I am currently en route to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 event in Barcelona, Spain, marking my first attendance since 2019. The upcoming experience is expected to be quite different. As I packed for this journey, I couldn’t help but recall my previous visit and the groundbreaking announcement of the Nokia 9 PureView, a revolutionary camera phone, unlike any previous models.

Does MWC solely focus on mobile phones?

The MWC event is not solely centered around smartphones, but covers a wide range of new tech products and innovations. Various tech giants, including Huawei, Google, and Samsung, use the platform to launch new products and discuss their latest advancements. Apple, on the other hand, doesn’t attend. While smartphones are a significant part of the event, they represent only a part of the broad spectrum of technologies unveiled.

Over a decade ago, our “Best of Show” award went to the HTC Vive virtual reality headset. In 2015, VR dominated the MWC, just like 5G did in 2019, and we anticipate Artificial Intelligence will take the limelight in MWC 2025. While smartphones play a vital role in showcasing these technologies, they often take a backseat at the event.

The camera that revolutionized everything

In 2019, HMD Global rekindled the Nokia brand with the launch of an innovative camera phone, the Nokia 9 PureView. It instantly overshadowed Samsung Galaxy S10 5G’s four-camera setup with its five 12MP cameras, plus additional sensors. The phone’s unique design still stands out in today’s market dominated by large camera modules and high-megapixel cameras.

The unique specifications of the camera were made possible through a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and a Lux Capacitor. Despite its unique features and capabilities, the Nokia 9 PureView didn’t appeal to casual photographers due to its complex operation.

A missed opportunity

The Nokia 9 PureView could have been a huge success for HMD Global, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster. The camera app was remarkably slow, and some images took minutes to process or didn’t capture at all. Furthermore, the phone’s overall performance was poor, causing frustration among users.

Where is the Nokia 10 PureView?

The Nokia 9 PureView was a disappointment, both as a camera phone and a smartphone. Despite the buzz it created at MWC 2019, it turned out to be one of the biggest letdowns. Modern processors and software may be more equipped to handle such complex camera systems, but it’s unlikely that HMD would want to take the risk again.

As I anticipate MWC 2025, I am particularly excited about the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which is expected to set new standards in camera phones. While I am looking forward to it, a part of me is secretly hoping for an unexpected appearance of the Nokia 10 PureView, equipped with a dozen cameras and a processor capable of handling it all.