Nokia may get licensed by a new smartphone brand after HMD split

Nokia might be working on a new licensing deal with another smartphone manufacturer following their separation from HMD Global. The first signs of unease between companies showed last year when Nokia-branded phones were unlisted from HMD’s official website 12.

In 2023, HMD announced that they will be expanding their portfolio by launching their own smartphone brand. Initially, HMD and Nokia devices were to co-exist, but now it appears as both companies are taking different directions.

According to a Reddit post made by a Nokia Community Manager, the company is open to collaborating with a large scale mobile manufacturer. People responding to the thread were quick to point out that the thread wasn’t the best place to find manufacturers.

Nokia has previously licensed their brand across multiple categories. This includes TVs with Streamview, headphones and mobile accessories with RichGo, and laptops with OFF global. Of course, these agreements have already ended.

Last year, HMD scaled back from US operations citing economic and geopolitical challenges. Meanwhile, Nokia seems to be doing well judging by the numbers.

In Q1 2025, Nokia reported having an operating profit of EUR 156 million on net sales of EUR 4.39 billion. The company is set to publish their results for Q2 2025 this Thursday.

It’s up in the air on which company will step in to do justice to the Nokia name, mobile-wise. For now, we’ll have to wait until the licensing agreement between HMD Global and Nokia expires in 2026. We’ll update readers should more details about inquiries be available.