We have credible rumors to suggest the Nokia 9.1 PureView will be a 5G-capable smartphone that will launch sometime in 2019. The follow-up to the Nokia 9 PureView, as its alleged name suggests, will likely be mostly an iterative upgrade.
HMD Global officially revealed the Nokia 9 PureView in February 2019 after several months of delays. The Android One smartphone sports a whopping five rear camera lenses along with a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. We expect the follow-up to the Nokia 9 to feature a similar camera setup, although with some new upgrades. We also expect some of the internal specs to get bumped up as well.
Nokia 9.1 PureView: Name and release date
Judging from prior HMD Global naming schemes for its Nokia-branded smartphones (which even the company itself says are confusing), the name for the follow-up to the Nokia 9 will very likely be the Nokia 9.1 PureView.
Since the phone might be 5G-capable (more on that in a bit), it’s possible the device will have 5G in its official name, something like Nokia 9.1 PureView 5G. However, the “9.1” aspect of the name, as well as the PureView moniker, will almost assuredly be a part of the title.
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According to sources speaking with Nokia Power User, the planned launch of the Nokia 9.1 was originally slated for the third quarter of 2019. However, due to HMD wanting to avoid the initial bad press surrounding the Nokia 9, the company has pushed that date back to the fourth quarter of 2019 in order to accommodate further testing and refinements.
As such, we should expect the Nokia 9.1 PureView to launch at some point before the end of the year but no sooner than October. October is usually a big month for smartphone releases so HMD is likely gunning for a launch at some point near then.
Nokia 9.1 PureView: Design
Considering the Nokia 9 only officially landed in stores around the world in Spring of this year, it’s very unlikely we’ll see too many design changes with the Nokia 9.1 PureView. Instead, it’s far more likely we’ll see the same overall design but with a few tweaks.
That means the quad-lens camera setup on the back of the device will likely look very similar. It’s possible the lenses and other related hardware could get some upgrades, but the overall look will likely be the same.
The Nokia 9.1 PureView will likely look a lot like its predecessor, but might feature some new design tweaks.
The front of the device is likely where most changes could occur. One rumor stemming from Nokia Power User suggests the Nokia 9.1 PureView will have a punch-hole display, similar to what we’ve seen this year from devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 family and HMD Global’s own upcoming Nokia X71.
If that ends up being the case, the display bezels of the Nokia 9.1 will likely be much smaller than what we saw on the Nokia 9, which had a large forehead and even larger chin.
The in-display fingerprint sensor will also still be around, as it would seem a step backward to put a rear- or side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the Nokia 9 follow-up.
Nokia 9.1 PureView: Specs and features
As one would expect, the most notable rumored upgrades for the Nokia 9.1 PureView relate to its rear camera system.
Unfortunately, even with a whopping five rear camera lenses on board, the Nokia 9 failed to impress many smartphone camera reviewers, including us here at Android Authority. Many of the problems with the camera didn’t stem from the hardware; it was the software that didn’t measure up.
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For example, the camera app took too long to start up and actually crashed a few times during testing. HMD pushed software updates to address these early issues, but even now the camera system doesn’t compete with photo-centric heavyweights like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Huawei P30 Pro.
With the Nokia 9.1 PureView, the software is rumored to be getting an upgrade and the hardware could as well. This is what an anonymous source had to say to Nokia Power User:
We can expect even better camera performance with a special focus on video and low-light performance. Camera speed has also been improved with a combination of better processor and software algorithm improvements with the help of Light. But the development team still is working on optimizations.
Hopefully, these rumored upgrades will make the Nokia 9.1 PureView the promised photo powerhouse we were supposed to get with the Nokia 9.
Elsewhere, we expect the internals of the Nokia 9.1 to get some upgrades. It’s possible the 2019 flagship smartphone processor — the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 — will be on board. This will enable the Nokia 9.1 to be 5G-capable, which is rumored to be the case. This would make the Nokia 9.1 the flagship 5G smartphone from HMD (there is likely to be a cheaper, non-flagship 5G smartphone from the company as well).
There are rumors that the Nokia 9.1 PureView will feature the Snapdragon 855 chipset and even be 5G-capable.
It’s also extremely likely that the Nokia 9.1 PureView will come with Android One and launch with Android Q out of the box, considering by the fourth quarter of 2019 the newest flavor of Android will already be in the wild.
There are no solid rumors yet related to internal storage or the amount of RAM in the device. Considering the Nokia 9 came with 128GB of internal storage and 6GB of RAM, it’s reasonable to assume that Nokia 9.1 will come with the same levels or more.
Nokia 9.1 PureView: Price
The Nokia 9 PureView launched with a retail price of $700. Since then, there have been numerous opportunities to get the phone for even less, with a $500 price tag pretty easy to find.
Judging from that launch price, it’s reasonable to assume the Nokia 9.1 PureView will be around the same price.
However, the upgraded processor and the potential for the device to be 5G-ready could mean a hefty increase in the starting price for the phone. It’s not unreasonable to assume the Nokia 9.1 PureView could launch at $800 or more if 5G is on the table.
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The lackluster critical response to the Nokia 9 PureView — HMD’s primary flagship device — could make the company reconsider raising the price for the follow up too much. It’s possible HMD could sell the device with the intention of breaking even rather than earning a hefty profit just to convince people that the Nokia brand isn’t just for mid-rangers and budget devices.
With all that in mind, as of now, it’s anyone’s guess what the price could be. It’s a good bet, though, that it will be more than $700. How much more, we are not sure.
Those are all the reputable rumors we know so far about the Nokia 9.1 PureView. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often for the latest news!