The Nokia 8, the first flagship Android smartphone of the revived brand, is finally here, looking to challenge the other "8" devices that will soon be coming to the market — Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 and Apple's iPhone 8.
HMD Global, the new owner of the Nokia name, has packed the Nokia 8 with powerful specifications, top-of-the-line technology, and innovative features. However, despite all that, the smartphone still does not have what it takes to beat the Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone 8.
Nokia 8 Specifications: Design, Power, And Price
The Nokia 8 looks similar but not entirely identical to the Nokia 6, confirming the leaked Nokia 8 design that made the rounds online last month. Notable changes include a smaller 5.3-inch display compared to the 5.5-inch display of the Nokia 6, an improved resolution of 2,560 x 1,440, and an always-on display at the top of the screen that displays information such as the date, time, battery status, and notifications.
The smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with 4 GB of RAM and will offer 64 GB of internal storage with expandable memory through a microSD card slot. The Gloss Blue variant, however, offers 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.
HMD Global promised that it will release Nokia 8 Android security updates on the same day that Google rolls them out and that the smartphone will be among the first devices to be upgraded to Android O.
The Nokia 8 price is currently set at 599 euros, which is equivalent to about $700. HMD Global has not specified any plans to bring the smartphone to the United States, but it will likely do so despite the looming shadows of the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8.
Nokia 8 Features: Zeiss Optics, Bothies, And OZO Audio
HMD Global is promoting three unique selling points for the smartphone, with these Nokia 8 features the first for any Android smartphone.
In July, HMD Global struck an exclusive deal with Zeiss to equip Nokia smartphones with Zeiss optics, and the Nokia 8 is the first benefactor of that arrangement with both the front and rear cameras co-developed with Zeiss.
Taking advantage of the Nokia 8's amazing cameras is another new feature named Dual-Sight, which uses the front and rear cameras to capture a so-called bothie. The term, coined by HMD Global, refers to an image that combines the picture taken by the front and rear cameras at the same time.
Lastly, the Nokia 8 comes with Nokia OZO Audio technology, which will offer users a 3D audio experience optimized for headphones and spatial audio playback devices.
Nokia 8 vs Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8
The Nokia 8 is certainly a very capable smartphone worthy of flagship status, but being able to shoot bothies is likely not enough to draw loyal Samsung and Apple users away from the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8.
The significance of the Nokia 8, however, is that it shows that Nokia is back in the game. The Nokia 8 innovations show that HMD Global is at least trying to make a splash in what was becoming a boring market.
