PureView Returns | The gamechanger Nokia 9 PureView with 5 Cameras goes Official. All Specs, Price and Availability details inside.

This is the most exciting day in 2019 for me. Nokia 9 PureView - the much anticipated Nokia smartphone is finally here. Nokia Mobile has officially unveiled its much-awaited Special Edition smartphone; or should we say the CameraPhone the Nokia 9 PureView which also is the world's 1st smartphone with 5 Rear cameras. With Nokia 9 PureView, HMD Global has also revived the "PureView" brand which was used for camera-centric Nokia smartphones of the recent past like legendary Nokia 808 PureView and many Nokia Lumias. PureView imaging was introduced back in 2012 to improve the imaging experience on smartphones and I would go on to say that Nokia and their PureView tech was the reason many companies started pushing smartphone photography in today's world.

Nokia 9 PureView is an Android One device running Pure Android Pie from Google. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and comes only in one memory configuration which is 6 GB RAM and 128 GB Storage with no MicroSD card slot. Nokia 9 PureView will come in Single SIM or Dual SIM variants depending on the markets where it will be available. 

At the front, we have a 5.99" 2K pOLED PureDisplay protected by Gorilla Glass 5, an under display fingerprint scanner, a 20MP Camera at the top sitting next to Nokia logo and on the left corner we have the Proximity and Ambient Light sensors. Nokia Mobile has also added Face Unlock option to the Nokia 9 PureView.

At the back, we have FIVE 12MP f1.8 cameras (2 RGB + 3 Monochrome), a ToF depth sensor and a Dual LED Flash. To keep the lights on, Nokia 9 PureView has a 3320mAh battery which also supports fast charging and Qi Wireless charging. Nokia 9 PureView comes only in Midnight Blue colour and has IP67 Water and Dust resistance rating. 

Snapdragon 845 is the last year's chip but as the tech was already being developed on this specific Qualcomm processor, it would have not been possible to switch to the latest Snapdragon 855 in such a short span of time. Nokia 9 PureView is the only smartphone that uses the Snapdragon 845 to its full potential by using the ISP, DSP, CPU and GPU all at the same time while processing the images which result in 3 times faster noise reduction and 10 times less power consumption. Nokia Mobile has also said that the Nokia 9 PureView is for photography enthusiasts and this will be produced in limited numbers. This suggests the rumour about the new flagship with 5G and Snapdragon 855 processor being launched sometime later this year could turn out to be true. 

Coming to design and build quality, Nokia 9 PureView is made from the well known Series 6000 block of aluminium and comes in a glass sandwich design with Gorilla Glass 5 protection both at the front and back as well which gives it a premium look and feel along with the durability you can rely on. Symmetry plays an important role in the design of Nokia 9 PureView and we can see that on the front panel where the top and bottom bezels are of equal proportions and the cameras at the back are symmetrical too.

Nokia 9 PureView is more of a camera phone but this time Nokia Mobile has pushed all the camera sensors inside the 8mm slim body of the device which doesn't have a camera bump like we saw on the older PureViews and the glass at the back looks seamless and it gently curves on all the sides. This is an era of computational photography and HMD Global has partnered with Light for making this smartphone come to life. So let's read more about the cameras.

About the cameras on Nokia 9 PureView

All things aside, let's dive into the world of 6 cameras that are present on the Nokia 9 PureView. With PureView, Nokia Mobile is focused on the quality of the images and hasn't added any Wide angle or Zoom cameras. All five cameras at the back come with ZEISS optics and are same 12MP sensors with f1.8 aperture and 28mm focal length. Out of the five sensors, two are RGB and three are monochrome sensors which together capture 10 times more light than a single similar sensor.

Nokia Mobile partnered with Light to develop a dedicated ASIC for the five camera setup on Nokia 9 PureView. This imaging coprocessor can instruct each camera independently to set the correct exposure, white balance depending on the scene. All five cameras capture simultaneously at least once while capturing an image on the Nokia 9 PureView. The resulting 12MP image has enough information of about 60MP and can also reach up to 240MP depending on the scene. Nokia 9 PureView also uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 to its full potential by utilising ISP, DSP, CPU and GPU at the same time to process images which result in 3 times faster noise reduction and 10 times less power consumption.

Nokia 9 PureView allows capturing images in RAW DNG format and Nokia Mobile has partnered with Adobe on their Photoshop Lightroom to create a dedicated lens profile which will be made available soon and you can edit these uncompressed images straight from the phone itself. 

Each 12MP image captured by the Nokia 9 PureView has a lot of data. Each image captured is in HDR with up to 12.4 stops of Dynamic range which is similar to actual full-fledged cameras all thanks to three monochrome sensors which capture 2.9 times more light each. Now you know why there are no wide angle and zoom cameras on the Nokia 9 PureView. PureView is always about real imaging experience and with such High Dynamic Range, you will get outstanding detail in areas of both bright sunlight and dark shadows at the same time with incredible texture.

