HMD Global, the manufacturer of Nokia-branded smartphones, has made history by becoming the first significant smartphone manufacturer to produce products in Europe with the release of its first manufactured-in-Hungary 5G model.
“We are thrilled to be manufacturing the Nokia XR21, our signature rugged 5G smartphone, in Europe,” co-founder, chairman, and CEO of HMD Global, Jean-Francois Baril said.
Before HMD established its operations in Hungary, there was no significant smartphone manufacturing in Europe because big manufacturers like Apple and Samsung produced their products in Asia to reduce costs.
China, a significant market for the American corporation, produces the majority of Apple’s iPhones.
However, in recent years, worries over national security have increased, leading the U.S. to impose technical sanctions on Huawei’s mobile business and China to tighten restrictions on the use of iPhones by government officials.
“We are dedicated to investing in security, technology and manufacturing processes that make our devices more secure and longer lasting,” Baril added.
The first European model, according to HMD, was created for business customers, some of whom had asked for more security in collaboration with their IT security partners.
In order to produce Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets, HMD and Nokia Oyj, formerly the world’s largest phone manufacturer, entered into an exclusive 10-year licencing arrangement in 2016.
According to the company, the Nokia XR21 European variant starts at 649 euros or 549 pounds.
A limited edition of 30 frosted platinum units from the European production line will start selling for 699 euros or 599 pounds on the company’s website.
