After the Nokia 8, HMD Global is said to launch a brand-new flagship smartphone this 2018. The rumors are rife that the Finnish tech company is set to announce the Nokia 9 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain next week. The design and specs of the handset are not yet certain, given the lack of official confirmation from the firm, although the alleged leaked case renders of the Nokia 9 show some of its possible features.

There have been at least two images of the rumored Nokia 9 case that surfaced on the internet for the past few weeks. The first case render was supplied by Tudia, which is among the top picks for a mobile phone casing manufacturer. The company has listed the Nokia 9 case in question on its website, where it was called the "Merge." The cutouts in the casing reveal the main features of the smartphone, including a dual-camera module and an LED flash that is positioned right beside the lenses. 

Interestingly, Tudia's casing for the Nokia 9 hints that the handset will sport a curved display. This will be a huge departure from the premium Nokia smartphones' blocky and angular edges, although this will give the Nokia 9 a sleeker appearance. Likewise, the other leaked case render posted on Gearbest shows pretty much the same thing, including a dual-lens rear camera build and a curved display. To note, the Nokia 9 case listed on Gearbest is unbranded, unlike the one coming from Tudia.

Meanwhile, it is speculated that the Nokia 9 will be one of the first few premium phones to receive Qualcomm's latest top-end mobile processor, the Snapdragon 845. However, it was also tipped that the Qualcomm-powered flagship might not be called the Nokia 9. Instead, it will be known as the Nokia 8 Pro. The said phone is expected to feature the world's first penta-lens camera setup, which was first reported to be featured in the Nokia 10. 

Perhaps the public should wait for HMD Global's presentation at the MWC 2018 next week to know about the latest Nokia flagships coming this year. Be it the Nokia 9 or the Nokia 8 Pro, the premium smartphone is expected to hit the shelves in the United States sometime in August or September.