The rumor mill has indicated that HMD Global is going to launch Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 8 (2018) at a media event later this month. The company is also expected to unveil the much-anticipated flagship Nokia 9 at the same event. Now evidence of a handful of other phones including Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 4 has appeared on the Internet, thanks to a teardown of Nokia’s Camera app APK.
Nokia 7 Plus likely to run Snapdragon 660 processor
Android enthusiasts have used the APK teardowns for a long time to find out details of upcoming features and products. Folks at NokiaPowerUser have spotted hints of Nokia 9, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 4 and other unannounced products in the Camera APK (version 8.0210.20) of Nokia 5 running Android Oreo Beta. It is unclear whether HMD Global would announce all the products at the January 19 media event or spread the launch throughout 2018.
Neither Nokia 7 Plus nor Nokia 4 had leaked until now. The Nokia 7 Plus is expected to be a bigger and more powerful version of last year’s Nokia 7. It could run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor. The Nokia 4 will likely be an entirely new offering with a fresh set of specs. It would be interesting to see if Nokia 4 sees the light of the day because the number “4” is considered unlucky in China, one of the largest markets for HMD Global.
The APK teardown also mentioned the Nokia 1, which appeared in the rumor mill a few days ago. Nokia 1 is said to be based on Google’s Android Go program, and would cater to the lower-end market. It would offer 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The rumor mill claims Nokia 1 would launch in March.
It’s worth pointing out that the date corresponding to the files is 9/8/2016, which means the files were last created or modified in 2016. The company might have changed its plans for Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 4, and other phones since then. But then we know that Nokia 9 is coming because it was seen passing through the FCC a few weeks ago.
The APK teardown reveals exciting features
The Camera app APK teardown has mentioned features like Pro Mode, Telephoto mode, Shutter speed control, and others. Nokia fans have already been waiting for these phones. The Pro Mode might be similar to the Lumia camera’s Pro Mode. The Telephoto mode might find its way into the premium Nokia 9, which is rumored to feature a wide-angle and a telephoto lens on the back.
HMD Global is also planning to launch a 4G variant of the Nokia 3310 feature phone. The 3310 4G version recently emerged on China’s TENAA certification site. The device would run Alibaba’s YunOS, which is based on Android. The current Nokia 3310 supports 3G and runs HMD’s proprietary Feature OS. The YunOS support means it will run Android apps.
Here’s what we know about Nokia 9
Nokia fans are also excited about the flagship Nokia 9, which would compete with the iPhone X and Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S9 phones. The Nokia 9 has already received certification from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). According to FCC documents, Nokia 9 would sport a 5.5-inch OLED screen supplied by LG Display. It would feature a bezel-less display, which has become a standard for premium phones.
The FCC documents also revealed that the Nokia 9 would feature a 3250mAh battery with fast-charging technology. It will be powered by last year’s Snapdragon 835 processor rather than the latest Snapdragon 845, which could turn some customers off. The phone would have a dual camera setup on the back consisting of a 13MP and a 12MP lens.
The rear camera would be positioned vertically. Zeiss, which makes camera lenses for the Nokia 8, is also expected to supply the Nokia 9 camera sensors. Sitting below the two rear cameras will be the fingerprint sensor. The LED flash is placed next to the camera. It is said to have a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies.
NokiaPowerUser recently published a video showing the back cover of the upcoming flagship. NokiaPowerUser demonstrated in the video that the back cover fits Nokia 3 perfectly. It indicates that the Nokia 9’s dimensions would be similar to Nokia 3, which is 143.4 x 71.4 x 8.48mm. Cutouts on the back cover also suggest that the phone would lack the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The power button and volume rockers can be seen on the right side of the phone. The mike, USB-C port, and speaker grille are located at the bottom. The FCC documents did not mention how much RAM it would offer, but we expect the phone to pack 128GB of internal storage. Nokia 9 would run the stock version of Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. HMD Global has tried to differentiate its phones from rivals by offering the pure Android experience.
