Nokia 9 and its 5 lenses could be coming sooner than planned

By JC Torres/Nov. 7, 2018 8:24 pm EST

Smartphones seem to be getting crazier and crazier, perhaps as an attempt to keep users excited and interested in them. From bezel-less notched screens to triple cameras to sliding or elevating cameras to foldable screens, you think you've seen it all. That is, until you've laid eyes on the Nokia 9, or at least what it's believed to be. The smartphone, which supposedly has not three not even four but five lenses, all on its back, is now tipped to debut sooner than originally intended. All thanks to the media hype around it.

We're not exactly sure about the level of hype that's needed to actually push an announcement to an earlier date. We're not even sure how much hype the alleged Nokia 9 has generated so far. There's definitely some talk about it, mostly because of its insane number of cameras all on one side. It still has nothing on camera maker Light's planned 9-lens smartphone though.

Still, the Nokia 9, a.k.a. Nokia 9 PureView, is definitely going to be at least curious. How will HMD Global justify the added cameras, added build expenses, and, therefore, added price tag? There's really only so much you can do with smartphone cameras before they almost become redundant or superfluous. In the smartphone industry, more doesn't always mean better, as Google's Pixel phones continue to prove.

The Nokia 9 has actually been rumored for quite some time now, going as far back as last year even. It might have been scheduled for an announcement at MWC 2019 next year but, thanks to that supposed media hype, HMD will reportedly do it earlier. Still in 2019 but earlier, which could mean CES or some random day in between.

Other than the five cameras, though, the Nokia 9 might have some trouble differentiating itself from the rest of the 2018 brood. In terms of specs, it's the regular mix of Snapdragon 845, with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, and a 5.9-inch no-notch display. Then again, that would be HMD Global's most powerful flagship to date and most likely will also be its most expensive.