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

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 7 Plus leaks: Device said to sport dual-camera set-up, 18:9 screen

HMD Global, the company behind resurrecting the Nokia brand, is reportedly working on a smartphone with the futuristic 18:9 aspect ratio screen. The smartphone, dubbed Nokia 7 Plus, would feature a dual-camera set-up on its back.

The Nokia 7 Plus is going to be the first smartphone from the stable of HMD Global to follow the ultra-wide aspect ratio screen, which has been trending in the global smartphone space since last year.
In terms of features and specifications, a photo post on Chinese social media portal Baidu reported that the phone would sport a 6-inch screen. The screen would have Gorilla Glass for protection against scratches and accidental falls.

It is also expected to feature a metallic build. The smartphone could run on Android Oreo, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, mated with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, expandable via microSD.

India among its top 3 markets: Nokia phone maker HMD Global

HMD Global, which designs and sells Nokia brand of smartphones and feature phones, on Tuesday said India has become one of its top three global markets within 11 months of launch.

HMD Global is also pumping in significant investment into the Indian market as it looks to become one of the leading players in the country in the next 3-5 years.

"We started our journey very short 11 months ago... India is already among our top 3 markets... There is a potential in India to become our biggest country...because of the country size and also combination of our position as Nokia in the past," HMD Global CEO Florian Seiche told PTI.

He added that the company has introduced a line-up of 11 devices -- both feature and smartphones -- across various price points to cater to various consumer segments in the country.

The other two top markets for HMD are Russia and Indonesia.

HMD Global today launched Nokia 2, its most affordable smartphone that will be available from mid-November. While the exact price was not disclosed, Seiche said it is expected to retail at about 99 euros (nearly Rs 7,500).

The handset features a 5-inch display and 4,100 mAh battery that HMD claims will last for two days.

"USD 100-150 price point is one of the most popular segments and is 17 per cent of the global market volume. In India, this segment is even bigger at 30 per cent of the volume," he said.

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Nokia confirms global availability of its smartphones; coming soon to India

Finnish tech firm Nokia, which made a comeback with three Android-based phones -- Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) -- has confirmed that the handsets will be available globally this year.

Parent company HMD Global announced the handsets during the MWC.

"We're planning on a global release so yes they will be. Get the latest updates by registering at http://Nokia.com/phones," the Nokia Mobile Twitter account said in its reply to a Nokia fan query.


@ashutoshkaushal The products will be released globally in Q2, 2017 (April-June). Register at https://t.co/waNGfPppQ8 for updates .

— Nokia Mobile (@nokiamobile) March 25, 2017

Nokia 6 features a 5.5-inch full-HD screen and is crafted from a single block of 6000 series aluminium. The device will be available in four colours -- matte black, silver, tempered blue and copper.

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