Nokia-Branded 5G Phone Coming in 2020, Will Be ‘Affordable’: Report

The current crop of 5G phones carry top-of-the-line specifications and are very expensive.

By Gaurav Shukla | Updated: 22 August 2019 18:11 IST

Nokia-Branded 5G Phone Coming in 2020, Will Be ‘Affordable’: Report

HMD Global is currently in talks with chip maker for the upcoming 5G phone

Highlights

HMD Global is yet to introduce a 5G phone
Nokia 5G phone will be cheaper than current 5G smartphones
Huawei is also reportedly working on a cheap 5G phone

HMD Global, the Nokia brand licensee, is working on a value “flagship” 5G smartphone that will debut next year, the company's Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas told an online publication. Given pretty much every major smartphone brand is working on 5G phones, it is not a surprise that HMD Global also wants a part of the action, however the company is looking to differentiate in soon-to-be-crowded market by making it affordable. 5G is already available in countries like US, China, South Korea, and various European markets. As its footprint expands, the consumers will be looking for new devices and not everyone can go for a top-of-the-line flagship phone.

In a conversation with Digital Trends, Juho Sarvikas revealed that the upcoming Nokia 5G phone could cost half of what the current crop of 5G phones is priced at, which indicates at a pricing around $500-$600 (roughly Rs. 35,600- Rs. 42,700).

“We see a particular opportunity for us in bringing 5G to a more affordable segment as we enter the market,” Sarvikas told Digital Trends. “I would say affordable in relation to what's available today. I would love to see us at half of the price where you have 5G today.”

HMD Global is not the only smartphone maker that is looking to develop an affordable 5G smartphone, the likes of Huawei and MediaTek are also reportedly working together to launch a cheaper 5G phone in early 2020.

Sarvikas revealed that HMD Global is in talks with chipmakers for a solution to power the upcoming 5G phone. The company is also working with Nokia, which is a part of 5G network deployment for various carriers. Sarvikas didn't share any specifics about the upcoming phone, so we currently don't have an idea of what kind of features it might include. Hopefully, the company will share more details in the run up to its launch.

Meanwhile, HMD Global is getting ready to launch new smartphones at the upcoming IFA trade fair. The company's IFA press event is scheduled for September 5.

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