We have been hearing rumors about this device since last year and HMD Global has finally revealed it at its press event ahead of MWC 2019 tomorrow in Barcelona. The Nokia 9 PureView is official and it does indeed feature five cameras at the back. The company has attached the PureView branding to this device which is an homage to the Nokia devices of days gone by.
One major difference that this multi-camera system has compared to others from the likes of Samsung and LG is that it has the same key specs for all rear cameras. Each has a 12 megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 lens. However, only two of the five lenses shoot in color as the other three are all monochrome.
So when the user presses the shutter button, all five cameras shoot different exposures at the same time which are then merged together into one shot that’s high in detail. Nokia says that depending on the composition of the scene, the individual cameras can also shoot multiple exposures on their own to add more data to the final image.
Despite its innovative camera system, the specs aren’t what you’d expect from a flagship smartphone in 2019. It’s powered by last year’s flagship Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 845, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It also features a 5.99 inch OLED 2K panel with IP67 water resistance and a 3,320mAh battery. There’s Gorilla Glass on the front and back for added protection.
Just how well that camera performs remains to be seen. We’ll be able to judge that for ourselves, and provide a comprehensive Ubergizmo Camera Score, once the handset arrives. HMD Global will be selling it next month for $699 in the United States.