Smartphones have made a triumphant transition from being a fashion statement to the most essential basic need. While smartphone launches in today’s market are improving, several mobile companies have also gone out of business. When they were in operation, the customers loved the brand they had established and expressed their appreciation for it. Do you remember any recognisable mobile brands that built a name for themselves with high-quality goods but are no longer in operation? Let’s take a look back in time at some mobile companies that had a unique connection with their clients but are no longer in operation.
1. HTC (1997 – 2021)
Since its foundation, HTC has led a remarkable existence and was a major participant in the mobile industry about ten years ago. But since we haven’t seen a proper range from the brand in a while, the company is now thought to be dead. The company’s final flagship model, the HTC U12+, debuted in 2018, while its final mid-range model, the HTC Desire 21 Pro 5G, debuted in 2021. Since the company hasn’t announced any new smartphones since last year, many people believe the brand to be dead.
2. LG (2002 – 2021)
With over two decades of history, LG Mobile is another company that revolutionised the way people viewed cellphones. It was renowned for developing cutting-edge technologies for its products. The LG Prada was the first smartphone with a capacitive touchscreen to be released by this firm.
3. Microsoft (2011 – 2019)
Microsoft created the Windows operating system, and in 2010 it made the decision to enter the smartphone market. Microsoft debuted Windows Phone in February 2010 as the successor to Windows Mobile, with an OS that seemed ambitious. In order to challenge the duopoly of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, which at the time dominated the smartphone industry, Microsoft and Nokia announced their alliance in 2011.
4. NOKIA (2011 – 2019)
Established in 1865, Nokia Corporation is a multinational corporation that specialises in consumer electronics, information technology, and telecommunications. The main offices of Nokia are located in Espoo, Finland, which is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area, while the Pirkanmaa district of Tampere is where the firm was founded.
5. Leeco (Formerly Letv) (2011 – 2017)
The firm entered India in 2016 with the Le 1s and Le Max smartphones, making a lot of commotion and living up to expectations considering it was formed in 2011. The company was following Xiaomi’s lead by releasing high-quality handsets with respectable specifications in India, which resulted in an exceptional price to performance ratio. LeEco claimed that its one-day online global sale in India brought in 100 crores of dollars in September 2016.
6. Blackberry (1999 – 2022)
Blackberry wasn’t only a smartphone manufacturer; it it represented an entire era. The Canadian business, which was well-known for its qwerty keypad gadgets, was a tough opponent to beat in the early 2000s. Blackberry developed mobile phones in the second half of the 2000s, including the Curve Bold, Pearl, and others, which were well-liked by both business and everyday customers.
7. Essential (2017 – 2020)
The first (and only) smartphone to be released by Essential Products, the business founded by Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android, was the Essential PH-1, which was initially announced back in May 2017 and later released in August of that same year. The phone featured a titanium and ceramic casing, a Gorilla Glass 5 edge-to-edge display, and two rear cameras. It was a premium flagship with a Snapdragon 835 processor and the first widely available smartphone to have a “notch” up top on the front. It also attracted a lot of attention due to its futuristic look.
8. LYF (2015-2021)
The cellular provider, Jio, founded LYF in 2015. Jio smartphones were planned to be on sale in November 2015 and would be heavily promoted with Jio’s 4G services. It introduced its first line of 4G-capable smartphones in January 2016 under the names of Earth, Flame (Fire), Water, and Wind.
9. Motorola (2011-2021)
Following the division of Motorola into two businesses in 2011, Motorola Mobility was created, with Motorola Solutions serving the enterprise market. Motorola Mobility was sold to Lenovo in 2014 before being quickly acquired by Google. In 2009, Motorola released its first Android smartphone, and in 2011, it released its first Android tablet.
10. Blackberry (2016-2021)
With the brand appearing to be revived once more, a new BlackBerry device was scheduled to debut in 2021. But such a phone never materialised, and more lately, the chance of its release has gone from slim to nonexistent.
