Nokia Android Phones Tipped to Get a Personal Assistant Named 'Viki': Report

The first Nokia Android phone - the Nokia 6 - was launched by HMD Global on Sunday, and now news reports are suggesting that the company might be working on its own text and voice-based virtual assistant named 'Viki'. If the reports turn out to be true, Nokia will join the likes of Google, Apple, and Microsoft, who already have their own virtual assistants in the form of Google Assistant, Siri, and Cortana, respectively.

HMD Global has recently filed for a trademark in the European Union for the name 'Viki', which appears to be a digital assistant from the description, as per a report by MSPowerUser (via GSMInfo.nl). In the description associated with Viki, HMD Global - which has the exclusive rights to sell Nokia-branded smartphones - said, "Software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and Web digital assistants working with knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice based interface."

As Nokia is making a return to the mobile market and needs more than just nostalgia factor to compete against the like of Apple and Samsung, the company's own digital assistant might help in setting apart its Android smartphones.

However, it will be interesting to see how well Viki will be able to fare against the heavily-praised Google Assistant, which makes use of machine learning and gets better with time, and Apple's iconic digital assistant Siri. We will also have to wait and see if HMD Global brings on some additional functionality with its personal digital assistant, if and when it launches.