Two Android devices believed to be the Nokia 9 and Nokia 6 (2018) received China Compulsory Certification (3C) earlier this month, having been identified as bearing the model numbers TA-1042 and TA-1054. While the former is said to be HMD Global’s upcoming flagship, the latter supposedly denotes a follow-up on the Nokia 6, the company’s 2017 mid-ranger and one of its best commercial performers. According to previous reports, both handsets are set to be introduced in the coming months, albeit it’s still unclear which markets will the Finnish company be targeting with them. The newly acquired certificates are a straightforward indication that the Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 9 will be released in China and India may also be near the top of HMD’s list of priority markets, as suggested by the firm’s previously employed product practices. For the same reasons, the Nokia 9 is unlikely to make its way to the United States, though the Nokia 6 (2018) should eventually have a stateside launch.
Apart from the TA-1042 model that’s been certified in the Far Eastern country, the Nokia 9 is also expected to come in at least two additional variants known as the TA-1005 and TA-1009, industry insiders said earlier this fall. The Nokia 9 was previously rumored to be launching on January 19th but it’s still unclear whether the handset is meant to debut alongside the Nokia 6 (2018) even if that date is accurate. The Finnish phone company previously suggested it will launch at least one high-end Android device in the first half of 2018 and the Nokia 9 itself has already been the subject of dozens of rumors in recent months, with most sources claiming the handset is essentially set to offer the hardware power of the Nokia 8 in a more compact and bezel-free form factor.
HMD’s first major opportunity to showcase its upcoming Android devices will be the next iteration of Consumer Electronics Show taking place in the first half of January. The possibility of some new Nokia devices being teased at CES 2018 still remains somewhat unlikely as this year’s trade show will be largely focused on the Internet of Things segment and smart home solutions, thus not being a particularly conducive environment for major smartphone announcements.