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Nokia 9: Leaks Show The King’s Return, The Galaxy S8 And iPhone 8 Should Beware

By Simon Alvarez
Published on: 01:48 PST, May 28, 2017

The reign of Apple and Samsung as the kings of the mobile market might be challenged soon by one of the most seasoned veterans in the field, Nokia. While the HMD-owned brand has been focusing on the midrange and entry-level market so far, recent reports and leaks suggest that the smartphone maker is also aiming for the top end of the industry through the Nokia 9, the firm’s premium-grade, 2017 flagship device.

HMD has been extremely secretive about the development of the Nokia 9, though speculations about the device have been abounding for quite some time now. Recently, however, details on the specs and features of the Nokia 9 have leaked, including a video of an actual prototype unit and benchmark scores that practically blow the competition out of the water. Overall, it appears that the Nokia 9 is coming, and as much as it is unexpected, the return of the king of mobile phones’ appears imminent.

Just last week, French tech-themed website FrAndroid published an exclusive first look at a Nokia 9 prototype. While the flagship device was encased in a plastic case, the tech publication was able to gain access to the smartphone, confirming its specs and some of its features. Needless to say, the Nokia 9 is quite impressive, and the smartphone could easily stand toe-to-toe with the best in the industry such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, the LG L6, and possibly, even the iPhone 8.

Immediately noticeable in the FrAndroid report was the spec sheet of the prototype Nokia 9 unit, which showed that the smartphone would be equipped with industry-leading specs. Among these is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, a 5.3-inch QHD display with 557dpi, 64GB of internal storage, and 4GB of RAM. While the specs of the Nokia 9 appear to be simply on par with other Android flagships in the market, the performance of the unit itself is a completely different league from other Android devices.

In leaked benchmark results, the Nokia 9 scored an impressive 7770 in multi-core tests, practically dominating the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the iPhone 7 Plus, which scored 7252 and 6123, respectively. While the Nokia 9’s Snapdragon 835 chip ultimately bowed to the iPhone 7 Plus’ A10 chip during single-core tests, the upcoming flagship from the veteran brand still dominated its Android rivals nonetheless. The Nokia 9 scored 2255 in single-core tests, which was significantly higher than the 2120 earned by the Galaxy S8.

Of course, these leaked benchmark scores are not completely confirmed, and the Nokia 9 is still pretty much a prototype at this stage, so it would be wise to take these numbers with a generous helping of salt. Nevertheless, the specs of the upcoming device, together with its alleged benchmark scores, paint a picture of a smartphone that rival manufacturers would be foolish to take lightly.

Other rumors about the Nokia 9 include a pretty sizable 3,800mAh battery with fast charging capabilities, as well as a full IP68 rating. A USB-C port, Android 7 OS, 3D Audio Recording, an Iris Scanner and a Carl Zeiss camera with dual-lens sensors are also widely speculated for the upcoming flagship device, according to a TechRadar report.

Considering the specs and leaked benchmark scores of the Nokia 9, it appears that a new player in the premium smartphone field is about to make an entrance this year. Nokia might be out of the premium smartphone industry for a while now, but if its midrange and entry-level phones are an indication, the mobile firm has not lost its touch yet. With the Nokia 9, the smartphone maker could take a definitive step towards reclaiming the spot that it lost years ago and emerge as the king of mobile devices once more.

[Featured Image by HMD]

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