Nokia 9 PureView has a five camera array capable of shooting 60MP photographs

HMD Global, the Finnish company that owns and sells smartphones under the Nokia brand, has taken the wraps off its latest range of handsets at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.

The star of the show is the all-new Nokia 9 PureView. From the front, the new smartphone looks almost indistinguishable from the recent slew of Android-powered rivals. It has a 6-inch OLED display protected by Gorilla Glass 5 to avoid scratches and scuffs, a 20MP front-facing selfie camera, and runs Android 9.0 Pie. There's also an in-display fingerprint scanner, like the Samsung Galaxy S10, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and OnePlus 6T.

However, flip over the Nokia 9 PureView and it's immediately clear this is a very different proposal. Nokia has fitted its new flagship with a five-camera array, which is arranged in a circular pattern on the back of the handset.

Honestly, the design of the new camera looks a lot like a spider's eye. Nokia says the cameras have been arranged in that particular pattern in part because it leaves enough space for the 3,320mAh battery cell, and because it looks aesthetically pleasing – something that some arachnophobes might query.

Nokia 9 PureView includes two RGB f/1.8 12-megapixels sensors and three monochrome f/1.8 12-megapixel sensors. There's also a dual-tone LED flash and a Time Of Flight (ToF) sensor for video capture, too.

All five cameras will fire each time you press the shutter, Nokia says. For those who struggle with maths, that results in a single 60-megapixel photograph. Nokia 9 PureView is also capable of panoramas, which can quickly tot up to more than 240-megapixels.

Obviously, it's not all about the number of megapixels, but those who want to blow-up their images onto canvases and posters should take a look at the Nokia 9 PureView.

While most smartphones typically only use RGB camera sensors in their rear-mounted set-ups, HMD Global says it chose to add more monochrome sensors because of the sheer amount of detail these can capture. According to the company, the monochrome sensors are able to capture 2.5 times more light than the RGB counterparts. 

Each of the five lens on the back of the handset has a different exposure level to capture even moreinformation each time you hit the shutter button.

So, what is Nokia doing with all of this information? One of the most interesting features is the ability to adjust the focus of a photograph after it has been taken. While the Galaxy S10 and iPhone XS allow owners to adjust the amount of bokeh-style blur behind the subject of the photograph, Nokia allows you to completely change what object is the focal subject of the image. Using the preinstalled Google Photos app, you can make the background out of focus to highlight the foreground or vice versa.

According to HMD Global, the Nokia 9 PureView is able to focus on subjects anywhere from 7cm to 40 metres away from its rear-mounted cameras. While most rival smartphones have around 10 layers in the depth-map generated by their multi-camera systems, Nokia 9 PureView has a jaw-dropping 1,200 layers.

That's a lot. Crucially, it means you don't have to decide exactly what the final image will look like when you're composing your shot. You can always overhaul the entire photograph at a later date. Of course, you can save multiple different options, since the changes are non-destructive, which can result in some stylish results.

The Nokia 9 PureView is powered by the Qualcomm SnapDragon 855, coupled with 6GB of RAM and a new imaging co-processor developed Light. This new chipset helps to take some of the strain off the SnapDragon 855 to avoid battery life suffering. As a result, HMD Global says its new Nokia 9 PureView should still last a day and half before it needs to be recharged.

The huge amount of processing grunt inside the new flagship Nokia coupled with the Light co-processor means the five-camera is still capable of shooting 60-megapixel images in a burst mode. Nokia concedes that it might take a while little before the full-resolution images are processed and ready to edit. However, a smaller 2MB thumbnail will be available instantaneously in Google Photos.

Nokia 9 PureView saves images in JPEG, as well as RAW. According to the company, RAW images typically take up between 30MB – 50MB of memory. There's 128GB of built-in storage, which should be enough to handle your next holiday snaps. There's a dual-purpose secondary SIM card / MicroSD card slot, so as long as you're not too bothered by having multiple lines on your new Nokia, you can add up to 512GB additional storage for your photos.

The 4K video capture is handled by a single lens, which is likely to disappoint those who hoped the borderline-excessive array of cameras would be used to produce some interesting, original new video effects.