Also, the Depth map with the help of five cameras and ToF sensor is in full 12MP resolution with 1200 layers of depth information captured between 7cm to 40m far from the camera. This allows for a natural looking background blur which goes on increasing with the distance of the subject just like we get on DSLR's. We can also edit the blur and depth of field/focus area in the Google Photos app using the bokeh editor and with 1200 layers and 12MP of depth map you have plenty of data to play with. 

And, there is also a 20MP front-facing camera which combines four pixels to create one super pixel thus capturing amazing Selfies and Bothies.

Nokia 9 PureView can capture videos in 4K at 30fps and comes with EIS for stabilisation. OZO Audio is present and Nokia 9 PureView can record 360 Spatial Audio with the help of three microphones.

Nokia Mobile also updated the Pro Mode with more options for each setting. Shutter Speeds can now be set up to 10 seconds up from 4 seconds and the fastest shutter speed is now 1/2000 up from 1/500. Not a huge upgrade in fast shutter speeds but at least we saw some progress. They also added more Exposure Values in between 0, -/+1 and -/+2. There is also a dedicated Monochrome mode for the Nokia 9 PureView.

Below are some of the images captured and edited on the Adobe Lightroom mobile app on Nokia 9 PureView by Finnish photographer Tuomas Harjumaaskol.

Nokia 9 PureView Product Video

Nokia 9 PureView Price and Availability

Nokia 9 PureView will retail for a Global Average price of $699USD and shipping has already begun. The price is on the lower side when compared to current flagships and could be lower or higher in different countries due to different tax rates and subsidies. Nokia 9 PureView is available in Midnight Blue colour options. Here is the link to the Nokia 9 PureView Product Page.

Nokia 9 PureView Specifications:

Design

• Size: 155 x 75 x 8 mm
• Colour: Midnight Blue
• Weight: 172 grams
• IP67 water and dust resistant

Performance

• Operating system: Android Pie (Android One Edition)
• RAM: 6 GB LPPDDR 4X
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Display

• Size and type: 5.99" pOLED PureDisplay with 2K QHD resolution
• Material: Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 3D Glass

Connectivity and sensors

• USB: Type-C 3.1
• Sensors: In-Screen Fingerprint sensor, ALS/PS, G-sensor, E-compass, Gyro, Hall sensor, Barometer, Haptic Vibrator

Network and connectivity

• Network speed:  LTE Cat 16 4x4 MIMO
• WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth: 5.0, ANT+
• Others: GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC, ANT+
• SIM: Single SIM and Dual SIM depending on the market

Storage

• Internal: 128 GB, No MicroSD card slot

Audio

• Microphones: 3 mics with OZO Audio for recording 360 Spatial Audio
• Connector: USB-C, No 3.5mm Headphone Jack
• Speaker: Single speaker with Smart Amp
• Other: Qualcomm aptX

Cameras and flash

• Five 12 MP cameras with f/1.82 (2 x RGB, 3 x monochrome)
• 20 MP, Display flash

Battery and charging

• Battery: Non-Removable 3320 mAh, Fast Charging, Supports Qi Wireless Charging

In the Box

• Nokia 9 PureView device
• Nokia Type-C charging cable
• Charger
• Adapter (Type C to 3.5mm headphone jack)
• Quick Start Guide
• Headset
• SIM Tool

Nokia 9 PureView Images:

HMD Global's Press Release

Nokia 9 PureView is the world’s first smartphone featuring a five camera array system with ZEISS Optics. It has two colour sensors and three monochromatic sensors which give sharpness and detail. All five work together to collect up to 10-times the amount of light than a single colour sensor of the same type. Every image captured by Nokia 9 PureView is HDR, with up to 12.4 stops of dynamic range and a full scene 12MP depth map. Each 12MP JPG image can benefit from outstanding detail in areas of both bright sunlight and dark shadows at the same time with incredible texture. The depth map allows beautiful bokeh, giving you the possibility to adjust focus in Google Photos after you have taken the shot. Maximising the heterogenous computing architecture of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ mobile platform and featuring a dedicated imaging co-processor, the Nokia 9 PureView gives you a glimpse into the future of smartphone photography with unparalleled control over your images through the updated Pro Camera UI. Nokia 9 PureView allows you to capture images in uncompressed RAW “DNG” format and through a partnership with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom allows editing on the device.

Nokia 9 PureView also brings flagship experiences in a flawless finish with advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset technology, a 2K pOLED “PureDisplay” screen, integrated Qi Wireless charging and under display fingerprint sensor. There is no camera bump for a flawless finish that radiates the thoughtful design you expect of a Nokia smartphone. And you can rest assured that the Nokia 9 PureView will get through the knocks and mishaps of real-life thanks to the Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 on the front and back.