HMD Global to adopt notch screen, resurrect X-series with Nokia X6: Report

A purported media invite on Weibo hints at a possible Nokia 6 launch in China on May 16. It shows a phone's notch screen with a launch date. Here's everything to know about recent Nokia smartphones

HMD Global, the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer behind Nokia-branded devices, might bring back the old Nokia X-series smartphones. The first smartphone in the series will purportedly be called the Nokia X6. And the official images shared by the company on the Chinese social media platform Weibo shows that the phone will sport a notch-based screen, a first for Nokia smartphones.

Those who have seen the original Nokia X-series devices would agree that those phones offered a value-for-money proposition. The series had its spot fixed between the premium Nokia N-series and the budget Nokia C-series, therefore it took cues from both. The X-series devices usually had a distinct design language, unconventional mostly, and featured a colourful outlook. The Nokia X7-00 with razor cut metallic design and unconventional pseudo speaker grilles on each corners was the last device of the X-series that came out.

Nokia X6 specifications and features

Speaking of the purported Nokia X6, the Android-based smartphone is expected to sport a notch-based 5.8-inch screen with a 19:9 aspect ratio on the front. The phone is expected to use either a MediaTek P60 system-on-chip (SoC) or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The earlier leak also hinted that the phone would sport dual camera set-up on the rear. However, just like original Nokia X-series, it may not feature Carl Zeiss lenses.

Nokia X6 launch

While nothing is officially confirmed about the said Nokia X6, a purported media invite shared on Weibo hints at a possible China launch on May 16. The said invite shows a phone’s notch-based screen cut-out with a launch date marked on it. However, the source of the invite could not be verified yet.

Recent Nokia launches

Nokia 8 Sirocco

HMD Global on April 4 launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco in India. Priced at Rs 49,999, the Nokia 8 will go on sale starting April 30 and be available only in black colour. The phone would go on sale either through Nokia phones' official portal or home-grown e-commerce portal Flipkart. The phone would also be available at select retail outlets like Sangeetha, Poorvika, Big C, Croma and Reliance Digital.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is an unconventional flagship smartphone with a premium design, top-tier innards, wireless charging, water-dust resistance and the Android One promise of guaranteed future OS updates. The phone’s camera might not impress everyone, especially those who like nightlife photography. But the three omni-directional Nokia OZO microphones compensate for that by allowing crisp sound recording, even during live jamming sessions.

Nokia 7 Plus

The Nokia 7 Plus is a mid-range premium smartphone with modern looks and smooth performance. It does not have top-tier innards, but it manages to run without any lag or jitters, even during demanding tasks. At Rs 25,999, the phone is an all-rounder with powerful battery, fast charge support, good screen and the Android One update promise.

Nokia 6 (2018)

Built on the blueprint of the original Nokia 6, the new Nokia 6 (2018) packs more power and performance. The phone is powered by Qualcomm 630 processor, coupled with 32GB internal storage and 3GB RAM. The phone is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery, which supports fast charge technology. According to company’s claim, the fast charger takes 30 minutes to charge over 50 per cent battery. The phone boasts a 16MP primary camera and 8MP selfie camera.

HMD Global India outlook

Since HMD Global entered the handset business in 2016, it has sold over 70 million devices. India, being one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets globally, is among the company’s top three global markets as the country shows better potential than other European markets.

After making a mark in the feature phone market within a year, HMD is now eyeing the top spot. The Finnish firm wants to clinch a significant share of the smartphone market that is currently dominated by Asian manufacturers.

Pekka Rentala, chief marketing officer of HMD, has set the standards of the local market as a global benchmark. Unlike earlier, when Nokia used to dominate the market, its market share is less than 10 per cent. The market has over 200 handset brands.

Rentala wants to rely on the nimbleness of a start-up, rather than taking the conventional approach. He wants to focus on strengthening distribution.

While, Nokia has an established e-commerce channel in Europe, penetrating offline and online distribution channels in India is crucial. However, the emergence of brands such as Vivo and Oppo had made the job difficult, he added. Instead of penetrating the market with high margins and discounts, Nokia will offer products that are value for money.

Nokia is KKR team's principal sponsor in IPL 2018

Nokia and the Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knoght Riders (KKR) franchise of Indian Premier League (IPL) have a history together. The Finnish mobile phone brand had been the principal sponsor of KKR from 2008 until 2014. However, after a gap of three years, HMD Global revived the association for two years starting with the present season (IPL 2018).