Following the success of Nokia X6 aka Nokia 6.1 Plus, HMD Global – the brand licensee for Nokia phones – is stepping up the game. All the smartphones Nokia launched this year were either in the budget or mid-range segment. Even though the company enjoyed great success with its launches, there has been a void in the premium segment that the company is yet to fill.
Nokia 9 has been in the rumour mill for a long time now. Just when the dust was settling on the Nokia 9 flagship, a new report has breathed life into those rumours again. A new Nokia smartphone with the model number TA-1131 has been spotted on China's 3C certification site, suggesting HMD's active plans to launch a new phone.
There is no direct reference to the leaked smartphone being Nokia 9, but it is the next logical step for Nokia to launch a flagship before the year ends. The 3C certification reveals nothing besides the smartphone supporting 5V/3A, 9V/2A and 12V/1.5A charging speeds. This means the phone will be equipped with fast charging, but most Nokia phones offer the lauded battery feature anyway.
Seeing HMD's launch trend, we've witnessed Nokia phones in all ranges except in the premium segment. Nokia 9 is the suitable candidate for HMD Global to show what the once-dominant brand is truly capable of and take on brands like Apple, Samsung and others.
That said, we haven't really seen a true Nokia flagship under HMD's leadership. There was Nokia 8 Sirocco earlier this year, but it didn't live up to the flagship standards due to aging hardware. But the handset sure did look like a premium smartphone.
If the rumours are to be believed, Nokia 9 could finally be everything that we hoped Nokia 8 Sirocco to be. A 6.01-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, 8GB RAM, IP68 certification, in-display fingerprint scanner and up to 256GB storage.
Nokia 9 is also rumoured to have best-in-class optics and the recent acquisition of PureView trademark is a sign. The upcoming flagship is said to have triple rear cameras featuring 41MP primary sensor with 1.4-micron pixel size, OIS, a wide-angle lens and a variable aperture of f/1.5 and f/2.4. The other 20MP sensor is said to be a telephoto lens with OIS, 1-micron pixels, and f/2.4 aperture, while the third sensor which is a 9.7MP unit could be a monochrome sensor.
To top it off like no other brand, Nokia 9's camera ring could also be made of 18K gold, which will be sitting on a ceramic back cover. The smartphone will naturally get the latest software, Android Oreo (upgradable to Android Pie) and a massive 3,900mAh battery with wireless charging support.
But it's worth noting that these are merely rumours and anything could change between now and the official launch. Stay tuned for updates.
