The newly rebooted Nokia - now owned by Finnish brand HMD - today announced its first high-end Android smartphone: the Nokia 8. Launching in early September for $899, the Nokia 8 ticks most of the boxes you'd expect from a top-of-the-line device, including a Quad HD display, Snapdragon 835 processor, and 64GB of expandable storage.
Prior to the Nokia 8, Nokia's range of Android smartphones consisted of cheaper devices with more modest hardware under the hood. Based on hardware alone, the Nokia 8 is positioned as a cost-friendly alternative to the top tier devices on the market - such as the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S8.
The Nokia 8's three 13MP cameras - two on the back, one on the front - have been co-developed with Carl Zeiss, a German optic manufacturer. Nokia's relationship with Zeiss dates back to its heyday in the mid-2000s, and was recently rekindled.
While the dual rear-facing cameras can be used in tandem for enhanced depth of field in photos, Nokia wants you to use front and back together. Dubbed the "bothie", the Nokia 8 can split your images in half and simultaneously capture photos or images from both front and rear cameras (as pictured below).
The Nokia 8's camera app also lets you live stream directly to Facebook or YouTube, if that's your jam. You can do using the front-facing camera, rear-facing camera, or in "bothie" mode.
Other key specifications for the Nokia 8 include a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, IP54 splash resistance, and a 3090mAh battery.
As with Nokia’s other new smartphones, the Nokia 8 runs a “pure” version of Android Nougat. Nokia says all of its device will receive two years of major operating system updates and monthly security updates.
Nokia 8 pre-orders start tomorrow via JB Hi-Fi. Harvey Norman will also be ranging the phone at launch.
Alex Choros
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