Nokia PureView cameras redefined mobile photography, now HMD has the trademark

HMD Global has steadily been grabbing Nokia‘s intellectual property, running the gamut from classic phone reboots to the Nokia Camera user-interface. Now, the company has reportedly acquired the PureView trademark from Nokia and Microsoft.

As spotted by MSPowerUser and NokiaMob, a filing on the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) website shows that HMD now owns the PureView branding. But why is this significant?

Nokia (and later, Microsoft) used the branding for top-flight smartphone cameras, starting with the 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView back in 2012 and 2013’s Lumia 1020.

The PureView name was also used for more conventional smartphone cameras that still delivered great results, such as the OIS-toting Lumia 920 (also from 2012), and the Lumia 1520 with its Rich Capture technology.

What to expect from a PureView phone?

HMD’s potential use of the trademark doesn’t mean we can expect a 41-megapixel monster camera from the company. But it still means we could see some interesting technology and/or exceptional camera quality in future Nokia phones.

That being said, there’s no guarantee that HMD will use the branding at all, but if it does, we’d expect it to appear on an upcoming flagship.

The acquisition marks the latest step in HMD’s quest to evolve into the Nokia of yore. In addition to the retro phone reboots and the Nokia Camera UI, HMD also acquired Nokia’s feature phone business and courted Carl ZEISS for its camera lenses. Let’s just hope the company doesn’t bring Symbian back…

What do you want from a Nokia smartphone with PureView branding? Let us know in the comments!