Tomislav Himbele, HMD Global’s Head of Marketing for Eastern Europe revealed that new Nokia phones will launch on the Old Continent in Q2 2017, adding that the company is currently aiming to release its upcoming offerings in the second half of the quarter. While speaking to a Croatian tech magazine Bug, Himbele confirmed the vague Q2 2017 release window for the Nokia 3310 (2017) that HMD Global already announced at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), but also provided a more specific timeframe for its release by saying how all of the upcoming Nokia phones will start hitting the European markets in either May or June. HMD Global’s marketing official also said that the Nokia 3310 (2017) will be available through numerous wireless carriers in Europe and implied that the same will hold true for the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and the Nokia 6.
Himbele noted how the price tags of the aforementioned Nokia devices may be somewhat higher to that announced by HMD Global at MWC 2017. The exact pricing details will likely vary by territory as not all European countries have the same value-added tax (VAT). For example, German wireless carriers and retailers will probably stick to the prices HMD Global announced in Barcelona earlier this month as the VAT in Germany is 19 percent, but the same won’t hold true for Croatia where the VAT is 25 percent. Likewise, prices in Hungary are expected to be somewhat higher to those recently unveiled by HMD Global as Hungary’s 27-percent VAT is currently the highest one in Europe and will almost certainly influence the price tags of Nokia’s upcoming devices.
Finally, Himbele also revealed that HMD Global has ambitious plans for the future as the company is looking to become one of the top three smartphone manufacturers in the world within the next three years. It remains to be seen whether the Nokia brand will manage to gain so much traction in a relatively short period of time, but HMD Global’s recent statements — this one included — indicate the company certainly doesn’t lack ambition. In related news, several British retailers already confirmed pre-orders for Nokia’s upcoming phones are starting soon and the Nokia 3310 (2017) is seemingly enjoying an “unprecedented” demand in the United Kingdom.