- This video is sponsored by RetailMeNot.
Nokia has always reserved the name PureView
for phones that push the boundaries of photography.
When it launched in 2012, the original packed
a then giant 41 megapixel sensor
and the PureView Lumia phones that followed
helped popularize optical image stabilization
and they spent years just slaying everyone else
when it came to low light photos.
The newest PureView comes from a new Nokia
and it tackles a new angle.
This is the Nokia 9
and it's mission is to bring some of the quality
of professional still cameras
without the cost and the bulk.
When it succeeds, it produces photographs
that ooze character with dynamic range and depth
you won't see on any other phone.
But, just like you don't get money for nothin',
you don't get these clicks for free.
(lively music)
I know you're here for the photos, folks,
and I'm gonna share 'em in a minute,
but just like a customer buying this phone,
you're gonna have to sit through the compromises first.
Some of the Nokia 9's problems have fixes
already in development, like the camera app
being very sluggish to switch between modes
and even occasionally crashing.
But Nokia isn't gonna be able to fix
designs decisions that impede the everyday experience.
Let's start by taking a look at my storage.
After less than three weeks of using this device,
I've used almost 40% of its 128 gigs.
That's mainly because the camera supports RAW capture,
which means it kicks out some pretty big files
if you toggle it on.
But if you're gonna include that feature,
why wouldn't you build in a micro SD card
to more easily offload photos?
Nokia's counterargument is that Google Photos
lets back up all your images for free,
but it only offers that at reduced quality.
You've gotta pay for the original quality backups
and it's still much slower.
I'll share my workaround for this at the end of the video.
Add to that omission the lack of a dedicated camera button.
Sure, it's a niche complaint, but the kind of people
who value a camera like this, also value the option
of a nice, big mechanical shutter key
with half-press to focus
for more easily framing a shot.
And even if you don't care about that,
you will care about this fingerprint reader.
Put simply, it's the worst one currently on the market.
It's hard to train, it almost never recognizes me
on the first attempt, and it keeps telling me
to press harder when it doesn't get a firm read
until I feel like I'm almost squeezing the phone to death.
I eventually became so frustrated with this
that I just gave up and fell back
on the non-secure face unlock.
Now, I asked Nokia if those promised software updates
would improve this and the company wouldn't commit to that.
Those updates are mainly focused on the camera.
So yeah, it's bad and it seems like to stay bad,
which is too bad.
Let's talk about what's good and let's start
with the centerpiece of the whole affair,
five 12 megapixel cameras identical
except for their sensors.
Two are color cameras, three are monochrome.
That system is developed by Nokia's partner,
the Light Company, an apt name since the whole point
of using three black and white sensors is to
pull more light into the camera system.
Look along side the LED flash, and you'll also see
the time of flight sensor that makes possible
the other photo promise, a depth map with up to 1200 layers.
It's a lot of words and a lot of terms,
so let me show you the best way to illustrate the effect
of all this technology.
I'll share my screen with you.
When you're framing a shot like this,
the preview image on your screen
is just a live feed coming from
the one center color camera.
When you hit the shutter, the camera fires
all five cameras at once, it combines their data
in the Light module and passes it through
the image signal processor in the Snapdragon 845.
All that processing can take awhile,
up to 10 seconds per shot, in my experience,
but look what happens when the processing takes hold.
Damn, you get a photo that, more often than not,
is incredibly true to life.
The differences in phone cameras have become so granular
that it can be really hard to put them into words,
so I talked at length with my friend,
Mark Lentangen, about this and what he helped me realize
is that it's really about the processing.
The depth stuff, I mean, this phone certainly does it
better than any other phone,
but it's still prone to errors we've been seeing
for six years, like losing the edges of a subject.
And that 1200-layer depth map,
I'm really not seeing it in every shot.
What I am seeing though, is this remarkable authenticity
in color and texture.
An authenticity that other phones often compromise
with over sharpening or over saturation.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of that style of photo.
