Nokia 9 PureView (2019)

Disappointed, but not enough to make me hate Nokia – This phone be is my first new Nokia since the N85 (which I used from 2008 till I retired the phone in 2018), so my critique of the 9 Pureview is in comparison to the N85. First, the positives. While it is considerably larger, it doesn't feel cumbersome in the hand, and the rounded edges make for quite a comfortable grip on the phone while in use. The cameras all function perfectly in daytime and lit up indoor conditions, and video recording is what you expect of a phone from 2019. The speaker (when compared to the N85 and an iPhone 12 Pro Max) has a lot of punch in the lows, without drowning out the high end notes just like the N85, and in considerably better than the iPhone, though it is a single downward firing speaker. The display is perfect, with accurate colours, and a very nice warm feel when night mode is turned on 24 hours. And as for assessible hardware performance just from day to day use, the RAM and SoC function without issue, and can handle anything thrown at the phone.

Now, the negatives. The USB C port isn't very rugged, with signs of connection issues starting within the first year to 18 months of my owning the phone. While it does have a Qi Wireless Charger, the loss of the port also means the loss of Android Auto and the use of wired headphones via the USB C to 3.5 mm dongle, which is an issue depending on the vehicle you want to listen to music or take calls in. The battery also isn't the best, with its battery health plummeting to a point where it wouldn't even last beyond 2 hours during use upon the phone nearing its 2 year mark of my owning it. Bluetooth has also had a weird issue depending on the vehicle. For work I drive a Hino, which has Bluetooth, however the 9 Pureview refuses to pair with the radio, meaning I need a Bluetooth FM Transmitter in the truck, or a pair of ear buds to listen my music or take calls while driving. Warranty repairs are also not easy, with the sole repair centre being in Cardiff NSW, which is inconvenient if you live in the Sydney Metropolitan Area as it's quite a distance, and with no offer of a temporary phone to use, plus no guarantee from Nokia that your data will survive the service, it's something I was unable to utilise. And lastly, the Android One program. This is not a Nokia initiative (obviously), however it is a promise of 2 OS updates that Nokia broke. My 9 Pureview is still running Android 10, and when the anticipated upgrade to Android 11 was unable to be done (the camera array was the issue apparently), all that was offered was a small discount on a brand new device. Given that at the time I only had the USB port occasionally playing up, I was not wanting to get a new phone, however no other option was given to compensate 9 Pureview owners for the lack of upgrade to Android 11. I would have rathered something like an extended warranty, or an offer of some kind of accessories bundle, or even a closer to 50% or 75% discount on a new phone to make up for Nokia breaking the Android One promise.

My goal was to have my 9 Pureview last me 10 years, just like my N85, however it has only lasted just under 4 (the purchase was in Mid-2020), which is a massive drop in reliability and longevity when the 2 devices are compared. The lack of a built in FM transmitter is also disappointing, as the N85 had a built in FM Transmitter, making it easy if Bluetooth wasn't an option.

I am now looking in to another phone from Nokia, and am planning to do self repairs on my 9 Pureview, as it's out of warranty, so I may as well use my beloved phone as a learning tool. If I get it back to near new condition, I'll use it as an entertainment device (games, music, video playback), but my disappointment in Nokia is immeasurable, as I had high hopes on the 9 Pureview.

Nokia is back. Great phone – Been a dedicated iPhone user most my life. Remembered Nokia from the good old days before iPhones and thought I'd give them another try. This phone is amazing for the price point. More features than my iPhone for almost half the cost. Fantastic photos, amazingly simple android one operating system even if your switching from years of apple iOS use. OLED sceen, fast charging. Great interface and after 1 day i don't miss my iPhone at all. I actually prefer this interface which I wasn't expecting. Keep it up Nokia. Nothing bad to say about this phone except that the fingerprint scanner only works half the time. But the face unlock is super fast and reliable and makes up for it anyway. I would buy this phone again without hesitation. Battery life is also amazing. Almost 2 days with heavy use.