The Nokia 9 has been updated to Android 10, but that’s only a small part of this long-term review story.

I tend to slow-play my reviews. I don’t think you can really share the experience of using a smartphone when you’ve only used it on pre-release software a week before the phone is officially announced. Some manufacturers update faster than others.

I gave the Nokia 9 a little extra leeway because of the crazy camera experiment on the back of the phone. Getting the software right for that much hardware is a difficult challenge.

From March to December, I think we’ve given Nokia a fair window of software support.

We’re dealing with a handful of different claims from HMD (the company licensing the Nokia name).

The Nokia 9 is an Android One device. Android One is a certification process where manufacturers promise to update devices monthly for at least two years. To date, the Nokia 9 is one of the most expensive phones to wear the Android One label.

Relative to other manufacturers, and considering the price point of Nokia phone, HMD did a “very good” job of getting security patches and updates out to their phones this year. The Nokia 9 received Android 10 in roughly the same window as Sony’s Xperia 1 and the OnePlus 6/6T. Barely edging out Samsung, and decently ahead of LG, in getting software out in most regions.

The core update is wonderful. The Nokia 9 was pretty close to stock, and that hasn’t changed moving to Android 10.

The move from Android 9 to Android 10 has been an easier transition than the update from 8 to 9. Android 9 sapped more performance out of older hardware. After updating to 10, better than staying consistent, scores improved in most tests. It’s always nice when our gadgets get better with age.

All of the expected upgrades are on tap like Dark Mode and Smart Reply. Gesture navigation is included, but I’m relieved Nokia didn’t get rid of “The Pill”. I prefer a home button to full gestures.

The Android Stuff is Great.

The Google software is only part of the equation though. A phone is a really complicated product.

Nokia made a handful of hardware decisions that complicate the pure Android conversation. Hardware which requires specific software support, and highlights the difficulty many manufacturers face when customizing the smartphone experience.

The stickiest thorn, in my opinion, was the in-display fingerprint sensor. It’s always been slow. For a brief time it was horrifically insecure. The Android 10 updates seems to normalize performance. It’s been much more consistent in my use, but it’s still the absolute slowest scanner I’ve used since the old Android days, when we would have to swipe a finger over a sensor.

You have to hold you thumb on the right spot (it’s a small target), and I can almost count to “Three Mississippi” before the phone unlocks.

The verification is steadier and more consistent. The scanner has not unlocked for another finger (or a gum wrapper), but the scan takes ages compared to the rear fingerprint sensors we’ve been using since 2016.

The Camera Still Feels Like Magic…

But it’s also really slow.

Smashing the output of five cameras together was probably never going to be speedy on the top processor of 2018. Next year, Qualcomm will sport much more intense pixel densities on smartphone cameras. Nokia was a bit too far ahead of the curve for the kind of camera performance consumers have come to expect.

Taking the photo is surprisingly quick, and the phone can buffer a number of shots to process, but folks who like to view a photo shortly after hitting the shutter are in for a wait.

The output is fantastic. The depth mapping produces a natural looking artificial background blur. Even though it’s slow to process the final shot, it creates some of the most photographic stills from any phone I’ve reviewed this year.

But there are still gaps.

No night mode. No video stabilization. No manual focus in the Pro mode.

The Nokia 9 camera achieves some incredible results. There is a fantastic attention to detail. The photos look great out of the camera, and have plenty of info to edit with. The video mode even has directional audio controls.

Though, just as you start pushing the camera to its limits, there are these stumbles and omissions which interrupt the experience.

Phones are Complicated

Folks want to act like a phone is a phone is a phone. A slab of glass. Slap on Android. Good to go.

It’s a testament to the companies that make this look easy. Customizing the UI. Adding features on top of Android. Supporting different combinations of hardware. This stuff isn’t easy.

The Nokia 9 was a fun strange trip.

I get the sense this was HMD’s idea of a top tier phone for the second half of 2018, but couldn’t get the phone out until early 2019.

The hardware is gorgeous. Premium design accents like the silvery beveled edges. A beautiful flat front screen. Water resistant build. Excellent haptic feedback. And, even though it uses a dongle, the Nokia 9 surprisingly produced the highest quality headphone playback after LG this year.

It was just a little too late, and Nokia was a little TOO ambitious.

Now, hopefully we see this idea refined for 2020.

Want a more in-depth look at the Nokia 9’s camera and audio performance?

The Nokia 9 AUDIO DEEP DIVE and Nokia 9 CAMERA DEEP DIVE reviews are on Patreon!