Nokia’s Android Smartphones To Be Made In India

Nokia beats Apple, for once.

The much beloved Nokia recently rose like a phoenix with a slew of Android phones, some of which have been announced, and some of which are still under wraps.

These phones, while not top-drawer devices, still caught the fancy of millions of fans the world over. Built on Android (given that Windows Mobile is a dying platform), these smartphones are from the budget-range of the smartphone spectrum — but built solidly, priced well, and enabled with decent processing capabilities, they may just reestablish Nokia.

Now, word is that these new Nokia Android phones — specifically, the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will be manufactured in India!

The news comes from HMD Global’s India VP Ajey Mehta, who has reportedly said that the smartphones will be manufactured through Foxconn in India.

One could see this as a smart move to get the complete tax benefits in a country that already has quite a big audience for the said phones.

The phones are expected to be in the market by June, and if they are manufactured within the country then the company can avail the tax benefits for the same, and gain itself more return on each buck. “By June, these products will be launched globally and India will serve as a key market for us again. Our attempt is to source 100 per cent from the country because of tax benefits”, said Mehta.

Nokia, the brand, is now run by HMD Global. Constituted by ex-Nokia employees, HMD basically possesses the rights to use the brand name, while being an entirely different company.

Reading some of the assessments post the announcement of this trio from Nokia, one could believe that the trio has not received a very positive feedback from critics. They say that the market has moved on to bigger and better phones, while Nokia is grappling at the basics n all respects — but critics have been wrong before.

There are three facts no one can deny:

1. App fatigue is a very real phenomena now. Most people have the need for less than 5 apps, so having an over-competent phone is like having a supercar in the crowded bylanes of Old Delhi.
2. A lot of people are tired of having super computers in their pockets — costs, weight, pocket-ability, single-hand use and most importantly, the inability of today’s super-smartphones to retain battery charge long enough, are all big issues
3. Not everyone needs super-smartphones — decent screens, mid-level processors, and the ability to install/uninstall apps from a resplendent app store, are often all that people look for, from their phones these days.

So, while Chip-Monks believes there’s a huge market for simpler phones like those that Nokia is trying to remind people of (and it would succeed over time), there is also an undeniable fact that competition in the market is brutal. So, for Nokia’s overly simplified phones to survive, they do, absolutely, need to be priced right and be able to meet the fundamental expectations of the masses.

In such a competitive space then, what might work out well for Nokia, is the nostalgia that is attached to the brand name. HMD has been smart is playing on to that, especially with the announcement that they will be bringing back to the market the quite beloved Nokia 3310.

Now that HMD Global has confirmed that the phones will be manufactured in India, one can be certain that their prices will be proportional to (if not lesser than), those announced for the European markets. One can also be certain that it is not only the brand that will enjoy the benefits of manufacturing in India, but the market as well — seeing how the additional costs of bringing the phone to an international market can be spared.

The devices will be hitting the stores in June this year, and we can be hopeful that Nokia-HMD play this one out intelligently!

Originally published at Chip-Monks.