When it comes to viewing those megapixel-packed photographs, Nokia has spared no expense. Its latest handset boasts a 5.99-inch Quad HD+ pOLED display. It has a 18:9 aspect ratio and a 2K resolution, which should be more than enough to view those stunning cameras.

Elsewhere, the Nokia 9 PureView is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, which means it should be able to take high-resolution depth-map photos in the water. There's also Qi wireless charging – but no headphone port. So, if you want to listen to music you'll be forced to use Bluetooth or USB-C headphones.

The Nokia 9 PureView has a $699 global RRP. There's no word on UK pricing on SIM-free or contract handsets, but we'll update this article as soon as we hear. Release date will be announced in due course, Nokia says.

Sony PS5 will be the ultimate way to enjoy PlayStation 4 games

Sony will bring backwards compatibility to its next-generation games console, according to a new patent filed by the company. The new console, which is widely-tipped to be called PlayStation 5, will seemingly upgrade the quality of older titles to bring them closer to the image quality seen on new games.

The new patent, first spotted by the eagle-eyed team at GearNuke, was filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and lists Mark Cerny as one of the inventors. Cerny was the lead architect of the PlayStation 4 and is purportedly in charge of development of its successor too, which all-but confirms this technology is destined for the next Sony games console.

The document, which was filed in Japan, is entitled “Simulation of legacy bus operation for backward compatibility”. It was published earlier this week, but covers some of the same ground as an earlier patent filed by Sony is October 2018. 

It describes a method to emulate the internal communication of an older console – like the PlayStation 2, 3 or PS4, for example – in newer hardware. It also describes a method of adjusting the performance of older technology on new hardware in the same way that Blu-ray players will upscale the quality of DVDs.

Backwards compatibility has not always been a priority for Sony. Whereas Microsoft has always included backwards compatibility in each generation of its rival Xbox gaming system. The company adds support for its vast back catalogue of video games via software updates, which are rolled-out on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Sony ditched support for older titles when it launched the PlayStation 4. Instead, console owners are encouraged to stream and download digital copies of their favourite PS3 titles via the PlayStation Now subscription service.

When asked why the PlayStation 4 doesn't let gamers play their ageing PS3 discs, Head of PlayStation Europe Jim Ryan said the feature is rarely used.

Speaking to TIME Magazine in June 2017, Ryan said: "When we've dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much. That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?"

The Microsoft Xbox One is already able to play older Xbox 360 games at higher framerates and in 4K Ultra HD resolutions – something that wasn't possible when the titles originally launched. 

Based on the – admittedly, limited – information in the patent, it sounds like Sony has something verysimilar planned for its next-generation games console. And the idea of playing the original Red Dead Redemption with improved high-resolution textures on an expansive Ultra HD television has got us very excited.

LG has a dual-screen 5G phone, but it's not a Huawei Mate X rival. Here's why

MWC 2019 is certainly turning out to be the show of 5G phones and folding phones, and at MWC today, LG took the wraps off its first 5G smartphone, the V50 ThinQ. It's a tidy looking Android phone with a hefty battery and plenty of cooling for its power-hungry processor. There's plenty of new technology here but LG believes it has done enough with the V50 ThinQ to combat some of the perceived problems with the first wave of 5G-touting phones.

T3 was at a press briefing where Ken Hong, Head of Global Corporate Communications at LG, along with some of LG’s product managers, showed off the new handset and talked about some of LG’s philosophies behind its design.

Hong said that when designing the phone, there were three misperceptions of 5G handsets that LG wanted to prove wrong.

The first is that because 5G is power-hungry, then battery life must be hugely compromised. While agreeing that 5G requires extra power – in part because people are likely to use 5G handsets for more power-intensive tasks – Hong claimed that the 4000mAh battery in the V50 will be enough for 1.2 days of use.

The second misconception, Hong said, is that there would be a problem with heat dissipation – in other words, that your phone gets really, really hot. Xiaomi addressed this issue in its 5G Mi MIX 3 with a heat-capturing layer and six layers of graphite. LG says it has added a “vapour chamber” to the V50, whereas 4G phones generally only use copper wire, apparently. This, said Hong, means that heat dissipation is 40% faster.

