Nokia successor HMD spawns secure device biz with Euro-made smartphone

Finnish phone maker HMD Global is launching a business unit called HMD Secure to target governments and other security-critical customers, and has its first device ready to go.

HMD, or Human Mobile Devices, is the biz started by former Nokia execs that builds Android phones, some of which have even sold under the Nokia brand name itself.

The HMD Secure division is being set up to focus on sovereign mobile security products for European customers, including governments, emergency services, and defense customers, no doubt eyeing a market opportunity now that many Europeans have started to question the wisdom of relying on American brands.

Its first product is an Android-based smartphone, the HMD Ivalo XE, which it claims is one of the few 5G devices designed, developed, and manufactured in Europe. It is expected to be available for customers to buy in Q1 2026.

“Security has always been part of HMD’s DNA. With HMD Secure, we are taking this legacy further – creating a European-built device and platform that is resilient, traceable, and fit for purpose,” said HMD chief Jean-François Baril.

The Ivalo XE is manufactured via a European network of vetted partners, HND claims, delivering assurance at every stage via an “end-to-end trusted supply chain,” with traceable sourcing and independent certifications.

But there’s only so far you can go with European-sourced tech, and the device is based on Qualcomm’s recently announced Dragonwing Q-6690 system-on-chip (SoC). The last time we looked, Qualcomm was very much a US-based chipmaker.

Qualcomm describes the Dragonwing Q-6690 as an enterprise mobile processor, with integrated RFID capability in addition to Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and 5G wireless standards. It has eight of the chipmaker’s Kryo CPU cores, plus an Adreno GPU and its Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU).

Besides Qualcomm, HMD lists its tech suppliers on the Ivalo XE phone as Nokia, defense connectivity firm Bittium, security developer Tutus, and Juggernaut, a maker of military-grade cases and mounts that is also a US-based firm.

The Ivalo XE is – we’re told – designed for durability, meeting the IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H certifications, and featuring a screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Its security features are said to include an anti-tamper design with intrusion detection, dual encryption support (file-based and virtual full disk encryption), secure boot, a fingerprint reader, and a screen stealth mode.

HMD says it offers three tailored OS variants for its new device – Industrial, Tactical, and Secure Partner Platform, plus custom OS builds, full auditability, and remote secure management.

Because of the customers this device targets, HMD will be offering support, spare parts, and OS security updates up to 2032.

Ivalo XE has a 6.32-inch display, dual 50-megapixel (MP) rear cameras and a 32 MP front camera, a hardware kill-switch to disable all radios, and a programmable key for push-to-talk (PTT) or walkie-talkie style communications.

HMD also says the Ivalo XE can be connected to an external display, keyboard, and mouse for a “PC-like experience.”

The phone features a specialized connector, the Fusion 3.1 modularity system with a 16-pin (USB 3.1) connection, to add extra hardware including radios, batteries, and sensors as part of an optional “Tactical Outfit.”

We asked HMD for full specifications, but for some reason it isn’t going to divulge these until the Ivalo XE ships in Q1 2026, so we can’t say how much memory and flash storage it features, the screen resolution, and especially how much this device will cost. ®

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