HMD Global’s three new Android smartphones will launch in Malaysia in Q2 2017, as part of the first wave of launch markets globally. Oh, and the new 3310 is set to come our way during that period as well.
As we reported at the end of last year, HMD Global inherited a large portion of the old Nokia’s distribution network and partnerships. This, alongside the fact that the company already has a small operations team in Malaysia, makes it fairly seamless for a re-entry into the market.
In an exclusive interview with Lowyat.NET, HMD Global’s VP of APAC, James Rutherfoord, also said that the company is in talks with various partners including telcos to carry Nokia devices once again.
What’s even more interesting is that HMD may even launch its own e-commerce platform to sell its devices direct to consumers here in Malaysia. Its execution is fairly similar to what Xiaomi initially worked on when it launched here in 2013, where consumers purchased direct from its official website.
Finally, with Malaysia being especially price-sensitive, it will be fascinating to see how HMD Global tackles the issue. Rutherfoord stated that HMD Global is not interested in taking part in the specs race, as “most of the devices don’t actually use all that hardware anyway.”
Instead, HMD Global will focus on the strengths of its products: design quality and simplicity, and the promise of “pure” Android even on lower-end products. The only visible optimisations are done on the camera, which is a Nokia hallmark anyway.
Nevertheless, it will be a very interesting period in the coming months. Welcome back to Malaysia, Nokia.
