As 2017 started, the Nokia name returned to the smartphone world thanks to HMD. The Finnish-based start-up started with a Chinese mid-range Android handset (the Nokia 6), before introducing this smartphone and two others at MWC (namely the Nokia 5 and the Nokia 3). Details are now coming out of a top of the line handset that could be on sale by the end of the year.
HMD's Nokia 6 (photo: Ewan Spence)
Ewan Spence
HMD's Nokia 6 (photo: Ewan Spence)
Christened the Nokia 9 by Nokia Power User, the report highlights specifications that match the likes of the LG G6, the Huawei P10 and the Samsung Galaxy S8.
The rumored specs include an OLED-based 5.5-inch QHD screen, a 22-megapixel dual-lens camera at the rear, 12 megapixels at the front and a SnapDragon 835 from Qualcomm at the heart of the system. It also suggests a 3800 mAh battery and waterproofing to IP68 certification.
I would naturally expect HMD to be looking at potential hardware combinations at various price points, including the high-end handsets.
There’s no official indication from HMD of a new Nokia device with these specifications, let alone the presumed name of the Nokia 9 - even if it does fit in with the naming conventions the existing handsets have established. This might even be a variant of the Nokia 8 that is expected late in Q2 2017. With a screen size slightly smaller than rumored details of the Nokia 8, we could be seeing the Nokia 7 here that offers a slightly cheaper alternative to the larger handset - in the same way the Nokia 5 is a slightly reduced version of the Nokia 6.
HMD's Nokia 5 (photo: Ewan Spence)
Ewan Spence
HMD's Nokia 5 (photo: Ewan Spence)
What is clear is that the return of the Nokia brand through HMD’s licensing deal with the Finnish giant is expected to continue after a successful MWC launch event (even if much of that victory was driven by the redesigned 3310 feature phone). The modern smartphone world is driven by yearly product cycles. If HMD can establish a tempo where the first quarter of the year at MWC will see the mid-range handsets updated and the third quarter of the year ends with a flagship high-end handset for the festive sales period, then it will have a strong foundation to capitalise both on the initial interest in the Nokia name and build a model that will reach into the future.