HMD Global Oy, the Finnish start-up behind the revival of Nokia-brand phones, yesterday gave an optimistic business outlook in Taiwan as it launched a midrange smartphone and a refreshed feature phone.
“We are not overly concerned with declining smartphone sales in Taiwan, and believe that the continued release of new models by Nokia and other brands would stimulate the market,” HMD Global general manager for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Sancho Chak (翟治豪) said at a product launch in Taipei.
Smartphone sales in Taiwan have hit a rough patch this year, with purchases plummeting to the lowest in a decade, local tech news Web site ePrice.com.tw said.
Sales fell to 490,000 units in April, down 8.5 percent annually and 23.1 percent from March, ePrice said.
Sales temporarily rebounded to about 520,000 units in May, but fell back to 450,000 units last month, the Web site said.
Market observers said that the decline was made worse by price wars between Taiwan’s telecom carriers, which have been offering steeply discounted unlimited 4G data plans, which do not come with discounts on phones.
However, Chak said that the company remains optimistic about the market for replacement devices that are purchased without a contract.
HMD Global has launched 16 phone models over the past 16 months as it seeks to meet the needs of different consumers, Chak said, adding that there would be no significant changes to its distribution strategy in Taiwan.
The company yesterday launched the mid-range Nokia 6.1 Plus smartphone — an international version of the Nokia 6X, which was released exclusively in China last month.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus is part of the Android One program and runs an unmodified version of the Android operating system to ensure the most fluid user experience and timely software updates, Chak said.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus runs Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box and is to upgrade to the upcoming Android P, Chak said, adding that the international version has noticeably different software from the Chinese variant.
The new Nokia 8110 feature phone runs an updated version of the KaiOS mobile operating system for feature phones, giving it modern capabilities including 4G Wi-Fi tethering, Google’s widely used search, assistant, maps and e-mail services, and YouTube.
The “refreshed” Nokia 8110 feature phone is not aimed at the niche market of older consumers, Chak said.
The company shipped more than 70 million handsets last year, a significant portion of which were feature phones, Chak said, adding that that 66 percent of buyers were “millennials” between the ages of 22 and 37.
HMD Global is to focus on digital marketing to build brand loyalty among younger people, who are less receptive to traditional marketing campaigns, Chak added.
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