Thoughts about foldable Nokia smartphone, fitness tracker, ecosystem of devices…
Few days ago we posted two interesting concepts of a foldable Nokia smartphone in the Nokia 2720 style. One had two separate screens when opened (like Surface Neo/Duo), while the other had one flexible display like the Motorola Razr. Based on the quick poll we did, more people liked the Razr approach and some information appeared online that a foldable Nokia smartphone might be something we could see in the (near) future.
Nokia smartphone with a #foldable display is ready. What do you think, is it worth HMD to release such a device? #nokia #nokiamobile #hmd #innovation #galaxyfold #huawei #samsung #Nokia2020 pic.twitter.com/Ke8VSW8Te4
— Nokia anew (@nokia_anew) January 14, 2020
NokiaAnew shared some interesting insights via Twitter. According to his source(s), Nokia Mobile has a foldable smartphone ready in their labs. Before getting too excited we should be aware that this can mean that there is a prototype ready and that device, if it exist, might never be launched. A lot of companies experiment with different devices and sometimes they cancel phones. A foldable Nokia smartphone is, of course, something everyone would be interested in seeing because the foldables market is still young and there is a lot of space in innovation.
Friends, we have an important question for you.
HMD had ready-made prototypes of smartwatches with Android Wear, power bank, wireless charging (it could be seen on #MWC19), fitness tracker, even a printer for printing mobile photos! All this was canceled.#nokiamobile
— Nokia anew (@nokia_anew) January 14, 2020
The same sources also claim that Nokia Mobile cancelled a lot of interesting projects, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, different wireless charging accessories (you need phones that support wireless charging first) and even a mobile photo printer. NokiaAnew asked on Twitter is an ecosystem of devices important and I guess no one could have anything against Nokia Mobile trying and experiment in different gadget categories.
I would like to point to Apple for demonstrating how a company can successfully enter and take over a new device category. The original iPhone came with a lot of innovation that set it apart from other smartphones in 2007/08/09 in terms of the way we use devices and I mainly mean touchscreen and an UI based on touch. After that, Apple stormed the tablet market and made the iPad a synonym for tablet. Apple Watch came a few years later and is the most sold watch on the planet right now, and recently with AirPods Apple took over the “earables” market and is continuing to lead the market, at least in terms of sales.
Does the brand need an ecosystem?
— Nokia anew (@nokia_anew) January 14, 2020
My point is that if Nokia Mobile decides to enter a new market segment it really needs to be a strong push and dedication to that market category needs to shown so that users don’t have to worry if their device will be discontinued tomorrow. Nokia with OZO, Nokia Health acquisition/sale is a good example how not to enter into new devices category. Microsoft Surface is a non-Apple example how to create a new device type – 2 in 1, convertible in Surface case. So, I understand why projects get cancelled. If you’re not confident that something will be successful in longterm, it’s better to use the resources for something else. On the other hand, you miss 100% shots you don’t take.
Anyways, what do you think would be a good approach for Nokia Mobile? Stick with phones until some breakthrough happens in the mobile space or try to do more things at once. The foldable category might be something Nokia Mobile might find its place in. Time will tell. 🙂
