MANILA, Philippines – Many of the big phone brands have already released their entries to the 2017 flagship smartphone wars. There’s Samsung with the border-breaking S8; Huawei’s Leica-powered P10; LG with the G6 and its novel “FullVision” display; and Apple with an iPhone 7 that’s…red. 

This year, we also saw the rebirth of the Nokia 3310. While it’s not a flagship – nor was it ever – the phone still saw a tremendous response, mostly from the generation that grew up with the iconic Nokia. 

But does Nokia have anything that can compete with the aforementioned flagships? They have the Nokia 6, but its specs (Snapdragon 430 and 4GB of RAM) will most likely be met with bored looks from this year’s crop of top-level models. 

This likely will not be the case with the Nokia 9 – if the rumors come to fruition. It’s all just “anonymous sources” and leaks from who-knows-what-corner-of-the-internet at the moment but if there’s one place that gives some credence to the saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” it’s the internet. 

Rumored specs

Here’s what the internet is saying, specifically the folks at NokiaPowerUser, a known web source for all things Nokia. The Nokia 9 will supposedly feature a 5.5-inch quad HD LED screen (2,560 x 1,440), a Snapdragon 835 chip, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB or 128GB storage. Its cameras will be a 22MP dual-lens Carl Zeiss rear shooter and a 12MP one on the front, and will be powered by a 3,800 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4. For security, it will have an iris and fingerprint scanner. The phone will reportedly run on Android Nougat 7.1.2. 

Topping it off, the 9 will also reportedly be the first Nokia phone to have the brand’s audio-enhancing system, the “Nokia OZO audio,” and will be IP68-certified. 

These specs, if they hold up, are certainly flagship-level. The S8 and G6 have quad HD screens albeit in an unusual configuration caused by their longer-than-usual aspect ratios. The S8, in some markets, carry the top-tier Snapdragon 835 chip and also has the iris scanner. The Huawei P10 Plus rivals the Nokia 9’s rumored 6GB of RAM. 

Estimated price, announcement, and release date

Techradar, speaking to NokiaPowerUser, said that the phone might be announced in July or August, with a release in September for $699. 

As to how it will look? The YouTube channel, “Concept creator,” has its own rendition of the device in a video that has since received more than 1.5 million views since its late February 2017 release.

The amount of views of the fan-made concept video, along with the steady stream of leaks, point to one thing: there is interest in what a modern-day flagship Nokia can deliver.

These are only rumors for now. But with the continuing popularity of the Nokia brand, it’s not too far a reality for the former mobile king to re-enter the frontlines of the phone wars.

Rappler also reached out to HMD Global, Nokia’s parent company, for comment on the Nokia 9. They said: “We do not comment on rumours or speculation.” 

What features do you want to see on a Nokia flagship? – Rappler.com