Update, November 6 (15:40 pm ET): HMD Global today announced the launch event.
What you need to know
- Nokia is preparing to launch the Nokia 8 V 5G UW.
- The phone is slated for a November 9 announcement going off a now-deleted YouTube live stream.
- As the branding indicates, this is likely a variant of the Nokia 8.3 5G which went on sale last month.
The Nokia 8.3 5G has already been made available for sale in America, but a version built for Verizon wireless may just be on its way. Dubbed the Nokia 8 V 5G UW, HMD Global had started a countdown to a live stream for a virtual event on YouTube before pulling it shortly after (spotted via Android Police).
If things are as they appear, the Nokia 8 V 5G will follow the same path as other Verizon UW phones. You may recall the Galaxy A71, LG Velvet, and Pixel 4 5G phones making their way to Verizon over the summer. It'll come with mmWave support, it may have some small spec tweaks, and Verizon may request an exclusive colorway to differentiate its variant as it did with the Velvet and the 4a 5G.
Other than that, the Nokia 8.3 5G is a fairly competent phone. A large near bezel-less display, a quad-camera set-up, and a Snapdragon 765 are all par for the course. What sets it apart from other Android phones is the company's commitment to Android One and Stock Android. In 2020, that's getting harder to find at this price point.
Commenting on the release of the original 8.3 5G, Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer and Vice President of North America, HMD Global said:
Together with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.,® we were able to create a truly global 5G smartphone with the Nokia 8.3 5G. Being the first manufacturer to implement the Qualcomm® 765G 5G Modular Platform in a smartphone, we were able to condense more than 40 different RF components into one single integrated module that gives the Nokia 8.3 5G industry-leading 5G performance. By supporting the highest number of 5G New Radio bands, the Nokia 8.3 5G is a truly future-proof global 5G smartphone.
Nokia is set to announce the phone on November 9, and we'll learn more about the launch when that happens.
Update, November 6 (03:40 pm ET) — HMD Global has officially announced the launch
HMD Global has now tweeted a teaser confirming the impending launch. It's set to make its debut at 9 am EST on the 9th of November.
Nokia 8.3 5G
The Nokia 8.3 5G pairs 5G and stock Android with the company's slick hardware design. The device has a lot of promise with its quad-camera setup, slick Pixelworks screen, and Snapdragon 765 but the $699 price may cause some to bulk when rivals like the Nord are compared.
