Nokia 9 Specs Leaked: In-Display Fingerprint Sensor, Snapdragon 845 And More

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Since last year, HMD Global has bombarded the market with tons of Nokia-branded phones at almost every price point. But it still doesn’t have a true premium smartphone capable of competing against the likes of the iPhone X, Galaxy S9 Plus, and Google Pixel 2. Its best offering currently is the Nokia 8 Sirocco that comes with an older Snapdragon 835 processor and a not-so-good selfie camera. Now a German publication has leaked Nokia 9 specs, suggesting that HMD Global’s first true flagship is just around the corner.

Nokia 9 specs: In-display fingerprint sensor

The Nokia 9 was previously rumored to launch in 2017, but that didn’t happen. German site WinFuture reports that HMD is working on the device, which could be unveiled later this year. Reliable sources told WinFuture that the company was developing Nokia 9 under the code-name ‘A1 Plus.’ The device is also internally known as ‘A1P’ and ‘AOP.’ By comparison, the Nokia 8 Sirocco was code-named ‘A1N.’ It is unclear whether HMD is just going up the alphabet or the Nokia 9 specs will indeed be similar to Nokia 8 Sirocco.

According to WinFuture, the upcoming flagship will run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chipset, which you will find inside many premium Android phones of this year. One thing that most Android flagships are still missing, but that will find its way into Nokia 9 is the in-display fingerprint sensor. Yes, HMD Global is going to integrate the fingerprint sensor under its high-end phone’s display, allowing you to unlock the device by placing your finger on the screen.

It means the Nokia 9 is unlikely to have a physical fingerprint reader. FIH Mobile, the company that will assemble Nokia 9, had faced many issues with the fingerprint reader initially because it was slow to respond. But the issue has since been resolved by making the display glass slimmer.

So far, we have seen only a small number of phones with an optical fingerprint solution. Earlier this year, Vivo Nex was unveiled with the world’s first in-display fingerprint scanner. Vivo used Synaptics’ Clear ID FS9500 sensor under its phone’s display. The recent Oppo Find X also boasts an in-display fingerprint sensor. Both Oppo and Vivo are owned by China’s BBK Electronics.

Will it have a triple camera on the back?

The report added that the Nokia 9 would feature LG Display’s P-OLED screen. Google also sources the P-OLED panels from LG Display for its Pixel 2 devices. WinFuture didn’t reveal much about the upcoming phone’s camera. The German site noted that HMD Global considers the Nokia 9 a ‘high risk’ project. The company had to overcome various hurdles during its development.

Back in April, Finnish site Suomimobiili had also revealed some of the Nokia 9 specs. Suomimobiili reported that the phone would sport a triple camera on the back, similar to Huawei’s P20 Pro. It will consist of a 41MP wide-angle lens, a 20MP telephoto sensor, and a 9.7MP monochrome lens. The wide-angle lens will support up to 4x optical zoom, and both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses will support OIS.

The rear camera setup will have a Pro Camera mode. The Finnish publication added that Nokia 9 would sport a 21-megapixel camera on the front for selfies. HMD Global will use Carl Zeiss lenses for both the front and rear cameras. The phone will also offer Nokia’s signature Bothie feature that lets you use the front and back cameras simultaneously. Suomimobiili also mentioned the use of Xenon and LED flash.

Other rumored Nokia 9 specs

Other Nokia 9 specs include a 6.01-inch P-OLED display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection, 8GB RAM, dual-SIM support, and an IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance. We expect it to run the stock version of Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, and receive the Android P update towards the end of this year.

According to Suomimobiili, the Nokia 9 would offer up to 256GB of internal storage, a 3,900mAh battery, and Qi wireless charging. It will also support the QuickCharge 4.0 technology that promises 60% battery charge in 30 minutes.

HMD Global started working on the device in February this year. The phone will be ready for mass production in the second half, most likely in August/September. WinFuture also mentioned an ‘A1 Plus Europe,’ which could be the European variant of the handset.

It is unclear when HMD Global plans to unveil the Nokia 9. WinFuture said the device could debut in August or September. NokiaPowerUser has also reported in the past that HMD was targeting a third quarter (July-September) release. If the two reports turn out to be accurate, we could see the Nokia 9 at the IFA trade show in September. The Nokia 9 will be competing against the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9, Apple’s next-gen iPhones, and Google’s upcoming Pixel 3.

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