Redefining what is “smart” about devices
Expectations are that 2025 is going to be a turning point year for tech and consumers.
For many, there’s been enough talk about our hapless addiction to our phones.
Young generations have first-hand experience of the modern loneliness crisis, mindlessly prioritising followers over making real friends.
And everyone has a tale to tell of the damage done when we blindly follow cynical algorithms down toxic rabbit holes.
The pursuit of better digital health is escalating change - from countries and communities to consumers.
There are new bans on children signing up on social media platforms in Australia, while many South African schools have started the year with rules that bag smartphones as soon as learners arrive for the school day.
On an individual level, consumers are making some strikingly different choices in their everyday lives.
A case in point is the recent success of Human Mobile Devices’ (HMD’s) launch of the HMD Barbie™ Phone at the end of last year.
There was a 57% sell out in the first two weeks, and consumer interest was so high that the South African operator, Vodacom, placed an additional order even before the first shipment landed in the country.
It wasn’t just the allure of HMD’s partnership with the highly popular Mattel brand.
Yes, it’s a super-cute phone, but consumers want more than just an aesthetic device. Retro-style phones like our HMD Barbie™ Phone are popular because they give you a vacation from your smartphone, and young people have growing concerns about the impact of 24/7 social media fixation on their real relationships, mood and sleep.
They are increasingly prioritising their mental health and looking for ways that their devices support their important life goals. They are interested in finding the ways to digitally disconnect so that they can be meaningfully connected in the real world. They want their devices to help them - not trap them in self-defeating cycles of anxiety, low self-esteem and loneliness.”
How digital health concerns can reshape device design
Of course, most consumers would prefer that their smart phones get smarter about digital health rather than take up a minimalist phone as a long-term solution for their digital overwhelm.
For HMD, which has been the exclusive provider of Nokia branded phones in South Africa since 2017, this is a consumer concern that will be shaping their new HMD branded range launching in the country this year.
HMD is at the forefront of these design challenges with our Better Phone Project that invites users to engage with us in the co-creation of designs for future device models and their built-in modes. As we expand our HMD brand presence in the country, this gives South African young people and parents opportunities to help shape our team’s design thinking to address their pressing concerns and to meet their aspirations for living well.
Our purpose is right in our name - Human Mobile Devices – human comes first, and the tech is deeply in service. Devices are not supposed to be overlords or manipulators or drivers of addictive and other unhealthy behaviours. Human well-being should not be a struggle against the devices we use – it should be facilitated, even enhanced, by those devices. In practical terms that means that if a digital detox is what you need, then your mobile device should make that so easy for you to accomplish, such as switching on the Detox mode. This is a fundamental change in mobile device design thinking for this modern era. It’s a shift from looking for ways to mitigate harm, such as through parental controls, to proactively building in human well-being.
This focus on human well-being includes issues of sustainability and HMD takes a different stance on the typical built-in obsolescence of mobile devices.
Affordability and durability has always been a focus for our brand. This year, we will be launching two new HMD devices in South Africa that come with two years of security updates to ensure the consumer’s data is safe. We want to meet expectations that your investment in your mobile device is a lasting one.
Going forward, what can South Africa expect from HMD?
Here’s what that commitment looks like:
Caring for the planet – In 2025, HMD Global maintained its EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating for the third year running placing us in the top 1% of the companies assessed. Globally, we have launched devices that are designed with repairability and eco-friendliness at its core, and we will be bringing those to South Africa in the future.
Championing mental health and digital well-being - Through initiatives like the Better Phone Project and our partnership with Xplora, we’re helping families navigate the digital world safely. From the Boring Phone with Heineken to the HMD Barbie Phone with Mattel and the Nokia 3210, we’re redefining what it means to take a break from digital distractions. And of course, our HMD original smartphones come with Detox mode.
Driving innovation – We are an established leader when it comes to Gen 2 Repairability making it easy for consumers to conduct basic repairs at home. In addition, bold partnerships like the HMD Sony Venom collaboration, and our ongoing work with FC Barcelona show that we’re always pushing boundaries.
Our focus is on leaning into what people truly need, creating technology for good and staying committed to people and the planet.
Martiens Prinsloo, General Manager of HMD Southern Africa.
BUSINESS REPORT