Nokia Brand is Back! Should Other Smartphone Companies Be Worried?

On Sunday - January 8, 2017, HMD Global Oy - the company that now licenses Nokia phones - unveiled the new Nokia 6 Android handset heralding the legendary Finnish brand's return to the mobile devices game.

Flaunting a 6000 series aluminum unibody shell, currently China-only midrange model Nokia 6 is equipped with a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display protected by 2.5D curved scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass touchscreen, a 16 MegaPixel autofocus rear camera with phase detection autofocus and f/2.0 aperture, 8 MP f/2.0 front cam for selfies, non-removable 3,000 mAh battery pack, 4G LTE support, Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, dual amplifiers and Dolby Atmos audio enhancement technology.

At its heart, this release runs its Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit 1.4 GHz Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, has 4GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, and comes with a sizable 64GB of internal storage.

Supplementary Reading: Nokia 6 2017 Android Smartphone

Nokia 6 has an SRP of 1,699 CNY or around Php 12,150 with current conversion and before taxes

During its heydays, Nokia was a true tech titan; Holding the 'top handset vendor' title for more than a decade and leaving all of competitors in the dust. But since its epic downfall following the 'burning platform' brouhaha of 2009 and Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's mobile devices business, the smartphone industry landscape has changed dramatically

With those facts in mind, I asked my readers and friends on Facebook if they think other smartphone companies should be worried about Nokia brand's resurgence.

Here are some of the best answers:

"The tech giant of Finland is back! Should other brands be worried? Yes, because almost all of us used Nokia phones back then! There's no surprise [if a big] group of people [would] buy the Nokia 6! Nokia [was] norm of phones back then! Not to mention that Nokia [phones have some of the] the best cameras in the world! With that Carl Zeiss Lens/Optics, [new Nokia phones can attract consumers who choose handsets based on camera quality.]" - Johan Villanueva

"For me, I think it is quite early to say [if] other OEMs should be worried [about] Nokia's comeback. [After all,] it is the first time that the newly released Nokia-branded phone will be built by Foxconn's FIH Mobile Division and headed by HMD Global Oy. Build quality will be a consideration and will surely be compared to older Nokia phones built in-house by Nokia as a benchmark. If the new Nokia-branded phones will surpass the previous Nokia phones' quality and ease of use and will give something special about the phone, I think, other OEMs should be worried to the newly released Nokia-branded phone." - Pat Evangelista

"Yes all brands must be worried because Nokia has its unique charm and that charm cannot be found anywhere else. [Back then,] Nokia died because someone killed it. [Now that Nokia is reborn, I don't think they'll make the same mistakes. This comeback is a great way to correct errors of the past." - Roger Canezo

"Other brands should be worried if Nokia made something that will be a crowd pleaser specially if users will be introduced to a new innovation because Nokia as we know it, never ceases to impress their loyal users. As the HMD's site explains, they made a phone that is made from user's demands and needs without sacrificing some features that the user really needs. But who knows if Nokia has something up on it's sleeve to cope up with the vast number of iOs and Samsung users." - Emmanuel Rigo Bantad

"This is a Nokia smartphone, however this is not Nokia's smartphone. HMD Global Oy is just using their brand name. It's like Motorola. You still see Moto smartphones but Lenovo is pulling the strings. I'd rather wait for the real Nokia." - Nikko James

"Nokia is now the darkhorse for all mobile devices. They can beat Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, and even Apple itself. However, problem will be the design as Microsoft bought the design patents outright but will license Nokia’s 30,000 utility patents patents for 10 years. I can still consider going back to Nokia if the specs are good and the price is right." - Joseph Darwin Co

My fellow bloggers Raffy Pedrajita and Ryan San Juan have similar opinions: "It's too late. Unless they come up with something new. Based on Nokia 6 - same design as others, same features, same specs, nothing spectacular. People will probably be curious, but it's not enough to win loyalty."

"Yes, [other brands should be worried] if and only if the people's expectations - based on their previous experience as Nokia phone owners - will be satisfied by HMD. [New Nokia-branded phones should have] long battery life, great camera with Carl Zeiss lens, great UI [that's different from competing devices], great ecosystem, and something really unique that differs Nokia from all other phones. [HMD also has to handle Nokia's branding properly.] - DK Sandimas

"If [HMD] will release reasonably priced devices with good specs then, yeah, they might skyrocket to the top again. I have an LG V20 now, I am excited on as to what Samsung will release and I am wondering if I should give Asus a chance 'coz the Zenfone AR is really promising. If Nokia would be able to compete with other tech giants, why not go for Nokia again? Besides, Nokia was known to build quality devices." - RJ Navarro Gariguez

"Yes, other brands should be worried, because Nokia is one of the pioneers in mobile technology. [Nokia as a company has] something to prove." - Jeff Borja

"In my opinion, Mark, Nokia's comeback is a celebration because the legendary brand has risen from the dead! But it's not that big of a deal now since other brands are already sprouting like a mushrooms just to join the Android bandwagon." - Alex Abing

"They should because Nokia is a legend that comes back to life after a decade of sleep. [The image of Nokia as a maker of tough phones that survive everyday use] has been passed down to [the new generation of consumers]." - Jayson Panti

"I guess [other brands have] nothing to worry about. [Nokia's competitors will] just have to focus on the design and development of their future flagship releases, and improve their marketing strategies." Juan Paolo II

Well, here's what I have to say about Nokia Brand's return:

"There's certainly enough value left in Nokia's image as a maker of durable handsets with great imaging capabilities. Consumers who saw Nokia at its strongest (back in the 2000's) still remember the brand's legend and as pointed out by some of you, even the younger generation is aware of Nokia's achievements in the past. However, HMD would do well not to rely on Nokia's branding alone to be successful. If Nokia were to regain global sales leadership, they will have to come up with devices that truly lead the industry in terms of design, build, specs, features, and innovations. They'll have to give all that to consumers all while making sure that their products are priced very competitively. That's the challenge for HMD Global Oy. Unless they can do that, I don't think they'll be able to pose a serious threat to other smartphone makers -- not in today's mobile industry."