A while back, we got word that HMD Global was planning to launch its own line of Android smartphones, a surprising move given that the company is heavily tied to Nokia's mobile business. With that in mind, it looks like the company is getting closer and closer to launching its debut smartphone.

More specifically, diagrams and key details regarding the device - with model numbers TA-1585 and N159V - were spotted via the GSMA IMEI database.

Based on a manual included in the listing, it's also expected that the phone might be designed by HMD Global for M-Kopa, a company based in Africa. Furthermore, the manual shows some branding on the rear panel with the M-Kopa logo, alongside the words "Designed by HMD". Referred to as the "M-Kopa X1" in the manual, it's speculated that the device might be a rebranded variant of the Nokia C32.

With that being said, there's no word on pricing or availability at the moment, although it is interesting to see this move from HMD Global. The company did state that its smartphones will co-exist with Nokia's own devices for the time being.

While Nokia is usually known for its mobile devices, the company also makes a ton of profit from providing networking solutions such as Wifi routers and 5G equipment. However, it looks like things haven't been so peachy lately for the Finnish telecommunications giant.

In what is essentially the latest entry in a series of massive tech layoffs, Nokia recently announced that it will terminate 14,000 jobs in a bid to cut costs, following a considerable 20% drop due to weakening demand for 5G equipment. The latter is attributed to a slowdown of demand from the North American market, although the company has also attempted to establish growth in other markets like India.

In an interview with Reuters, Nokia Chief Executive Pekka Lundmark explained the circumstances influencing this decision:

The market situation is really challenging and it is witnessed by the fact that in our most important market, which is the North American market, our net sales are down 40% in Q3.

Following this massive layoff, Nokia is hoping to save up to 800 million euros ($842 million) and 1.2 billion euros by 2026. This reduction in personnel is expected to bring down the company's employee base from 86,000 down to between 72,000 and 77,000.

Recently, chip manufacturer Qualcomm also announced that it will be terminating around 1,200 employees, due to "continued uncertainty in the macroeconomic and demand environment," according to the company.

Nokia recently announced that it launched a limited-edition version of the Nokia XR21, with an attractive-looking black and white color scheme priced at around $730 (when converted). The company says that only 50 pieces of the limited-edition model were manufactured, and it looks like the phone has already sold out on Nokia's official website. As per Nokia's original announcement:

The Nokia smartphones story continues to unfold with our new European assembly line. To mark the occasion, we've produced just 50 Nokia XR21 Limited Edition devices, assembled and tested closer to home. We've made 30 of them available so that you can be a part of the story.

Each one bears a unique engraving identifying it as a limited-edition device. With their Frosted Platinum coloring, 4 years of monthly security updates and software upgrades up to Android 15, Nokia XR21 Limited Edition is an elegant and enduring piece of smartphone history.

In terms of hardware, the phone's specs remain mostly the same, save for the different color scheme. The XR21 features MIL-STD-810H level durability, a 6.49-inch IPS LCD display, and runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, backed by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. For optics, there's a dual-camera setup on the rear panel with a 64MP and 8MP camera combo, joined by a 16MP camera on the front.

Other details include a 4800 mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, stereo speakers, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Nokia's focus on giving Android users budget-friendly smartphones is on a steady trajectory, and the Finnish manufacturer has added two new handsets to its North American device offering, the Nokia G310 and Nokia C210. The phones will be available via T-Mobile, and are priced to compete with similarly-affordable devices from Motorola, for example.

The Nokia G310 comes with a 6.56-inch IPS LCD screen with a 720 x 1612 pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass 3, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 480+ 5G chipset, a triple camera setup with a 50MP main sensor, 8MP selfie camera, 4GB of RAM alongside 128GB of expandable storage, as well as a large 5,000 mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging. It also features an easily-repairable design that allows users to fix the phone with their own tools.

Meanwhile, the Nokia C210 features a 6.3-inch IPS LCD screen with a 720 x 1560 pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass 3, a Snapdragon 662 chipset, a dual camera setup with a 13 main sensor and 2MP depth sensor, 5MP selfie camera, 3GB of RAM alongside 32GB of expandable storage, and a smaller 3,000 mAh battery.

Both phones will ship with Android 13 pre-installed; the Nokia G310 5G will be available at T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile starting at $186 from August 24, while the Nokia C210 will be priced at $109 and will be available starting on September 14.

Periodic group ups between significant tech organizations aren't precisely unprecedented - whether it be cell phone OEMs and camera makers, or satellite informing innovation, we've seen a ton of equipment, programming, and licenses sprout from far-fetched joint efforts among various tech organizations.

Considering that, Nokia and Apple have as of late gone into a drawn out patent permit understanding, which will see Apple dealing with 5G and other correspondence innovations. This revived group up comes in front of the expiry of an ongoing understanding between the two organizations, which is set to end in the not so distant future.

Nokia kept mum on the particulars in regards to the provisions of the association notwithstanding - the Finnish media transmission goliath basically expressed that getting installments from Apple for quite a long time down the line is expected. Nokia adds that it anticipates that this new understanding should yield income beginning from January 2024.

Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, describes the deal with Apple was "amicable," adding that it "reflects the strength of Nokia's patent portfolio, decades-long investment in R&D and contributions to cellular standards and other technologies". Since 2000, Nokia has invested more than €140 billion on R&D resulting in thousands of patents, 5,500 of which are described as "essential" to 5G.