If a new set of leaks are to be believed, it appears that Nokia is preparing to throw the gauntlet down at the mobile industry this year. After the release of its critically-acclaimed 2017 debut handset, the Nokia 6, and the massive support for its Nokia 3310 remake, the smartphone maker appears set to establish itself as one of the leaders in the mobile industry this year. Now, new leaks have emerged about the tech firm’s long-rumored flagship Android device, the Nokia 9, and from what could be determined so far, it appears that the upcoming handset would be powerful enough to give the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 a run for their money.

A new set of leaks, provided by an anonymous source and reported by Nokia Power User, has provided an outline of the possible features and specs for the Nokia 9, which is expected to be unveiled sometime this year. A powerful, flagship-grade device from Nokia has been in the rumor mill for a long time, with the device taking on numerous names such as the Nokia C9 and the Nokia P1. Recently, however, rumors have been quite unanimous in the notion that the upcoming smartphone would be christened as the Nokia 9.

While the report has stated that the recent leaks did not come from the website’s usual source, the content of the information provided to the Nokia-themed website did correspond to numerous existing rumors about the upcoming device. Overall, the leak stated that the Nokia 9 would be equipped with a flagship-grade 5.5-inch QHD OLED display, which would allow the device not only to be perfect for everyday viewing but capable enough for mobile VR tasks, as well.

The internals of the upcoming device appears to be extremely robust as well, as the leak pointed to the Nokia 9 being equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and an Andreno 540 GPU. This pairing would further be enhanced by a generous 6GB of RAM and at least 64GB of internal storage, which would allow the device to meet Android frontliners such as the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 head-on, at least concerning specs.

Nokia devices of yesteryear were among the forerunners of the camera smartphone revolution, and the upcoming flagship device appears set to reclaim its place as one of the premiere imaging smartphones in the mobile market. If the recent leaks prove accurate, the Nokia 9 would be a powerhouse camera smartphone as well, with a dual-lens 22MP Carl-Zeiss Rear Camera and a hefty 12 MP front-facing camera. The front sensor on the device, apart from boasting a robust megapixel count, would also be equipped with iris-scanning features, which would double as an added security feature for the upcoming device.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Nokia 9’s leaked specs, however, revolve around its premium-grade audio capabilities, according to an Android Headlines report. The recent leaks point to the Nokia 9 being equipped with “Nokia OZO audio enhancements,” complete with 3D capture and playback support. The smartphone maker’s OZO brand is widely connected to the smartphone maker’s mobile virtual reality efforts. Thus, there is a very real possibility that the Nokia 9 would be the company’s first device that is designed to compete in the emerging VR market.

Other Nokia 9 specs that were included in the recent leak are equally impressive. Among these is a pretty hefty 3800mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0. A fingerprint scanner and a full IP68 certification are also expected for the flagship smartphone. The device is also expected to run Android 7.1.2 Nougat, with the likely option to receive Android O later this year. These specs and features would place the Nokia 9 into level footing with many Android flagships for 2017, such as the LG G6, the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the Huawei P10.

One thing that the Nokia 9 would most likely boast over its competitors is its build quality. Nokia devices have always featured immensely durable designs, with the company’s iconic Nokia 3310 essentially becoming a meme as the world’s indestructible phone. Even the Nokia 6, which was released earlier this year, was lauded by critics as one of the most durable phones currently available in the market. Thus, it appears certain that the Nokia 9, the smartphone maker’s flagship device, would be a powerhouse smartphone with incredibly great build quality.

The release date for the Nokia 9 has not been revealed by the firm, though speculations are high that the upcoming flagship would be unveiled sometime later this year. Pricing for the Nokia 9 also remains unknown, though rumors point to the device being priced competitively once it gets released to the market.

[Featured Image by HMD Global]