Nokia has reclaimed the top spot on the feature phone market in Romania and in the entire Central and Eastern Europe because of its popularity in the past.
“Romania is one of three most important markets in CEE for Nokia. We are the market leader by value on the feature phone market in Romania and in the region and are a top five smartphone maker by value and volume,” Rossen Petkov, country manager of HMD Global for Romania and the Balkans, told ZF.
Nokia’s most important markets in the region are Russia, Serbia and Greece, where it is the leader of the feature phone segment.
HMD Global, a company with more than EUR13.5 million revenue was established in Espoo (Finland) in December 2016 and its goal was to resurrect the Nokia mobile phone brand, the leading brand until the emergence of the iPhone.
HMD Global launched its first Android-powered smartphone – Nokia 6 at the beginning of last year and the modern version of the iconic 3310 model. It later launched Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 8.
It started delivering high volumes in Romania last summer, and all the models launched in 2017 were quickly available in the country. Everyone was waiting for the 3310 model, and bringing it back to life helped tremendously in achieving recognition again and communicating, Petkov said.
Telecom operators generate 70% of the sales of Nokia phones in Romania.
The company has recently launched five new phones – Nokia 1, Nokia 6, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Scirocco smartphones and a feature smart model, 8110. This particular model was designed to ease feature phone users into a switch to smartphones, via the basic mobile apps on the 4G-enabled 8110, Rossen Petkov said.
HMD Global is targeting users to that have yet to switch to smartphones, offering feature smart and entry and mid-level smartphones.
This is what enabled the company to do so well in Romania, where most phones sold are priced at EUR50 to EUR250, the HMD official added.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)