This 2019 Android cellphone’s loopy digicam setup remains to be magical right now

I like nice smartphones that push the boundaries of what’s doable and smart. Typically these gambles turn out to be triumphs, and people gadgets turn out to be the cornerstones of future improvements. We noticed loads of this within the late 2010s when firms weren’t afraid to experiment. Whereas it has its justifiable share of critics, one in every of my favourite examples was the camera-crazy Nokia 9 PureView.

It was mendacity forgotten in my out of date tech drawer till I dusted it off, charged it up, and popped it in my pocket for a latest highway journey. I wished to see if this outdated Nokia Android cellphone was nonetheless price utilizing in 2025, and I’m so glad I had it with me.

I bear in mind when this formidable digicam cellphone launched at MWC 2019; it left a reasonably large impression on me. Its greatest promoting level was its loopy rear imaging system, which makes use of 5 rear cameras — two coloration and three monochrome — to create a single shot. Whereas this methodology has its benefits, like theoretically nice dynamic vary, tremendous enjoyable bokeh changes, and loads of gentle info, it additionally leaves little area for flexibility. Consequently, the PureView misses out on a devoted zoom lens and ultrawide digicam.

The shortage of those particular lenses could sound like an issue, but it surely’s a major purpose I loved utilizing the PureView. I couldn’t convey topics nearer or broaden my canvas on the faucet of an on-screen button. I couldn’t point-and-shoot my means by the city like I might with my Galaxy S24 FE. All of the sudden, composition, framing, and lightweight had been important components that demanded consideration.

Consequently, I felt extra grounded whereas absorbing the streets of my vacation spot, Franschhoek. The cellphone produced attractive images of the small mountain city, particularly when there was loads of gentle to play with.

Throughout my journey, I primarily caught to the PureView’s major photograph mode, snapping coloration pictures at a 28mm equal focal size, however my responsible pleasure was the cellphone’s monochrome mode. Eradicating coloration additional brings the composition to the fore, and I loved utilizing this mode a lot. The outcomes had been fairly unimaginable, too. I significantly just like the {photograph} of the 178-year-old Dutch Reformed Church, with the PureView highlighting refined particulars within the sky and the constructing’s intricate window work.

Even the atmospheric shot beneath of a restaurant ceiling laced with lanterns has a lot character. This shot stunned me, too. I believed it might be horrible, because it was shot indoors with minimal pure gentle beaming by a small window in body. Nonetheless, it exudes a sure magic.

The Nokia 9 PureView’s digicam system isn’t good, and sure, I did have to observe a number of potential pictures cross by due to the sloooooow seize. I even have extra pictures on my discard pile than keepers. I discussed its {hardware} limitations already, however the software program processing normally does an excessive amount of heavy lifting, dropping weights on its toes when compensating for decrease gentle or visible muddle.

The 2 pictures above, one snapped inside a dimly lit however gorgeously saturated bookstore and the opposite of the principle avenue illuminated by avenue beams, are good examples. They aren’t horrible, however I want I had the Pixel 8 in my hand as an alternative.

Past the digicam system, the Nokia 9 PureView has some commendable, smart options that also shine six years later. It’s uniquely styled and solidly constructed, and I really like how compact it feels in my hand, particularly in comparison with right now’s bigger telephones. This made it simple to hold as a secondary cellphone within the small mountain city warmth. The display screen is expressive sufficient to be a dependable viewfinder even in vibrant gentle.

However that’s about the one reward I can afford to provide. The PureView was set as much as fail from the start. It launched with a year-old chipset, an abominable fingerprint sensor, and a barely giant battery for a number of hours of digicam use. I additionally discover the dearth of a microSD card slot an entire miss, on condition that this cellphone is supposed to provide high-quality media.

Whereas inventory Android is a welcome detox from the richness of One UI, Android 10 is clearly a no-go in 2025. Consequently, it’s an terrible every day driver, particularly on vacation. If you happen to all want a cellphone, you’d be higher served with an reasonably priced Android cellphone than the Nokia 9 PureView in 2025.

And but, regardless of its obvious flaws and shortcomings, I can’t assist however be charmed by the PureView, even when solely used as a digital digicam. Scrolling by my Google Pictures roll, I can simply select the pictures I took with the Nokia as a result of every has a narrative that I bear in mind fondly. They’re extra than simply nice photos.

Like a movie digicam, viewing the world by its lens(es) is an expertise. I’m not for a minute saying that it’s the very best digicam cellphone ever made, toppling fashionable marvels from Google, Samsung, and OPPO, however I can say it’s essentially the most enjoyable I’ve had with a digicam cellphone in years.