty keyboard. Useful apps built in.

        A significant part of the world is starting to call out for something different and either Nokia or Blackberry need to take the plunge and provide it. Heck, Nokia, even get into bed with Blackberry and fertilise the best bits of both systems/technologies together to find that niche market and leave all the kids with their teenage toys behind......

        1. cambsukguy

          Re: ditch the Apple

          But they all tried different OSs, none have sold, they all dies and WP only exists because it is basically free now with Win10 (by design of course).

          Since Win10 might even appear on phones unadulterated at some point, it will be even less difficult to keep the OS available.

        2. Dave 126 Silver badge

          Re: ditch the Apple

          It seems to me that you could get close to the phone you want if Moto's Mod system was open to other phone vendors, thus attracting more 3rd party developers of hardware attachments.

          It is better to have a physical keyboard as replaceable component - it can be swapped out if a key fails. The Moto MOD system phones have a small array of recessed plates, which can shunt power (both ways) and data between the phone an add-on such as a battery pack, loud speaker, zoom camera or projector. When attached, these add-ons look incorporated into the phone.

          There is no engineering reason that a good physical keyboard - QWERTY or BlackBerry style - wouldn't work well with such a system.

          1. Tom 64

            Re: ditch the Apple

            If you want to ditch the apple, have a look at Sony's latest flagships. They have been excellent since the Z4

      2. cambsukguy

        Re: ditch the Apple

        >That only leaves MS phone at the moment which isn't a real option.

        Because? Slurp, apps?

        Apps is valid I suppose if it matters to you but, excepting that, WP is very bit as good and better in many, many ways than competing systems.

  7. James 51
    Go

    An updated n900 (including the linux based OS (not android), removable micro sd and removable battery and hardware keyboard (stylus would be a nice bonus) with pureview would be a marginal seller but there would be nothing else out there like it.

  8. pear

    Hope it works

    Nokia produced some consumate pieces of enginering back in the day

    My Pureview 808 (now pretty much retired) is simply the most brilliant phone and way ahead of its time. The camera is amazing, it can handle recording stereo sound at heavy metal gigs, great headphone output. Had offline GPS, and various other cool stuff - back in 2012. Now all we get is these flimsy battery draining slabs.

    Sadly they will probably just mostly be following the crowd

  9. MJI Silver badge

    Nokia branded but not Nokia

    Just a generic mobile telephone with a Nokia sticker on it.

    I remember the N8 fondly

  10. Anna Logg

    I struggle to see these as "Nokia" phones in any meaningful sense when there is no Nokia DNA / IPR in them, it's a 3rd party product with a Nokia sticker on it.

  11. wyatt

    My 9N has network issues, frequently drops connections or I'd keep using it, a shame as it is a lovely phone (64GB version). I had a N8 before that which was also not bad. Currently rocking a Jolla Sailfish (1) which is ok, but as with all phones has its limitations.

    What the replacement will be I don't know. Not a massive fan of Apple or Android.

    A (rebranded) Nokia phone? Maybe, wonder if it can phone people well?

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    One thing has changed...

    It's Samsung who has the burning platform now.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    no 5G

    not unexpected, as the 5G standards are still up in the air...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: no 5G

      I don't know why anyone would care whether their phone includes 5G even when it is out. Is the multi hundred megabits that LTE-A is capable of not enough? What's the use case for more than that on a phone, even if you had unlimited data?

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