Nokia-branded “Phoenix” will likely feature the Snapdragon 710 processor. (Image of Nokia 7 Plus for representation)
HMD Global is apparently working on a new mid-end smartphone, codenamed “Phoenix”. According to tipster Ronald Quandt, the mysterious smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 processor, which promises to bring flagship-like capabilities to mid-end devices. Quandt doesn’t give any other details about the smartphone, but he does say that the launch is slated to happen later this year.
This is the first time we’re hearing about a Nokia-branded smartphone with the Snapdragon 710 processor. For those who’re not aware, Qualcomm recently announced the Snapdragon 710 processor. The Snapdragon 710 should be seen as a replacement of the Snapdragon 660 chipset, which currently powers the Nokia 7 Plus. Not only the Snapdragon 710 is significantly faster than the Snapdragon 660, it also supports 4K HDR playback -first for a non 800-tier processor. Battery life has seen a big boost with a 40 per cent reduction in power consumption for both gaming and 4K HDR video playback, as well as a 20 per cent reduction in power consumption when streaming video.
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HMD/Nokia Mobile is working on a Snapdragon 710 based device to be released in the autumn/winter 2018 timeframe. Codename is “Phoenix”. Oh and btw, the Google SDM710 based device apparently is called “Bonito”.
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) June 4, 2018
While it’s unclear what the new Nokia device will offer, many believe it is likely to come with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and a dual-camera setup on the back. Currently, Xiaomi’s Mi 8 SE is the only smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 710 processor. Evidently, Google is also preparing to launch a Pixel-branded smartphone with the Snapdragon 710 processor. Codenamed “Bonito”, the premium mid-end smartphone will make its global debut sometime in early 2019. The device is apparently targeted at emerging markets, like India.