Nokia might release a long-awaited 5G flagship smartphone later this year
TL; DR
- A Nokia executive said a flagship 5G smartphone would hit the market by November 11th.
- He didn’t say what the device would bring.
- Rumors suggest it could be a sequel to 9 PureView or even run Harmony OS.
To say HMD Global’s Nokia brand is overdue for a new flagship phone would be an understatement – there hasn’t been a high-end device since the 9 PureView was launched in 2019. Fortunately, a real high-end device could be just around the corner. GizChina reports that a Nokia product manager for China, Zhang Yucheng, has promised Weibo supporters to launch a 5G flagship smartphone by November 11th.
The manager didn’t say what this Nokia phone would include other than 5G wireless. However, rumors have it that the company has struggled to develop a true sequel to the 9 PureView. It was disappointed with the poor camera quality and other shortcomings, so the claims. ITHome suggested that upcoming X60 series phones might include high-end camera hardware, curved AMOLED screens, and large batteries.
See also: The best Android phones you can buy
The flagship Nokia 5G could include a major software upheaval. has suggested that a high-end X60 series phone might ship with Huawei’s Harmony OS (at least in China) rather than a typical Android version. That wouldn’t be surprising given the lack of official Google services in China, although we wouldn’t expect Nokia to stick with Huawei’s software in most parts of the world.
It could be a crucial device when it shows up. Although Nokia recently restructured its phone line, the company has largely ceded the high-end Android phone market to Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi. The Nokia 5G flagship is unlikely to topple these heavyweights, but it could offer significant competition and give HMD more prestige than its cheap phones today.
