HMD Global, the licensee of Nokia-branded smartphones, has become the first major smartphone company to make devices in Europe, with its first 5G model made in Hungary – aimed at customers interested in data security – which is now available for purchase. Available for.
“We are thrilled to manufacture our signature rugged 5G smartphone, the Nokia XR21, in Europe,” Jean-Francois Baril, co-founder, chairman and CEO of HMD Global, said on Tuesday.
“We are dedicated to investing in safety, technology and manufacturing processes that make our devices safer and longer-lasting.”
Before HMD started Hungarian operations, there was no large-scale smartphone manufacturing in Europe as major companies like Apple and Samsung made their phones in Asia to cut costs.
HMD said the first European model was designed for enterprise customers, some of whom requested additional protection in conjunction with their IT security partners.
The company already stores data in the EU, with consumer and corporate data from all of its smartphones since 2019 being held and processed on servers in Finland.
The company in 2016 signed an exclusive 10-year licensing agreement with Nokia Oyj, once the world’s largest phone maker, to manufacture Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets.
It said in March it would begin manufacturing in the European Union, which is encouraging companies to set up production in key sectors such as semiconductors.
The company said that the Nokia XR21 European edition is priced at EUR 649 (approximately Rs 56,500).
It added that a limited edition of 30 units from the European production line in frosted platinum will be available to purchase from the company’s website for 699 euros.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
