HMD Quietly Pulls Nokia Out of the U.S.

8 years after HMD licensed the Nokia brand for a new family of smartphones, feature phones, and tablets, the company is quietly exiting the U.S. market. Nokia-branded phones are still sold elsewhere in the world.

As noted by The Verge, the U.S. version of the HMD website still lists all of its Nokia phones, tablets, and accessories, but the “Where to buy” links no longer function and its web-based store is gone. And now, the company has acknowledged that it will “scale back its U.S. operations.”

“Like many global businesses, HMD is navigating a challenging geopolitical and economic environment,” an HMD statement explains. “After careful consideration, we have made the decision to scale back our US operations. Our priority is ensuring a seamless transition for our customers and partners. We will continue to honor all ligations, including warranty coverage and service for existing products, and provide full support through our global teams. We deeply value the contributions of our US colleagues impacted by this change and are committed to supporting them during this transition. HMD remains focused on long-term growth, with strong momentum across our mainstream business and key segments such as Family, Secure, and Microfinancing.”

Based on that, it appears that the chaotic new U.S. tariffs were probably the final straw for a company that can’t have sold too many devices in this market to begin with.

HMD–which stands for “Human Mobile Devices”–was formed by former Nokia executives in 2016 to continue the company’s legacy in mobile after Microsoft killed Windows Phone and its Lumia phones and took a $7.6 billion impairment charge related to its 2014 acquisition of the Nokia devices and services businesses. The company announced its first Nokia-branded smartphone in 2017 albeit only in China, but it expanded its families of devices and market availability over the next few years. It announced its entry into the U.S. market in early 2019.

Since then, HMD began selling phones with its own brand, and it’s had some interesting brand partnerships, including one tied to the 2024 Barbie movie. But this is a tough fall for what used to be the world’s biggest maker of smartphones: HMD claims that the company has sold a cumulative 400 million devices worldwide as of 2023, but that includes accessories, and a 2022 report about its financial situation concluded that the situation there was “bleak.” HMD is privately held, so it doesn’t release regular financial reports.

Still, looking over its website, I like what it’s trying to do, and it does offer a nice range of devices. Just not in the United States anymore.