HMD Global, the home of Nokia Smartphones, launched Nokia 8.3 5G in September 2020. While it was HMD’s first 5G phone, it was also the first device with global 5G support.
5G global roaming support for the Nokia 8.3 5G means you can take the phone anywhere where there’s 5G, and presumably, you will be able to connect without any issues.
This was achieved by packing all the 5G bands on this device (You know, the low-, mid-, and high-band 5G).
- Also, Read: 5G Bands Explained
At around Ksh 69,000, the phone wasn’t dirt cheap, thus inaccessible to the masses. But in 2021, HMD Global plans to take 5G to the masses around the world. And the company’s relentless focus on the mid-range and budget segment positions them well to deliver the superior 5G experience to everyone.
Perhaps that’ll mean you should expect the company’s lower mid-range and budget series to get 5G-compatible devices.
And this will not be surprising at all after the world’s largest chipmaker Qualcomm announced plans to roll out 5G compatible chips for budget smartphones.
In January, the American chipmaker announced a new Snapdragon 4-series, SDM 480, with 5G support. The Snapdragon 480 will power budget Android phones in the $125 to $250 range.
So perhaps if Nokia plans to bring 5G to the masses, they will surely bet on this chip. And Qualcomm also has Snapdragon 6-series chips with 5G support which targets phones in the $300 to $500 range.
Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek also has been reported to launch a budget mid-range 5G processor to rival Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 480, so HMD will have plenty of options to choose from in its quest to bring 5G to the mass market.
For the time being, the company is yet to reveal which Nokia-branded budget 5G phones we should anticipate to see this year and exactly when.
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