It's great for Instagram, but taking a shot like this one,
this totally unremarkable scene that I photographed
only because I woke up to it and I thought
the lights and shadows were cool,
and having it come out of the phone exactly
as I remember it, that's pretty incredible.
Same for this night shot from Boston.
Notice how details are equally well-rendered,
both in the shadows which could be easily crushed,
and in the neon lights, which could be easily blown out.
So far, I've only shown you JPEGs
with minimal, if any, edits.
But remember, the Nokia 9 also shoots in RAW,
so you take these photos into Lightroom
and tweak them to a far greater degree.
Now, other phones can shoot in RAW,
but almost none of them can give you as much data
to work with in each photo.
Because, ya know, no other phone
has five cameras shooting at once.
Knowing I have these capabilities at my fingertips
means I approach a scene and a subject differently
with the Nokia 9 than with any other phone,
especially when I know ahead of time
that I'm gonna be able to capture a monochrome shot
that doesn't blow out the highlights,
but still manages to pull a lot of detail from the shadows.
Again, the depth stuff is fun, don't get me wrong,
but it's still a bit of a gimmick.
This phone is all about the processing.
Some video and selfie samples for you
while I touch on the rest of the phone.
In the good category,
Android 9 is almost as stock as it gets.
There's good voice call quality
and a vibration motor so sharp
it almost feels like a snap more than a buzz.
It's really cool.
Also, the battery, while not the biggest on the market,
has never had trouble seeing me to the end of a long day,
even while shooting the whole time.
Wireless charging for the win as well.
In the frustrations folder,
this phones runs hot when it's working on
processing those photos.
It's also got a speakerphone that's rather thin and tinny.
And while it's quite durable, the reason I know that is
because it's the slipperiest phone I've used in years.
It falls off everything.
That all leads to a final verdict,
which I'll share with you along with
that storage tip I promised,
after a quick word from my sponsor.
Folks, I like deals, but I don't like searching for them
and that's where today's sponsor comes in.
RetailMeNot is the ultimate savings destination
for shopping online or in store.
And they've got an awesome new tool
that makes saving easier than ever when shopping online.
You just install a free browser extension called
the RetailMeNot Genie.
It lives up here alongside your address bar
and searches for promo codes and cash back options
in the background while you shop.
When you checkout, it automatically applies
the best discounts and cash back offers possible
so you don't have to.
Doesn't get much easier than that.
And again, it's free.
Hit the link in the description to install
the RetailMeNot Genie
and if you wanna enter to win a $100 Visa gift card
at the same time, just reply to my pinned comment below
telling me what deal you're most excited to use.
Happy shopping and thanks to RetailMeNot
for sponsoring this video.
How I feel about the Nokia 9 is best summed up
by Dr. Tolian Soran, R.I.P.
- This is a remarkable piece of equipment.
- Nokia and Light have created a camera system
that often over delivers in ways I didn't expect.
That said, it's not gonna be my next top pocket find.
Given the shortfalls like the fingerprint sensor,
the inconsistent depth effects, and the lack of micro SD,
it still feels like a bit of a beta.
And my workaround for the SD is this jump drive
recommended to me by Jaime Rivera.
Not sponsored, I just like it.
But more importantly, I've come to value
another kind of versatility in my camera phones,
framing options.
I love the flexibility of wide-angle
and telephoto cameras alongside a standard one.
The Nokia 9 just can't offer that
with the way its system works.
I also like that I can whip out a Pixel 3
and pull what feels like impossible details
from a shot in near pitch blackness,
which I can't do with the Nokia 9
even in pro mode with a 10-second exposure.
Factor in the $700 price tag and I come away knowing,
that while I someday want to own a camera phone
designed by Nokia and Light,
I'll probably want it to be the next one.
I'd love to hear your views on this one, folks,
and all the camera-focused phones
hitting the market soon.
Drop a line in the comments.
Also, swing by my Instagram channel for more samples
from the Nokia 9 and every other device
I can get my hands on this season.
My handle there is theMrMobile just like it is on YouTube.
Please subscribe if you haven't already.
Until next time, thanks for watching,
and stay mobile, my friends.