Possible Nokia 3 (2018) rear panel appears online, updated design shown off

Taking a look at the image, the panel itself appears to be made from a hard plastic, suggesting the device it belongs to sits on the lower-end of the pricing spectrum. Now, at the event, there are two likely launch candidates, the first being a successor to last year’s Nokia 5. When it comes to the rear shell in question, however, this could belong to the other launch candidate, the 2018 edition of the Nokia 3. This is due to the rectangular shape of the panel. After all, the rear panel featured on last year’s Nokia 5 was much more rounded and also curved over on every side. The Nokia 3, on the other hand, boasted a more rectangular shape and less pronounced curves on the rear, thus matching up with the overall design of the new panel.

Although the Nokia 3 looks set to sport a similar shape, the rear panel reveals at least a few planned design changes. First of all, the camera module will sport a new, elongated design that continues the trend seen on recent Nokia smartphones. Additionally, the plastic shell also sports a circular cutout for what is presumably a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. It’s unclear why Nokia may have moved the sensor over to the rear of the device but considering the tall display panel featured on the recently-announced Nokia X6, it’s possible that the upcoming Nokia 3 (2018) will also feature a taller aspect ratio, thus forcing them to move the sensor. On one final note, Android One branding is clearly present towards the bottom of the panel, confirming that the new device will be the brand's latest to join Google's program.

If this panel does indeed belong to the new Nokia 3, fans of the brand can expect the device to make an official appearance on May 29 alongside the updated Nokia 5. Additionally, HMD Global may launch the Nokia X5 and X7 that are rumored to sport the same design philosophy debuted on the Nokia X6.

via: Nokia Latest