Ever since HMD Global revitalized the Nokia brand with our favorite smartphone operating system, Android, the Nokia 9 has been one of the mainstays in the company’s rumor mills. We have references tracing back to 2017, but the wait had to go all the way to MWC 2019.
Like it is becoming a habit every year, HMD sent us years back by slapping a nostalgic name, PureView, to its latest flagship phone, the Nokia 9 PureView. Long-term Nokia fans will be quick to identify what the PureView tag associated with back in the day. For those in the unknown camp, this name reminds us of the company’s camera-centric phones like the Nokia 808 that ran on Symbian OS and the Windows Mobile-based Lumia 1020 that boasted the first-ever 41MP lens on a phone.
HMD is sticking to this photography anthem with the latest addition to the PureView camp but takes things a notch, or maybe two or three, or probably four higher with a never-seen-before Penta-lens camera array on the back of the Nokia 9 PureView.
Yes, the Nokia 9 PureView has not two, three or even four, but FIVE camera lenses on the main camera alone. All for capturing photos and videos like the professional photographer you are. Here is the full specs sheet.
Nokia 9 PureView specs
- 5.99-inch QHD+ pOLED display screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB non-expandable storage
- Penta-lens main camera: 2 x 12MP (RGB lenses, f/1.82 aperture) + 3 x 12MP (monochrome lenses, f/1.82 aperture)
- 20MP front camera, display flash
- 3320mAh battery
- Android 9 Pie (Android One)
- Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, Qi wireless charging, IP67, 3 mics with spatial recording, NFC, in-display fingerprint scanner, etc.
From a design perspective, there is no doubting the craftsmanship of any Nokia smartphone. The build is perfect to say the least and like any other high-end phone, the dominant material used is glass. We all know how fragile glass is, but HMD has included Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 to protect it from scratches and cracks in case of accidental falls. But then again, glass is glass and it’ll eventually break!
Under the hood, the Nokia 9 PureView takes after previous Nokia flagship phones by packing an older processor compared to the current-gen flagship phones. It might be disappointing for some, but considering HMD’s pricing, it’s understandable, at least.
There is no arguing against the quality of the Nokia 9’s on-paper camera specs, but how good the penta-lens array performs can only be spoken off after real-world use. Unfortunately, we haven’t had a long-enough hands-on experience with the phone to give a solid verdict, but it shouldn’t disappoint.
Like other Nokia devices running Android, the version of Android Pie that comes preinstalled is clean and to spice things up, the device also includes things like Qi wireless charging, IP67 dust and water resistance, in-display fingerprint scanning and so on.
Nokia 9 PureView pricing and availability
As noted, the Nokia is trying to justify the use of an older processor by its midrange pricing of the Nokia 9 PureView. In the U.S., for instance, the Nokia 9 PureView can be had for $600, although the RRP is $700.
The $700 price tag is supposed to be universal across the globe, but of course, different currency conversion rates will determine the final price in respective markets across the globe.
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