The final misconception, Hong concluded, is that a larger battery and extra cooling means that a 5G smartphone needs a cumbersome, chunky design. LG said its primary goal was to make the design of the V50 thin, and in that sense it has undoubtedly succeeded – the V50 measures just 8.3 millimetres thick and weighs 183g, which is only a shade more than the V40, which weighs in at 169g.

LG V50 THINQ 5G SPECS

Inside the V50 there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 with a Snapdragon X50 5G modem. The screen is a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

In terms of shooting pics and videos, there are three rear-mounted cameras and two front-facing cameras. There's no unsightly camera bump to be found, either, as everything sits flush under a glass back. And because LG envisages people using 5G for a lot of video streaming, there’s even a dedicated ‘Go Live on YouTube’ button. 

That button is a neat idea, though hopefully it can be customised to launch other live streaming services, like Twitter and Facebook, for those who aren't wholly invested in the Google-owned video platform.

As for the display, LG promises this is “the best OLED display the industry has”. Audio comes from stereo speakers – 1.3W on the bottom and 0.7W on top – and the phone has ‘Boombox speaker’ capabilities. This is something that LG has used in previous smartphones and uses the body of the phone to act like a speaker cabinet to improve the sound.

(Image: © LG)

At a show where everyone seems to be talking about dual-screen folding phones – the Huawei Mate Xbeing a real showstopper here in Barcelona – the V50 has its own dual-screen trick.

In what is certain to cause comparisons with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X, LG is also launching an optional add-on of a second screen for the V50. Called the Dual Screen, the additional screen clips into a folio case that the V50 sits in and then the phone transmits its signal to the secondary display using a proprietary shortwave standard (called Keyssa). You then have two screens side by side, like the inside pages of a book, and you can fold the case back itself so that the screens are back to back, like a book cover, or like the pages of an inside-out book if you prefer that analogy.

So it’s another dual-screen phone, just like the Galaxy Fold? No, not quite. 

Hong is quick to point out that this is not what the V50 is designed to be. Instead, this is a smartphone that has an optional second screen that you can use to do some fun and useful things. 

The LG team then talked through a few of those uses, promising that more would be added later via software updates.

In closed mode, you could take a photo of someone and they would be able to see themselves in preview mode on the screen that’s facing them. In open mode, you could use it for video calls and see yourself on one screen and the person you’re talking to on the other... although frankly, this seems like a use for only the most vain Skype callers. For gaming, one screen can display the gameplay while the second screen shows the controls – avoiding the problem of the virtual joystick crowding the screen. You can also swap between different gamepad layouts. Or you could have a web browser on the top screen and a large keyboard on the bottom screen. Or watch a movie on one screen and search IMDB on the other. Anyway, you get the idea...

(Image: © LG)

We know that LG is perfectly capable of making bendy, rollable screens. Just look at its rollable OLED TV that stole all the headlines at CES. But now is not the right time for LG to be releasing a folding phone, it said. 

The company recently told a press conference in Seoul that it has "reviewed releasing the foldable smartphone when launching [its] 5G smartphone but decided not to produce it.” 

It added: "LG’s main issue in [the] smartphone business is to regain its market position" and that "it is too early for LG to launch a foldable smartphone".

So what we have instead is an interesting device that is almost certainly not going to have anything like a Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X price tag. That means it will enable people who are interested in a dual-screen phone to experience one without shelling out $2,000 (or perhaps even more for the 5G-enabled Fold when that goes on sale later this year). And if the market for folding phones really takes off, no doubt that’s when LG will come back with a true, one-piece folding phone.

LG V50 THINQ 5G PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

The V50 ThinQ release date is set for the first half of this year and LG says it is partnering with 10 major carriers in markets where 5G service will be launched this year, including the United States, South Korea, Australia and a number of European countries. 

In the UK, EE today announced that it has partnered exclusively with LG to bring the V50 ThinQ 5G to UK buyers "later this year." No prices – for the handsets or contracts – have yet been announced

Huawei Mate X is the Samsung Galaxy Fold rival you've been waiting for

The 5G Huawei Mate X foldable phone has been officially unveiled to rapturous applause at a jam-packed event at Mobile World Congress 2019.

