After appearing on Geekbench, HMD Global Oy's unreleased Nokia 8.1 has been spotted on Google's official ARCore support page confirming that the device does exist and might break cover soon.
Nokia 8.1 is said to be the global version of the Nokia X7, which was launched in China a few weeks ago. Usually, smartphone makers are done with launching new phones or any other hardware at the end of October. But, with mounting evidence, we believe HMD Global is not yet done with the releasing of new phones in the market for the year 2018.
Nokia 8.1 Android One is expected to come with a 6.18-inch full HD+ LCD screen, 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 octa-core processor, 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage and a 3,500mAh battery, which is more than enough to keep the phone running for more than a day easily under mixed usage.
It will come with Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box, but it is expected to get Google's latest Android Pie soon after the launch.
As far as the photography hardware is considered, it houses a dual-camera module having 12MP and 13MP sensors, and a feature-rich 20MP front snapper for the selfies and video chatting. Other stipulated features include Bluetooth 5.0, Type C USB port, FM Radio, 4G VoLTE support and more.
So far HMD Global hasn't given any hint on hosting any product launch event this month. It might get officially revealed in early December just in time for the holiday season. Going by the specifications, Nokia 8.1 is most likely to be released in Europe and emerging markets of Asia.
In a related development, there are reports HMD Global Oy is planning to launch flagship Nokia 9 series soon, but likely to be unveiled in early 2019. This will most probably be around Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in January, as the company will get a head start over the rivals.
Nokia 9 is touted to be the world's first tier-1 branded phone to boast five cameras on the back. They will be assisted by LED flash and laser auto-focus thus completely hexagonal shaped module (see picture) on the back. Nobody knows how the camera will work but will be assisted by PureView software, which the HMD Global Oy brought it back from Microsoft.
Other stipulated features include 5.99-inch QHD+ screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, Android Pie OS and a big battery.
