So, you think 3 or 4 cameras on a phone is a bit excessive? Well, for a while now, we've been hearing that HMD Global is preparing a new Nokia phone with a total of 5 cameras on its back. And it has just been announced! It's called the Nokia 9 PureView and we are taking a closer look at it:
Design and display
The Nokia 9 PureView stays true to the design language that HMD has been establishing over the past couple of years. A rectangular shape with an elegantly simplistic appearance, an aluminum trim and a glass back, curved towards the edges for a more comfortable grip.
The screen has a 5.99-inch diagonal with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Its resolution is marked as QHD+, which means 1440 x 2880 and it's an OLED panel for deep blacks and vibrant colors.
You will notice that there's no fingerprint scanner to be seen on the phone's body. That's because HMD is utilizing the new under-the-screen fingeprint scanner tech. It's not an ultrasonic one, like on Samsung's Galaxy S10, and we'll have to wait and see how it performs.
Despite the hefty camera module and the 6-inch screen diagonal, the Nokia 9 PureView is actually not that huge of a smartphone. It is easily compared to phones that are easy to handle. Here's a quick size comparison between Nokia 9 PureView, Samsung Galaxy S10 (6.1"), iPhone XR (6.1"), and OnePlus 6T (6.4").
Let's get to the meaty bits — what's up with those cameras? The Nokia 9 PureView has five sensors with ZEISS optics on the back, two of which are RGB and the other three – monochrome. When taking a photo, all sensors work in unison to collect lighting, detail, and color data, and stitch it all together for the final image. According to HMD, taking a single photo results in at least 60 MP of imaging data being processed.
This is made possible with a dedicated image co-processor, which helps out with the heavy task. Every picture is HDR, can have up to 12.4 stops of dynamic range, and ends up with a full scene 12 MP depth map.
Yes, this means that you will be able to use a depth editor to specifically adjust bokeh effects after the photo has already been taken. It'll even allow you to tweak colors and contrast between different depth fields.
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And yes, it can shoot RAW.
Hardware
The Nokia 9 PureView is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845... yes, that's last year's flagship processor. But hey, that doesn't make it bad, we assume, the choice of hardware here helped with keeping the phone's price in check. According to HMD, making the 5-camera setup with its image processor work in unison with the phone's main processor took a lot of work in partnership with Qualcomm. Launching the PureView wouldn't have been possible now if HMD insisted on developing the same algorithms for the Snapdragon 855.
That said, it'll still come with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, on par with other flagships in the Android space.
The phone is rated for IP 67 water- and dust-resistance and doesn't have a headphone jack. We don't have the battery specs right now, but HMD claims 4G talk time of up to 28 hours and standby time of up to 16.5 days on a single charge.
So, how does it fare against the competition? Here is a quick Nokia 9 PureView specs comparison vs the Samsung Galaxy S10 and OnePlus 6T
HMD has partnered with Google for its Nokia phones and they are all now under the Android One umbrella. This means that the Android UI on board is next to untouched, “the way Google meant for it to be” and that the phones will get guaranteed OS updates of at least two years and security patches for three years after launch. Additionally, the updates should be much faster. Thus far, HMD has proven its dedication to the program with its other phones, from entry-level to top-tier.
The Nokia 9 PureView will launch with Android 9 Pie and its nifty new features, like gesture controls, Digital Wellbeing, Adaptive Battery, and so on.
Price
The Nokia 9 PureView will cost you $699, which is a pretty fair price. We get in-screen fingerprint scanner, that juicy new penta-lens camera, and a clean Android experience. Sure, it's powered by a 2018 processor, but if the performance is there and the camera quality is what HMD claims it to be, we'd be willing to look the other way here.
It will be available in March, but you will be able to pre-order yours today!
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Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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