The Huawei Mate X folding phone, which is dubbed the "world's fastest foldable 5G phone", comes mere days after Samsung unveiled its own foldable device, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and appears in every way a strong and fierce rival to the South Korean-made device.

In terms of design the Huawei Mate X boasts three screens, a 6.6-inch front screen with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 2,480 x 1148 pixel resolution, a 6.38-inch rear screen with a 25:9 aspect ratio and 2,480 x 892 pixel resolution, and – when fully unfolded – an 8-inch tablet "FullView" screen with 8:7.1 aspect ratio and 2,480 x 2,200 pixel resolution.

When fully unfolded in tablet mode the Huawei Mate X is only 5.4mm thick, which is thinner than the new iPad Pro, and 11mm thick when folded completely flat. These feats also grant the Mate X the title of the "world's thinnest foldable phone", too.

The Huawei Mate X's various usage modes are enabled by a sophisticated Falcon Wing Hinge, which supports the outward curve of the screen, and allows the device to be bent and fixed fluidly into a variety of angles.

An interesting design point of note is that, because the device has been designed for one-handed use, when the phone is unfolded the user can access the handset's ergonomic curvature grip, which is located on the right-hand backside of the device when in tablet mode. This has been designed to make holding the device, even when in tablet/open mode, comfortable for long periods.

In terms of internal hardware, the Huawei Mate X comes loaded with the Chinese maker's incredibly rapid Kirin 980 flagship CPU and, granting it its "world's fastest 5G phone" title, Balong 5000 multi-mode 5G chipset.

The Balong 5000 works in partnership with a quad 5G antenna design to enable downlink speeds of up to 4.6 gigabits per second, which is "Sub-6G" level and approximately 10 times as fast as 4G. In the real world that speed equates to a 1GB movie, for example, downloading in just three seconds.

Naturally, for a device that has not just one screen but actually three screens to power, and that is on top of its next-gen internal hardware, the Huawei Mate X comes installed with a large 4,500mAh battery, which is split over two cell banks. This battery is supportive of Huawei's new 55W SuperCharge technology, too, meaning that it can be charged to 85 per cent capacity (that's 3,825mAh) in only 30 minutes.

As for core hardware spec, the Huawei Mate X comes with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB storage drive.

Other features of note include 2-in-1 power and fingerprint reader on, a new Leica-built camera system, which thanks to the multi-screen design of the phone allows you to see portraits in real time, and a Huawei-designed, wrap-around Full Cover Case for the Mate X as well, the latter protecting the device's screens when they are not in use.

HUAWEI MATE X PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

In terms of colourway the Mate X comes in Interstellar Blue. The Huawei Mate X will cost €2299 (about £1,997) and will ship in summer 2019.

T3 recently got up close and personal with the Huawei Mate X at MWC 2019, so be sure to check back in to T3.com very soon for our early impressions review.

Samsung Galaxy X has a new foldable nemesis: meet Microsoft Surface Andromeda

Microsoft is joining the fold

Folding smartphones are on the way. Following the launch of the Royole FlexPai last year, Samsung teased its long-rumoured foldable Galaxy X – albeit in a disguise.  Huawei, Apple, and LG are all purportedly working on pliable handsets, too.

And thanks to a prominent designer on YouTube, we now have a very clear idea of what the forthcoming foldable Surface Phone from Microsoft could look like. Codenamed Andromeda, the foldable handset has seemingly been in development for many years, with numerous patents logged by Microsoft.

According to those with knowledge of Microsoft's plans, Andromeda is designed to blur the lines between what is traditionally considered PC and mobile. The as-yet-unannounced product will ship with a stylus, similar to the Surface Pen available for the Surface Pro, Surface Laptop and Surface Studio range, according to sources.

Microsoft Surface VP Panos Panay has previously branded the device "awesome" and described it fitting into people's workflows "like a Moleskine".

Given the recent uptake of hybrid tablet/laptop devices, it seems like a good time for Microsoft to get in on the action with its Surface brand – especially with a new product category, which would leave its rivals playing catch up.

Microsoft's Surface range of laptops has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, with its latest and greatest device, the Surface Book 2, bagging a big fat five-star review from yours truly.