Nokia 9 PureView review

05 April 2019
The Once and Future King of mobile photography - the PureView camera - is back! The Nokia's champion has lived through the twilights of Symbian and Windows Phone, to be once again reborn in the peak of Android era. HMD's Nokia 9 is the bearer of the next-gen PureView snapper, and it's not one, but whole six of them!

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • Len
  • 06 Apr 2019

PureView? More like PureLetDown!
A phone meant for photography but has limited options, even the pro mode is more constricted than some non-photography-oriented phones.

Okay, I'll play along and say 5 exact cameras are a good idea.

Google achieves higher resolution with one sensor by jiggling the ois.

Huawei used better monochrome+color merging (considering the time of launch)

And most modern phones have better experience overall. At least you don't take pictures then stare at your unlocked phone praying it will finish processing by lunch!

All the options Nokia/hmd had to make a good camera phone, and yet they chose to make a cheap-ish SD 845 which can be beaten by lots of midrangers in terms of photography.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • PGq
    • 06 Apr 2019

    "Since the Nokia 9 doesn't have an analog audio port, HMD is also proving a 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter. We have to admit this is the first time a maker ships a smartphone, flagship at that, with a headset that will always require an adapter and we find this odd, if not lazy."

    HMD engineers, just include the da** 3.5mm jack already as a CHOICE & CONVENIENCE for that price!! So that you can ditch the dongle!!

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • rKb
      • 06 Apr 2019

      Light L16.. Remember? Prototype but still the picture quality was horrible on that thing despite having a bunch of sensors. Unfortunately Nokia N9, don't call it PureView, fails to deliver. 808 Can't be replicated in this case.

        This really doesn't deserve the Pure View branding & any comparation to the N808 is pale one. Not only N808 had the best camera & sun visibility in it's time but it also had really good audio (Texas Instruments AMP & DAC) and best microphones up to date (144 dB SNR rate). While the "camera image quality" is better on today's photo oriented flagships (not including this N9) but purely thanks to software processing and post processing & audio output of the old N808 doesn't anymore stand for anything special it did hold the first place for some 5 years while this embarrassing thing is bad from a day one.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • S2T
          • 06 Apr 2019

          I read lot the phone is not meant for this, the cameras are not meant for that, the bla bla bla. What stopped Nokia from having stabilized 4k video or a wide angle lens here ? Or a good sized battery ? Or a decent night mode (like other phones have had since early 2018!!).
          So because this model is meant for photography there is no wide angle lens ? Wtf.

            • m
            • mazgga
            • snP
            • 06 Apr 2019

            Walter C. Dornez, 06 Apr 2019Not too bad, though 120 hz cant work on OLEDnokia 9 has lg poled screen https://www.oled-info.com/nokia-9-pureview

              • P
              • Pepa
              • pps
              • 06 Apr 2019

              Namelesss, 05 Apr 2019What was the point of this phone? They should just stop pro... moreMe and my friend - both day one buy. We are photographers and we want clean Android with frequent updates. Theres really not anything similar.But I also considered Mi9. P30Pro Is also good, but I dont like Huawei and Its too much money.

                Khaled6869, 06 Apr 2019well, a sequel to this phone can be done like this spec she... morewith all those sensors and the number of OIS systems u want ... all that cant be sold for 750$ with profit.

                  • D
                  • Dhruv
                  • XRC
                  • 06 Apr 2019

                  Anonymous, 05 Apr 2019Nokia use LG P-Oled? Dude only lg manufactures oled. Mo one else does. So where ever u see oled it's lg

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • KS2
                    • 06 Apr 2019

                    hanggak, 05 Apr 2019Another Nokia's failure. Can't match even with Pocophone F1.In what aspect? Except price and battery!!!!
                    Display is far better no match, camera is better and no match, OS is better, design is far better. It is not for you who just look at processor and price. It is targeted at some specific user category not at those who just think processor is everything.

                      Khaled6869, 06 Apr 2019well, a sequel to this phone can be done like this spec she... moreNot too bad, though 120 hz cant work on OLED

                        • A
                        • Ar_pp
                        • B{D
                        • 06 Apr 2019

                        Anonymous, 05 Apr 2019Nokia use LG P-Oled? Yes, the display of this handset is LG's built-in poled, it's also written in its profile, so in the gsmarena test it has its own strengths, and even in readability testing under sunlight, it is far from the rest of the first

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • KS2
                          • 06 Apr 2019

                          As a Nokia fan i can say that the phone is meant for those who post process the photos. They should fix JPEG output, photo processing should be done when phone is locked. Battery capacity is way too small for continuous photography. Even battery life is not impressive especially in web browsing time. Speaker is not so impressive.. camera lacks OIS. Sensors are small. FPS is horrible. Everyone is unhappy with it.
                          Pros: thanks to notch-less design, water resistance, the best display, costs less.
                          A SD855 version would definitely fix some of these. But JPEG output should be improved. Everyone doesn't have editing skills and some don't want to waste their time in it. Implementation of OIS is definitely tricky. But bigger sensors are must.. a SD 855 version would definitely cost sky high. They should remove UD FPS in next version.
                          Not impressed..

                            r33fd, 05 Apr 2019Ever since I heard Light name I knew this would be an epic ... moreNokia 808 is better than any other phone camera this earth has produced. period. the sheer size of the sensor and optics are its strong points. which leads to bulky handset . which currently no one wants. hence no matter what tricks today's manufacturers play... they know they just can't put a big sensor in a phone. coz that will increase the slimness to 14mm...

                              for all the energy nokia spent on this... my opinion is energy wasted.... no one's got the time to do all that processing... the saving of photos take ridiculously long time.


                              they should rather go by the Samsung or huawie way ...

