Nokia 9 has been dominating the rumor mill for months, though HMD Global hasn’t confirmed the existence of the device. Nokia 8 is HMD’s current flagship smartphone, which hasn’t been launched in the US market. The Finnish company’s upcoming Nokia 9 flagship is expected to be available in the US. A few weeks ago, we came across the images of custom Nokia 9 cases listed on Amazon US. Now a seller has started selling Nokia 9 cases on Amazon UK, signaling that the phone could be just around the corner.
Nokia 9 cases confirm the phone’s design
A look at the photos would give you the basic idea of the unannounced phone’s design language. The images also confirm many of the rumored features of the device, including a dual camera system and an edge-to-edge display. The HualuBro Nokia 9 cases do suggest that it is going to be a flagship smartphone, most likely sitting above the Nokia 8 in terms of specs and pricing.
The Nokia 9 has a curved display with slim bezels at the top and bottom. It has no physical home button. The front panel reminds you of Samsung’s Galaxy S8. On the back panel, the device features a vertically oriented dual camera system with the LED flash sitting next to the cameras. The fingerprint reader is positioned below the dual camera system. The fingerprint sensor arrangement is such that users will be able to place their finger on the reader without accidentally smearing the camera lenses.
The rear panel appears to be made out of glass. HualuBro’s Nokia 9 cases are available in six different options on Amazon UK. There is a Carbon Fiber Black, Carbon Fiber Blue, and Carbon Fiber Red. The other three options are Litchi Blue, Litchi Black, and Litchi Red. You can buy them right now for £3.88 ($5.25), which is a steep 86% discount off the regular price of £26.88.
When will the Nokia 9 arrive?
It is too early to say whether these cases would fit the actual Nokia 9. Little is known about the phone’s release date and launch markets. However, the premium phone has been long overdue. Almost all smartphone makers have already announced their 2017 flagships to capitalize on the holiday shopping. Considering the holiday shopping season is already underway, HMD Global is unlikely to unveil the Nokia 9 this year.
We expect HMD to show off the Nokia 9 early next year, most likely at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. HMD Global started selling Nokia-branded phones earlier this year. Most of its phones target the emerging markets and European countries. The company has consistently been expanding its portfolio since announcing the Nokia 6 in January 2017.
A few weeks ago, a Nokia smartphone with model number TA-1054 was spotted passing through the 3C certification in China. The model number TA-1054 has been linked to Nokia 9 in the past. The certification doesn’t reveal much about the handset, except that it would offer 4G connectivity. Another device that received Chinese certification with model number TA-1041 turned out to be the Nokia 7.
Nokia 9 rumored features and specs
The Nokia 9 is rumored to be available in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. According to Nokia Power User, the device would feature 128GB of internal storage. It is also believed to come with an IP68 certification for water- and dust-resistance. The rumor mill claims the Nokia 9 would have a starting price of $699, putting it in the same range as the iPhone 8, Galaxy S8, and Google Pixel 2.
The Nokia 9 is expected to ship with Android Oreo right out of the box. Oreo has been around for the past several weeks, but only a small number of third-party smartphones have received the update. Nokia-branded phones run the stock Android, so they are likely to receive faster software updates. The device is expected to pack a 3090mAh battery.
The current Nokia 8 features the OZO 360-degree surround sound technology, which is expected to make its way into the Nokia 9 as well. Just like Nokia 8, the upcoming flagship is said to feature two 13-megapixel sensors on the back with Carl Zeiss optics and Bothie feature. It is unclear which processor would power the Nokia 9. Most Android flagships launched this year run the Snapdragon 835, but the 2018 phones would run Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 845 SoC.
If HMD unveils the Nokia 9 in early 2018, it would want the device to feature the Snapdragon 845. But Samsung has already gobbled up the initial supply of Snapdragon 845 for its Galaxy S9. So, other Android vendors, including HMD, may have to opt for an older processor or delay the launch of their flagship phones by a few weeks.
