HMD Global, the licensee of Nokia-branded smartphones, has become the first major smartphone company to produce devices in Europe, and its first 5G model made in Hungary – aimed at customers interested in data security – is now on sale.
“We are very excited to produce the Nokia XR21, our signature rugged 5G smartphone, in Europe,” Jean-Francois Baril, co-founder, chairman and CEO of HMD Global, said on Tuesday.
“We are committed to investing in security, technology and manufacturing processes that make our devices safer and longer lasting.”
Before HMD opened its Hungarian operations, Europe had no large-scale smartphone production, as major companies like Apple and Samsung make their phones in Asia to cut costs.
HMD said the first European model was designed for business customers, some of whom had requested additional security in collaboration with their IT security partners.
The company already stores data in the European Union, with consumer and business data from all its smartphones kept and processed on servers in Finland since 2019.
The company signed a 10-year exclusive licensing deal in 2016 with Nokia Oyj, once the world’s largest phone maker, to make Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets.
It said in March it would start manufacturing in the European Union, which has encouraged companies to set up production in key sectors such as semiconductors.
The European edition of the Nokia
A limited edition of 30 units of the European production line in matte platinum will be available for purchase on the company’s website starting at 699 euros, the statement said.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
