Nokia-brand licensee HMD Global is prepping the launch of a flagship phone in 2021, but can it take the fight to Samsung, OnePlus and the rest?
It’s been a while since a Nokia-branded flagship phone hit the shelves, but the long wait might finally come to an end this year. The last flagship phone rocking the Nokia branding came well over two years ago and went by the name Nokia 9 PureView. Packing five cameras at the back, the phone arrived with the promise of taking smartphone photography to the next level. It was among early adopters of the skewed 'more cameras, better results' philosophy, a mantra that the likes of Samsung quickly aped even for mid-rangers.
However, the Nokia 9 PureView couldn’t live up to that promise, thanks in no part to an oddly slow camera app experience, inconsistent imaging results, an unreliable fingerprint scanner, and middling features. Ever since its underwhelming debut, there have been rumors of a successor that will include some notable upgrades, such as a 108-megapixel camera akin to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, support for blazing-fast charging, and a design overhaul — but those speculations have yet to become a reality.
IT Home spotted a Nokia smartphone brand product manager teasing the debut of a new 5G-ready phone for this year. Now licensed by HMD Global, the upcoming Nokia flagship is touted to make its debut before the Single’s Day fest in China which is celebrated on November 11. An annual event that's often marked by new product launches and a massive online sales extravaganza.
At this moment, the only information about the upcoming Nokia Mobile flagship is that it will arrive before the end of 2021. HMD Global has been developing a high-end Nokia phone for a while now, but the company reportedly pulled the plugs on a Nokia 9 PureView successor due to a multitude of factors. Plus, the departure of Juho Sarvikas - formerly the Chief Product Officer at HMD Global and the face of Nokia-branded phones for the past few years - further shattered any hopes of getting a flagship from the company any time soon. Instead, HMD Global went in a completely different direction and launched affordable phones across a wide spectrum under the new Nokia G, X, and the C lines to compete with the likes of Motorola and Chinese brands.
The latest rumors suggest that HMD Global is developing a new phone called Nokia X50 that will offer perks such as a 108-megapixel camera, a 120Hz OLED display, and a massive 6,000 mAh battery. However, the rumored Snapdragon 700-series processor under the hood does not really scream flagship. Even if Nokia manages to surprise with a true-blue Android flagship later this year, the road ahead won’t be easy. OnePlus has stepped up its game with the OnePlus 9 Pro, Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra has been hailed as the peak Android phone by many, while the likes of Oppo and Vivo continue to launch compelling high-end phones.
Such is the crowded state of the market that even a specced-to-the-gills phone from a yesteryear great named Sony struggles to find a solid footing. HMD Global will either have to wow with a combination of great design and raw firepower on its Nokia-branded flagship or undercut the competition on net value. Either way, the path to leaving a lasting impression in the Android flagship world won’t be easy.
Source: IT Home
