Since last year, HMD Global has been releasing a plethora of smartphones at almost every price point to grab a piece of the crowded Android market. Its portfolio includes feature phones such as Nokia 3310 to budget-friendly Android handset Nokia 1 to the premium Nokia 8 Sirocco. HMD might be planning to bring a new Nokia X smartphone soon. An advertisement has been spotted in China teasing the Nokia X release date.
According to Chinese publication ITHome, the advertisement appeared on a theater display in China. If the ad is to be believed, the Nokia X release date is set for April 27th, at least in China. It is unclear whether the phone would be released worldwide or in select Asian markets. It’s quite surprising that HMD Global was able to keep the device secret for so long. Anyway, we will get to know all the details in less than a couple of weeks.
The digital advertisement teases the “X” logo with two phones crossing each other. The Nokia X release date is mentioned below the brand name. The ad does not reveal other specs or design elements, but Nokia X is believed to be a mid-range offering rather than the rumored Nokia 9 or Nokia 10. The Nokia X hasn’t appeared in the rumor mill yet, which means it would be a low- or mid-range handset.
If you are a long-time Nokia fan like me, you might be aware that Nokia X was the name of the first-ever Nokia-branded Android smartphone. It was released back in 2014 as an entry-level device when Nokia’s smartphone business was under Microsoft’s control. Though it was an Android phone, it featured Microsoft’s “Modern” user interface. It was launched without the Google Play Store. The software was customized to focus on Microsoft services such as Outlook and Skype. Nokia X was a disaster for Microsoft.
The upcoming Nokia X will probably have nothing to do with the old Nokia X as it would run pure Android Oreo. The device will also likely not be an iPhone X competitor. Though we know the Nokia X release date, not much else is known about the device. Based on the leaked ad, it appears to have a 2.5D curved display and a metal body. Citing a user on Baidu forum, folks at VTechgraphy report that the Nokia X would launch in both Snapdragon and MediaTek processor variants.
VTechgraphy added that the handset would offer either 4GB or 6GB RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. The Nokia X could be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 chipset, which is also expected to run two upcoming Xiaomi phones. It isn’t known how much the upcoming Nokia phone would cost.
To compete with the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9, HMD Global is planning to release Nokia 9 later this year. A few days ago, the Nokia 9 specifications were leaked by Finnish site SuomiMobiili. HMD Global already offers a premium phone called Nokia 8 Sirocco, but it features an older Snapdragon 835 chipset and a not-so-good selfie camera. According to the leak, the Nokia 9 would feature a huge 8GB RAM and Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 processor.
SuomiMobiili revealed that Nokia 9 would sport a 6.01-inch AMOLED display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen would be protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. It would come with an IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The device is said to offer up to 256GB of internal storage and dual-SIM functionality. It would run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.
Its biggest highlight will be the camera setup. According to the leak, Nokia 9 would feature a triple camera system on the back consisting of a 41-megapixel sensor, a 20-megapixel lens, and a 9.7-megapixel lens. All the lenses will be supplied by Carl Zeiss. The 41MP lens would be a wide-angle sensor with variable apertures of f/1.5 and f/2.4, 4x optical zoom, and optical image stabilization. The 20MP sensor will be a telephoto lens with OIS and an f/2.4 aperture. The third lens would be a monochrome sensor.
The Nokia 9 would sport a 21-megapixel camera on the front with an f/1.8 aperture for selfies. The phone would offer HMD’s signature Bothie camera feature along with a Pro Camera mode. The Bothie feature allows you to take photos and videos with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The phone is said to feature a 3900mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0 technology that delivers up to 60% charge in just 30 minutes.
