Table of Contents
Introduction
HMD Global is ready to launch its first high-end Nokia phone aka Nokia 8 today. The smartphone will be announced at an event that is going to take place in London at 12 AM on August 17 as per Indian timing and 7:30 PM at London timing. We also had the opportunity to try it out, and discover all the little things they tried to implement to make the new Nokia 8 a viable contender in a competitive smartphone market. The Nokia 8 is built with aluminum and glass and offers IP54 resistance. So without further delay, here’s a first look at the all new Nokia 8.
Hands on with Nokia 8 – Display & Design
The design of the new Nokia 8 is one of the key elements, and it’s one of the most beautiful phones we have ever seen with the Nokia branding embellished on the rear. There is an aluminum body design that includes metal edges around the phone, the feel on the back will change depending on what version you buy. HMD Global opted to create the unibody look using the typical CNC-fixed aluminum. To accomplish the continuous-looking rear with no gaps or breaks, HMD decided to move the antenna lines to the top of the phone and bottom of the phone. The front is a conventionally-alluring Gorilla Glass 5 with a 2.5D curve on its sides.
The curved sides are narrowed – giving an iPhone look, but it feels nothing like one. The fingerprint sensor can found at the front of the device, just below the display, sandwiched between the Back and Overview soft keys. On the right side of the phone is volume rocker and power button both are sufficiently clicky and give good feedback. Device charges over USB Type C and has a 3.5mm audio jack at the top. Those who have smaller hands may also enjoy this phone, as it comes with a 5.3-inch screen.
Hands on with Nokia 8- Camera
Because the company declares that the Nokia 8 has been designed ground up for media investors and to this effect, it has attached in some new tweaks to the camera app. The phone has a vertically stacked set of dual rear cameras ( 13MP Mono sensor+ 13MP Colour sensor with OIS), and the re’s a front 13MP camera all well. The 13MP front-facing camera gives you sharp selfie shots, and you can also do Livestreaming to either YouTube or Facebook from both cameras at the same time. Nokia 8 has IR range finder, PDAF, dual mode flash on the back camera, and yes there is the Zeiss Optics branding as well that used to be standard on older Nokia phones.
Hands on with Nokia 8- Processor & Ram
The Nokia 8 looked to be snappy under the finger, and because it’s carrying the in-class Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset processor, we would expect it to be able to handle anything you want your phone to do. Nokia 8 comes with 4GB of RAM to power that along, making it a match for most other flagships, while there is also internal storage of 64GB and microSD support of up to 256GB, so you will be able to pack it full of your favorite apps and games too.
Hands on with Nokia 8- Software
Nokia emphasizes that it uses the latest version of Android 7.1.1 and because it has a complete form of Android on board, so this phone will be the first who receive new Android O when it goes live shortly.
Hands on with Nokia 8- Battery
Nokia included a 3,090mAh battery in here so it may struggle to power a QHD screen. But Nokia has also added a liquid cooling system that it seems especially proud of, which means the phone runs smoother and would not get too hot and therefore use a lot more power. We’ll be sure after thoroughly test the battery on the Nokia 8 for our upcoming full review.
Hands on with Nokia 8- Specification
- Body- 6000 series aluminum, IP54 splash resistance
- Screen- 5.3” IPS LCD, QHD resolution (554ppi), Gorilla Glass 5, 700 nits brightness
- OS – Android 7.1 Nougat (basically stock)
- Primary camera- Two 13MP sensors (color + monochrome), dual-LED flash, 1.12µm pixels, OIS on the color sensor, Zeiss lens with f/2.0 aperture, Laser and phase detection autofocus,
- Video- 4K video capture, Facebook live streaming, 360° spatial surround sound with three microphones
- Processor & Ram- Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage on the Polished Blue model
- Selfie camera- 13MP sensor, 1.12µm pixels, Zeiss lens with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus
- Connectivity-: Single and dual SIM versions, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, ANT+, USB-C 3.1 (5Gbps)
- Battery- 3,090mAh, Quick Charge 3.0 (18W)
- Misc- Fingerprint reader, unlimited Google Photos storage
Conclusion
Overall, Nokia 8 seems like the full package with an attractive design, QHD display, powerful internals and some interesting camera features. In its right, the phone focuses on and based on our initial impressions, delivers on the essentials. We like the minimalistic design that fits well in hand and, the variety of color options certainly make the phone stand out.