Nokia 8.3 "Truly Global" 5G Finally Pops Up In Germany

When Qualcomm made the surprise announcement of the 5G-capable Snapdragon 690, HMD Global was quick to tease an upcoming phone utilizing this new mobile platform. Some people, however, were also quick to point out that this isn't HMD's first "truly global" 5G phone and that the one it promised last March is still nowhere to be found. As if on cue, the Nokia 8.3 5G suddenly appeared on Amazon in Germany, sending hope that his presumably affordable 5G phone is really close to becoming a reality.

We've heard our fair share of 5G phones in the past month, even higher mid-range models that utilized Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 or 765G 5G chips. HMD Global's boast, however, is that the Nokia 8.3 5G is the world's first truly global 5G device, meaning it supports almost all 5G bands and frequencies, except for that 6GHz mmWave, of course.

Three months later, the Nokia 8.3 is still missing from stores, both physical and virtual, the delay unsurprisingly attributed to COVID-19. Now the phone has appeared on Amazon but only in Germany, with no price or launch date attached. It even uses the Nokia 8.1 for its photos and details but at least gets some of the marketing parts right.

The Nokia 8.3 5G comes with 6 or 8 GB of RAM and a 6.81-inch FHD+ PureDisplay screen. It's most visible feature is its circular camera bump that houses four image sensors with ZEISS lenses. It runs on Android 10, thankfully, and is powered by a large 4,500 mAh battery.

It still remains to be seen if the idea of an affordable 5G phone will catch on. Given the now slower rollout of 5G networks, buying a future-proof phone at this time still feels almost too premature, especially when Qualcomm and MediaTek keep spitting out more 5G chips to cover all tiers and prices.