HMD Global has been making Android phones under the Nokia brand for over two and a half years now, and in that time it has established itself as a favorite among those seeking a clean Android experience. HMD teamed up with Google early on, committing to Android One on all its phones. Doing so allowed Nokia to get up and running without investing too much time and resources into making its own skin, leaving more time for launching new devices.

The brand has been busy during that time: HMD has launched 25 Nokia-branded Android phones to date, and while a few were re-branded variants for global markets, that is a lot of phones in just over 30 months. HMD has largely focused on the budget segment in emerging markets like India and China, two countries where the Nokia name still has a strong pull. While some Nokia phones made their way to the UK and U.S., the brand's primary focus continues to be on Asian markets.

HMD hasn't been able to build on the success of the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8.1.

HMD has launched several great products over the last two years, but it looks like that initial momentum has dried up. There haven't been any noteworthy devices this year aside from iterative updates and a flagship that doesn't quite work. That's in stark contrast to last year, when HMD rolled out the Nokia 7 Plus and followed it up with the Nokia 8.1.

The Nokia 7 Plus was one of the best phones of 2018. It showcased HMD's best traits — classic industrial design, great internal hardware, and clean Android — and was a clear indicator of the brand's resurgence under Android. It's no wonder, then, that the device sold remarkably well in the markets where it was available. The fact that it wasn't officially sold in the U.S. was a travesty.

HMD launched the Nokia 8.1 soon after, switching to a glass design and updated internal hardware. But it has been nearly a year since the launch of the Nokia 8.1, and we're yet to see a decent mid-range option that builds on the Nokia 8.1. HMD instead unveiled the Nokia 7.2 earlier this month at IFA, with the phone running the same Snapdragon 660 chipset as the Nokia 7 Plus.