Leaked promo video shows off the Nokia 9 with five rear cameras and PureView branding

By Harish Jonnalagadda
last updated

The Nokia 9 flagship was rumored for much of last year, and while initial leaks suggested the device would make its debut in Q4 2018, that wasn't to be. HMD instead unveiled the $400 Nokia 8.1, but it looks like we may get to see the Nokia 9 this year. A leaked promo video gives us the clearest look yet at the device, which has five cameras at the back and the return of PureView branding.

The promo video touts vastly improved low-light shots with "incredible texture and detail" and the ability to take five simultaneous shots with all the rear sensors. Of course, PureView was one of Nokia's marquee features back during its Windows Phone days, with devices like the Lumia 1020 offering a 41MP sensor long before the likes of Huawei caught on. It'll be interesting to see what the Nokia 9 offers on this front.

As for the rest of the device, the promo video suggests we'll see a 5.99-inch QHD display with PureDisplay HDR10 tech — much like the Nokia 8.1 and the Nokia 7.1 but at a higher resolution — and the device will feature the Snapdragon 845 along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and Qi wireless charging.

HMD is also touting the addition of an in-display fingerprint solution, and like all Nokia devices, the Nokia 9 will run Android One with two guaranteed platform updates and Pie out of the box. The Nokia 9 is slated to make its debut sometime before the end of January, so we should know plenty more about the device shortly. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the upcoming flagship?

Harish Jonnalagadda
Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

17 Comments
  • I've been anticipating this phone for some time. Coming from a Nokia Lumia 1520 on Windows, got the Note 7 which I then had to return and ended up with a Pixel XL. I'm always interested in the next version of the Note, but their camera is never the best, so I hold off and see what else is coming. If the Nokia 9 doesn't quite live up to expectations, I'm not sure what I'll get.
  • I have a note 8 and not had any issue with the camera on it but I do agree it's not the best on the market. For me I won't be going back to a normal phone as the pen has to many features I use to look at a normal phone. I am still hoping someone else steps into the market against the note as be nice to have choices.
  • The camera on the Note 9 beats the iPixel camera into a pulp, mate...IF you know how to take photos. Which is what the Nokia cameras required as well. However, if you just want to point and shoot amd get a photo that looks like a unicorn vomited on top of it, then yeah, the iPixels have the camera for you.
  • That's hilarious, mate
  • No. Just no. Not even subjective at this point. JPEG output of the pixel bests the note 9 in many scenarios but is somewhat subjective. Then if you compare the raw output of the note 9 to the computational raw output of the pixel it is literally math that proves the pixel bests it. More information, more dynamic range, more to work with.
  • They're getting carried away with the amount of camera in these phones.
  • We know you like cameras, so we put some cameras on your camera. I'm sure it's praises will be sung, but it's hard for me to see how five rear cameras is anything other than a gimmick.
  • And stay tuned for the "Best DxOmark score for five cameras" award, lol.
  • That might literally be the reason they've done it lol
  • I just want a new pure android phone that looks nice and isn't massive. I've had my eye on nokia for a while. I don't care for all those camera lenses, but it's a plus. The only way this won't be my next phone is if it doesn't have AMOLED or OLED display. It better be up there with samsung's display. If there isn't an SD card slot I'll also reconsider.
  • There are a few great SLCD screens that are better than AMOLED, but they are rare and it's not likely Nokia will be able to source those. An example would be the HTC U11 screen being sharper and brighter than the Note 8 screen.
  • Well, according to this post it's got a 6 inch screen, so you're probably out of luck here.
  • This will just be another oversized phone running sh*t software with a very disappointing camera. Mark my words. HMD is incapable of delivering a phone with imaging and software prowess worthy of the brand they're using and abusing. You'll be closer to getting a proper "Nokia" by slapping the logo on a Huawei phone. Their imaging team is also ex-Nokia and Huawei at least took the time to go and license Nokia's imaging patents. Unlike HMD.
  • Looks great but right now best selling android is Note 9 and Mate 20 Pro and I own both... NOKIA has to work hard on hardware front to compete with Samsung and huawei
  • I'm pretty sure you're wrong on both counts, but I'm also pretty sure neither of us has the numbers to back it up.
  • Isn't it late to launch a flagship with snapdragon 845?, the 855 is now official and it is considerably better than 845 in many aspects.
  • We might finally have the rightful heir to the 1020's camera optics. Might have to consider it if the budget allows...