What if Ikea and HMD/Nokia made a phone?

Summary

• Ikea’s venture into tech products like wireless speakers and smart home gadgets signals a shift towards becoming a lifestyle brand.
• A hypothetical Ikea phone, co-developed with Nokia, could cater to a niche audience looking for affordable, basic tech solutions.
• The potential collaboration with Nokia could result in a minimalist, affordable, and durable phone that aligns with Ikea’s design and cost-cutting expertise.

As I now know, the twisty road to starting a family makes many stops at Ikea. Not for the meatballs but for the functional furniture that doesn’t tear a hole in your wallet. Ikea sells more than cheap chairs and couches. Wireless speakers and smart home kits are now part of the company’s growing tech portfolio, and I’m wondering what will come next.

What if Ikea made a phone? On a scale of one to Järvfjället, how crazy does that sound? I’m not imagining an iPhone killer, but a good budget phone. One co-developed with an experienced partner like HMD/Nokia could be a hit among a niche audience and a glowing reflection of Ikea’s values.

Ikea is more than a furniture company

Embracing modern technology on its path to a lifestyle brand

What is Ikea, anyway? The largest furniture retailer in the world, sure, but a transition to something bigger could be in motion. Since 2018, the company has been exploring uncharted territories with new lineups, including:

• Frekvens: A funky selection of speakers designed together with Teenage Engineering.
• Symfonisk: A series of home speakers made in partnership with Sonos.
• Smart home gadgets: LED lights, outlets, and curtains.

These products are anything but typical for the brand. Still, they make sense in an increasingly connected world and have been generally well-received. No less importantly, they indicate that Ikea wants more tech in its stores. It can deliver while staying true to its design language.

While a hypothetical Ikea phone would be more complex than an LED bulb, it won’t be an iPhone rival. That wouldn’t resonate with Ikea’s mission of making products anyone can afford. But a basic phone would, and demand for them remains steady.

What would an Ikea phone be like?

And will you have to put it together yourself?

Smartphones are not going away anytime soon, but the negatives of having our noses constantly stuck to a screen are starting to show. That’s why doomscrolling is now a word and your phone has a Digital Wellbeing page in its Settings menu.

Cheap, basic phones are ideal for kids, seniors, and anyone needing a spare to take on vacation. However, it seems they’re also great for digital detox. Hence, the interest in distraction-free phones is projected to stay stable.

If you want a simple phone to cleanse yourself from social media, the options are neither great nor plentiful. Sure, there’s the Light Phone. It’s a compact handset with a basic camera and minimalist interface. Still, at $400, it is expensive.

If a minimal Ikea phone ever materializes, I’d expect it to carry a two-digit price tag. This would put it in the same category as the Nokia 2780, which costs $90 at Best Buy. Perhaps Ikea’s offering would have more in common with HMD’s flip phone.

A Nokia from Ikea

Hey, that even rhymes!

Ikea is no stranger to product partnerships, and a potential Ikea phone could also be a collaboration. HMD, the company that makes Nokias, might be the ideal partner. It has plenty of experience making affordable, basic phones.

What’s more, the once-popular Nokia brand could use the exposure. Placing a product on Ikea’s shelves could help. The retailer has 473 locations worldwide, enjoying billions of visits yearly. While HMD handles the internals, Ikea could leverage its design and cost-cutting expertise to produce the ultimate basic phone.

The ultimate basic phone

With just the essentials and nothing more

I’d expect a theoretical Ikea phone to be minimalist but tough, functional but lacking bells and whistles, and affordable but capable of serving its purpose. It would be better if it were easy to fix and improved on Nokia’s clunky D-pad controls. Throw in a decent flashlight (one that feels like using the flashlight on Android phones), and I’m sold.

I think the chances of seeing one are slim, but entertaining the possibility was fun. I hope you’re convinced the idea doesn’t sound as ridiculous as it did at first. It is still ridiculous, but if Lego and Adidas could team up to make running shoes, no collaboration seems impossible. If it ever sees the light of day, I believe an Ikea-Nokia collaboration might produce a great simple phone, and I’d gladly get one for the days I spend on the beach or to throw in my car’s glove box in case of emergencies.