Nokia is back! We have been waiting for a Nokia Android flagship and it's here in the form of Nokia 8. We have been using the Nokia 8 for a few days now and this is our Nokia 8 review. We review Nokia 8's display, design, camera (dual cameras, bothie, and selfie camera), battery and performance. We also pit Nokia 8 vs OnePlus 5 vs Mix 2 to see which is the best budget flagship.
It's hard to find another way to describe my feeling right now as I sit down to write this Nokia 8 review.I reviewed phones, I covered events, I spent hours daily looking for the best apps and games. Even when the first iPhone launched and Android started making waves, I was a Nokia user through and through.Then from Nokia, I moved on to Android. It was an ugly breakup.The future lies elsewhere.
For years I have observed from afar as the Nokia that I knew dwindled into a skeleton of its own self, changed hands and tactics, and fizzled even further. I didn't expect the comeback, so the past year has been nothing short of intriguing. The new Nokia is not the same Nokia I once loved: it is a start-up it has a fast-moving flexible strategy and not a dead-set in its ways complacency, it focuses on pure Android.In short, it's like someone took the DNA of the Nokia that was and rebuilt a modern, agile, and improved version.
SPECS
Processor Snapdragon 835
RAM 4GB / 6GB
Storage 64GB / 128GB plus microSD
Display 5.3" 1440 x 2560 IPS LCD
Battery 3,090mAh with USB-C 3.1 and Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0
Rear Camera Dual 13 MP (color + monochrome), f/2.0, laser & phase detection Autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, OIS, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
Front Camera 13 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus
NFC Yes
Software Android 7.1.1 (Android 8.0 Oreo finished beta testing and is imminent)
Dimensions 151.5 x 73.7 x 7.9 mm (5.96 x 2.90 x 0.31 in)
Weight 160 g (5.64 oz)
Other IP54 certified, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3 microphones, Nokia OZO audio, fingerprint sensor
THE good build
The design language is reminiscent of the Nokia of yore and, like it, this thing is built like a tank. I have dropped it over 15 times so far on all kinds of surfaces and it has nothing but a couple of near-invisible dents.
Display Even though it's LCD, it's a great panel with excellent viewing angles and good outdoor visibility and colors. No concern for blue-shift, image retention, or burn-in like on many AMOLED displays.
Software The Android experience is fluid on the Nokia 8 with no discernible bloat. If you like stock Android, this adheres to it almost to the letter.
Speed The Nokia 8 is fast and I have yet to experience any hiccups or slow-downs.
HMD's update promise HMD has been issuing security updates for its lineup rather frequently and quickly and has finished beta testing Android 8.0 Oreo for the Nokia 8.
Well-rounded Top of the line processor, large internal storage, MicroSD, NFC, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0, headphone jack... the Nokia 8 doesn't skimp on the specs.
The feature Nokia stressed on during the introduction of the 8 was its construction from a single piece of aluminum metal. The unibody design looks great and the anodized texture is very pleasing to the touch.I've received several compliments from people about the look and feel of Nokia 8, even in the boring steel (grey) color that I have. I'm sure the navy or orange units would have garnered even more praise and interest.
The black front covered in Gorilla Glass 5 is beautiful.The top and bottom are not symmetric (the bottom one is taller), but they're similar enough that I've held the phone many a time in the wrong direction in low-light and placed my finger on the earpiece.That's why the Nokia 8 stands in a very unique position.