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • LQv
                                • 06 Apr 2019

                                Khaled6869, 06 Apr 2019well, a sequel to this phone can be done like this spec she... moreSorry to disappoint you friend, but:

                                1) the 48 MP sensors from Sony and Samsung does not have dual pixel AF, all with dual pixel are 1/2.55" or 1/2.6" ... Since it is hardware based feature you cant put when sensor it is done already. No brand would nowadays sacrifice design for a thick/large sensor like N808/N1020.

                                2) 1/3.2" is too big for periscope style, also the f2.4 , this sensor size does not even exist. There is 13MP 1/3" from Sony and 12MP 1/3.4" from Samsung .

                                3) IP68 is 1,5m depth not 2m.

                                4) Samsung does not have 120Hz oled QHD to sell, just the 4K of Xperia 1.

                                5) there is no monochrome sensor with dual pixel, not from Sony nor Samsung

                                6) EIS for 4K60 does not exist, no brand has because it is too much for hardware do handle the task.

                                7) without stacked sensor, only fake 960fps is possible. Quality is worse than 480p. Exactly what Huawei and Xiaomi do.

                                8) OZO is just for video recording sound, not playback

                                9) With all your list, no brand would charge less than $1600 for basic storage option.



                                  • M
                                  • Maria
                                  • wr4
                                  • 06 Apr 2019

                                  Yes, I love it, but honestly eventhou I am not trypophobia, I feel goosebump! Dear Nokia, please design your all phones with incredible design like you used to do.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 6c6
                                    • 06 Apr 2019

                                    Not as good as preview picture.
                                    Over sharpened again and again.

                                      • s
                                      • six_tymes
                                      • kvH
                                      • 06 Apr 2019

                                      LG Superfan, 05 Apr 2019Nokia 8, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 9 Pureview Nokia unveiled t... moreAgreed, especially since this has the old 845 in it which came out in 2017. My wifes 2017 S8 bought in march of 2017 has a 845. What the heck is Nokia thinking releases a highend phone with an 845? they are lost

                                        well, a sequel to this phone can be done like this spec sheet I just made in my head (I tried to be reasonable as much as I can)

                                        Nokia 9.1 PureView 5G

                                        NETWORK
                                        . 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
                                        . Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat.20 2000/300 Mbps, 5G
                                        . GPRS: Yes
                                        . EDGE: Yes

                                        BODY
                                        . Dimensions: 158x75x9.4 mm
                                        . Build: front/back Gorilla Glass 6, stainless steel frame
                                        . Weight: 190 grams
                                        . SIM: single nano-SIM or Hybrid Dual nano-SIM
                                        . IP68 certified - dust & water resistant over 2m and 30 mins

                                        DISPLAY
                                        . Type: Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
                                        . Size: 6.4 inches (101.4 cm^2)(~94.0% screen to body ratio)
                                        . Resolution: 1440x3120 pixels, 19.5:9 (~538 ppi density)
                                        . Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 6
                                        . Always-on display, Dolby Vision/HDR10 compliant, 120 Hz refresh rate

                                        PLATFORM
                                        . OS: Android 9.0 (Pie) or 10.0 (Q); Android One
                                        . Chipset: Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm)
                                        . CPU: Octa-core (1x2.84GHz, 3x2.42GHz, 4x1.8GHz)
                                        . GPU: Adreno 640

                                        MEMORY
                                        . Card Slot: microSD (up to 512 GB) - uses SIM2 slot (hybrid slot model)
                                        . Internal: 128/256 GB, 8GB RAM or 512 GB, 12 GB RAM

                                        MAIN CAMERA

                                        . Five:
                                        1) 48 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 28mm (wide), 1/1.25", 0.8 um, PDAF, (dual pixel PDAF when shooting in 12 MP mode), OIS
                                        2) Periscope 12 MP, f/2.4, 140mm (telephoto), 1/3.2", 1.12 um, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom
                                        3) 12 MP, f/1.7, 28mm (wide, monochrome), 1/2.55", 1.4 um, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
                                        4) 16 MP, f/2.0, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/3.2", 1.12 um, PDAF, 120-degree FOV
                                        5) 3D TOF camera
                                        . Features
                                        Carl Zeiss Optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama, 50x zoom
                                        . Video
                                        2160p @30/60 fps, 1080p @30/60/120 fps, 720p @960 fps, HDR, gyro-EIS (all resolutions)

                                        SELFIE CAMERA
                                        . Dual:
                                        1) 16 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.12 um, PDAF, OIS
                                        2) 3D TOF camera
                                        . Features:
                                        Carl Zeiss Optics, HDR
                                        . Video:
                                        2160p @30 fps, 1080p @30 fps, HDR, gyro-EIS (all resolutions)

                                        SOUND
                                        . Loudspeaker: Yes, with stereo speakers
                                        . 3.5mm jack: Yes
                                        . 32-bit/384kHz audio, Nokia OZO audio, active noise cancellation with dedicated mics (3 microphones)

                                        COMMS
                                        . WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot
                                        . Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
                                        . GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
                                        . NFC: Yes
                                        . Radio: stereo FM Radio
                                        . USB: 3.1, Type-C reversible connector

                                        FEATURES
                                        . Sensors: Fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
                                        . ANT+

                                        BATTERY:
                                        . Non-removable Li-Ion 4500 mAh battery
                                        . Charging:
                                        1) Fast battery charging 18W
                                        2) USB Power Delivery
                                        3) Fast Wireless Charging 15W
                                        4) Power Bank/Reverse Wireless Charging 10W

                                        MISC
                                        . Colors: Midnight Blue, Greyish-Black gradient, Emerald Green, White, Blood Red
                                        . Price: 750 dollars, 900 dollars, and 1250 dollars

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