HMD working on a much cheaper Nokia 5G phone, set for 2020 release

It seems like most major brands have at least one 5G phone out on the market, but HMD Global is one notable exception thus far.

The Nokia brand licensee hasn’t released a 5G phone just yet, although there are rumors of a 5G flagship. But HMD Global chief product officer Juho Sarvikas told Digital Trends that it’s planning to release a more affordable device in 2020.

More specifically, Sarvikas told the outlet that this Nokia 5G phone could retail for roughly half the price of current 5G devices. He presumably means half the price of $1000+ 5G devices from Huawei, LG, and Samsung, rather than half the price of Xiaomi’s €599 (~$664) Mi Mix 3 5G.

“We see a particular opportunity for us in bringing 5G to a more affordable segment as we enter the market,” the HMD representative was quoted as saying by Digital Trends. “I would say affordable in relation to what’s available today. I would love to see us at half of the price where you have 5G today.”

In any event, a $500 to $600 Nokia 5G phone would be more accessible to the general population than a $1000 device and could help 5G devices gain traction. This 2020 launch window is also noteworthy as we’d expect way more countries to offer 5G networks by then. HMD probably won’t be the only company offering cheaper 5G phones next year though.

The first wave of mobile technology is usually pretty expensive to begin with, but we generally see a noteworthy drop in price as the months and years go by (see multi-camera phones, for one). So who knows, by the time we see a $500 to $600 Nokia 5G phone, we could see a $300 or $400 Xiaomi or HUAWEI 5G device too.

What’s the most you’d spend on a 5G smartphone? Let us know in the comments!