Nokia dominated the Indian smartphone market for a long time and the brand has now become a memorable moment for many 90s kids. Now, Nokia phone maker HMD (earlier known as HMD Global) is planning to launch its first smartphone in the Indian market. The device, initially known as Arrow, will launch under a different name due to legal hurdles. While the official launch date has not been decided yet, it will be unveiled on July 25, reports 91 Mobiles.

The Finnish company has been teasing this smartphone for a while now. Initially, it was believed that the HMD Arrow would be a rebranded version of the HMD Pulse, which has been available in Europe since April. Priced at 140 euros (roughly Rs. 12,460), the Pulse comes in Atmos Blue, Dreamy Pink, and Meteor Black. It runs on Android 14, has a 6.65-inch HD+ LCD screen with 600 nits peak brightness and 90Hz refresh rate, and is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T606 chip. The Pulse has a 13-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front camera, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support.

However, recent leaks indicate that the upcoming HMD phone could be more than just a rebranded Pulse. Reports indicate a new model with a new design, 5G support, better camera capabilities, upgraded specifications, and a new chipset. This suggests that HMD aims to make a strong entry into the Indian market with a competitively priced device, likely to be priced under Rs 20,000. This price will put HMD’s new phone against popular models like the CMF Phone 1, Moto G85 5G, Lava Blaze X, and OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite.

HMD has decided to remove the name “Arrow” following a user contest on X (formerly Twitter), in which it was chosen as the winning entry. The company has assured that the contest entries will remain valid and the winners will receive their prizes soon. Despite the name change, HMD has kept details about the new name a secret, and has promised to reveal it in the coming days.

As the launch date is getting closer, curiosity is growing about what will be in HMD’s first smartphone for the Indian market. Looking at the specifications of the HMD Pulse, the new device is expected to have similar or better features to attract Indian consumers. The inclusion of 5G connectivity and upgraded hardware could make it a strong contender in the mid-range smartphone segment.

As the launch event is near, more details about the specifications, price, and availability of the device are expected to be revealed soon.