Nokia’s upcoming range of Android phones will be getting the update to Android O as soon as possible, according to HMD Global, the manufacturer holding the license to create Nokia-branded handsets. The newest version of Android is currently in Developer Preview status and should be available in its final form around September. HMD did not say exactly how long it would take to get its phones up to date, but since the phones are slated to hit the shelves before the end of this month, users can expect the update to Android O to come to them, rather than having the phones ship out with the new OS intact. Since the new devices will be running a version of Android that’s pretty close to the stock software, the update shouldn’t take too long to be put together and distributed to users.
Some of the new Nokia devices have already been released in certain markets. China, for example, got the Nokia 6 back in January. HMD did not say anything about those devices’ update schedules being any different from the versions that have yet to be released internationally. For that matter, there was no mention of any such difference between the phones that will be hitting worldwide markets, including the U.S. Given how close the phones are to stock Android right off the trunk, it’s not entirely inconceivable to think that a rolling release around the world will start once an update is ready, with the possible exception of any versions that get picked up by carriers, who will have to approve any updates and add their own touches before users can get them.
The three phones being talked about here are all lower to mid-range devices. The Nokia 6 sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display, along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. The cameras are 16-megapixel on the back and 8-megapixel on the front, internal storage sits at either 32GB or 64GB depending on the variant, and the battery is a 3,000mAh unit. The Nokia 5 scales things back a bit, boasting a 5.2-inch 720p panel, the same Snapdragon 430, but paired with only 2GB of RAM, the same 8-megapixel wide-angle selfie cam, a 13-megapixel unit around the back, and 16GB of internal storage, with its battery being a 3,000mAh unit. The Nokia 3 is the lowest-end option, bringing the processing package down to MediaTek’s MT6737, along with 2GB of RAM. A 5-inch 720p screen sits on the front of the handset, accompanied by an 8-megapixel selfie cam, with another 8-megapixel unit on the back. Internal storage of the Nokia 3 amounts to 16GB, with the device itself being powered by a 2,630mAh battery.