Supposed model numbers of the Android-powered Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 9 smartphones leaked online earlier this week, having originally been shared by a source from China. The development marks the emergence of the first rumor about the follow-up to the Nokia 6 that’s now said to bear the model number TA-1054. The widely rumored Nokia 9 will have both single-SIM and dual-SIM models, with the former group consisting of units identified as the TA-1005, TA-1009, and TA-1042, according to the same source. The credibility of the leak remains somewhat dubious as the newly uncovered information cannot be confirmed by comparing it to Nokia’s previous product naming practices seeing how the Nokia 6 (2017) had multiple variants with model numbers ranging from TA-1000 to TA-1039, whereas the only flagship device from HMD Global released in 2017 was the Nokia 8 (TA-1052).
The Finnish phone vendor also doesn’t stick to specific number ranges when assigning model numbers to its devices, making the new leak even less informative as e.g. the company previously introduced a dual-SIM Nokia 7 unit identified as the TA-1013, whereas the significantly weaker and more affordable Nokia 5 is also known as TA-1024 and TA-1027. According to the same source, the Nokia 6 (2018) will introduce some visual changes to the design of its predecessor by moving its fingerprint scanner to the rear panel and lacking any physical buttons on the front, possibly because of slimmer bezels that prompted the company to opt for on-screen system keys. As indicated by the leaked product label, the handset will ship with 32GB of internal flash memory and 4GB of RAM. An upgrade on the Snapdragon 430 found in the original Nokia 6 is also likely, though it remains to be seen whether the new device makes a jump to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600-series silicon, provided it even exists. The single-lens camera setup of the Nokia 6 (2017) should be succeeded by its follow-up with only minor improvements, the source said.
According to recent reports, the Nokia 9 will be unveiled in the second half of January and make its debut alongside the Nokia 8 (2018). Whereas the former is said to be a mostly bezel-free device with an 18:9 display, it’s currently unclear what kind of changes could HMD introduce to the Nokia 8 lineup so soon after launching the original Android flagship, save for equipping it with more than 4GB of RAM.
