• HMD did not have a new phone to showcase at MWC 24 this year, but instead announced the rollout of a toolkit for developers.
• The toolkit will serve as a platform for devs to design and build their own phones using HMD’s specifications and hardware at its core.
• The company also teased that an iconic Nokia phone model will be refreshed and debuted later this year.

HMD (it has since dropped the Global) did things a little differently at MWC 24 this year. Instead of showcasing of new smartphone for Day Zero, as it has done for the past seven years, the company launched a developer toolkit to serve as a platform for others to design and build their own phones.

Describing it as a platform for innovation, the developer toolkit is already up and running, with the downloadable kit being the first iteration, and HMD promising that more will be on the way.

“As part of its evolution, HMD is about making phones that are affordable, beautiful, desirable, and repairable. Or, to keep it simple, they help you get what you need without breaking the bank. That means creating devices that help tackle human tech challenges like e-waste and digital fatigue and make your life that little bit better,” the company explained in a press release.

“In short, the makers of Nokia phones since 2016 will create new HMD original devices, continue to sell Nokia phones, and work with exciting partners you definitely know as part of a multi-brand vision,” it added.

The company unpacked its thinking for this latest idea on the backdrop of an evolving mobile market. In recent years HMD has focused on elements like sustainability, repairability, and affordability, allowing the brand to remain solid as many other phone makers saw declines over the past few quarters.

It is with this in mind that the developer toolkit has been rolled out, as HMD aims to serve as more of a collaborator, with the platform designed to not only ring new devices to the fore built with HMD’s technology, which the company calls outfits, but also to spark innovation from developers to create new mobile-focused solutions.

“We are embracing open innovation, making sure people and businesses can augment their phone to fit their needs. We want to champion many people’s creativity — which is leaps and bounds beyond what we can achieve solo. The potential is endless,” the company enthused.

“These could be as simple as a fashionable outfit, an outfit with an extended battery, a payment terminal, barcode scanners, or even portable, connected medical equipment, it really is a blank canvas for creativity,” it added.

As for when we’ll see these outfits take shape and potentially hit the market, little is known at this stage, but for those who are fans of the Nokia Mobile brand, HMD did tease that a new device is in the offing.

To that end, an iconic past Nokia model will be refreshed and unveiled later this year.

“You’ll continue to see Nokia phones and we will bring back an iconic phone this summer. You’ll also see a stellar line up of exciting new brands coming to you this year,” it hinted.