Nokia 8 V 5G UW is HMD’s first premium phone sold by Verizon

HMD’s Nokia is launching the $ 699 Nokia 8 V 5G UW, the company’s second 5G device. In a major change for HMD, it will be sold through Verizon, which will make the first high-end device of the Nokia 8 V HMD which will be available through a US carrier.

Despite the new branding, the Nokia 8 V is actually a Verizon-branded version of HMD’s first 5G phone, the Nokia 8.3 5G, announced in March. The Nokia 8.3 5G was finally released in the US in September as an unlocked device for the same price of $ 699, although there is one key difference between this and the Verizon model: the Nokia 8.3 5G does not. Only supports sub-6 GHz 5G, while Nokia 8V 5G UW supports sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G networks.

As for the Nokia 8V, it looks visually identical to the 8.3 5G, although it is available in a gray color scheme instead of a blue. Otherwise, expect the same 6.81-inch display (with a punch-hole camera and Nokia-branded chin on the bottom) and a prominent quad-camera array on the back, with a 64-megapixel main sensor, an ultra – Large 12 megapixel camera, a 2 megapixel macro camera and a 2 megapixel depth sensor.

Inside you’ll find a Snapdragon 765G processor with a built-in 5G modem, a 4,500mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage – those last two numbers mark a downgrade from the unlocked Nokia 8.3 5G, which offers 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

To complete things, you’ll find a power button (with a built-in fingerprint sensor), a customizable voice assistant button, a USB-C port for charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It will ship with Android 10, although HMD promises that an Android 11 update is already on the way. There is no wireless charging or waterproof function.

The company has been heading for that moment for quite some time, starting in early 2019 when HMD’s Nokia started selling phones through carriers again. So far, however, these phones have leaned towards the lower end of the hardware spectrum, but the Nokia 8 V promises to deliver a more premium device.

The question is whether HMD’s $ 699 device will be able to compete enough with other major devices from more established premium brands when customers pick up a new phone at a Verizon store.

The $ 700 price tag is crowded, with plenty of great phones like the $ 699 Pixel 5 (and its high-end camera), the $ 699.99 Galaxy S20 FE and its high-end features, or the iPhone 12 mini at $ 729 (which offers flagship features at an equivalent price of $ 699 when purchased through a carrier like Verizon) – which all offer 5G and similar (if not better) features than HMD’s option.