Nokia has four new Android smartphones to start 2018

HMD Global - the self-proclaimed home of Nokia phones - is kicking off its 2018 by unveiling four new Nokia Android smartphones: the ultra budget Nokia 1, the midrange Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 7 Plus, and the flagship grade Nokia 8 Sirocco. Notably, all four devices will be powered by either Android One or Android Go.

(And if you're not sold on smartphones, HMD has also brought back the Nokia 8110 as a 4G feature phone, which you can read more about here.)

Android One is an unmodified version of Android maintained by Google rather than the device manufacturer. Google promises that all Android One devices will get at least two years of major operating system updates and regular security updates.

HMD's Nokia Android phones all ready ran a clean version of Android, but the move to the Google-maintained take on the operating system should mean phones receive updates in a more timely fashion.

Last year's Android Nokia devices - the Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8 - will also be upgraded to Android One.

Nokia's move to Android One will quite possibly make its new devices the first Android One smartphones to go on sale in Australia (provided no one sneaks in beforehand).

Android Go is a version of Android tuned for faster and smoother performance on entry-level hardware. Apps start 15% faster, the entire OS is smaller so that phones have more available storage out of the box, and Google has redesigned many of its apps to be lighter and less data intensive.

Nokia 8 Sirocco

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is Nokia's new flagship device, and is very much "on trend". It has a curved Gorilla Glass 5 front and back, and dual rear-facing cameras. Notably, the phone's frame is stainless steel rather than aluminium; HMD says this makes it 2.5 times stronger.

Key specifications for the Nokia 8 Sirocco include a 5.5-inch 1440p curved display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, IP67 water-resistance, wireless charging, and dual rear-facing cameras (a 12MP primary lens and a 13MP zoom lens). Notably, the Nokia 8 Sirocco doesn't have a headphone jack, so you'll need to use USB Type-C or Bluetooth for audio.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available in Australia in May for $1,199

Nokia 7 Plus

The Nokia 7 Plus is a midrange device being pitched as "affordable flagship", touting an extra-tall 18:9 display and the same dual lens camera configuration found in the Sirocco. You don't get water-resistance and the processor is one step down, but the Nokia 7 Plus doesn't seem like it makes too many compromises in terms of keeping the price down.

Other key specifications for the Nokia 7 Plus include a 6-inch 1080p+ display, a Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of expandable storage. The phone is built using an aluminum unibody coated with six layers of ceramic paint to hide antenna bands.

The Nokia 7 Plus will be available in Australia in May for $749.

Nokia 6 (2018)

The Nokia 6 is getting a refresh less than a year after it launched in Australia, featuring a more compact design, fast charging, and ZEISS optics for the rear-facing camera.

Key specifications for the Nokia 6 (2018) include a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 630 processor, either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, either 32GB or 64GB of expandable storage, and a 16MP rear-facing camera.

The new Nokia 6 will also launch in May at a price of $449. We're not yet sure whether we'll get the 32GB or 64GB model in Australia.

Nokia 1

The Nokia 1 is HMD's new entry-level device, and is the sole smartphone in the new range to be powered by Android Go. The body is polycarbonate rather than aluminum or glass, and the specs are pretty barebones. These include a 4.5-inch 480p display, a 1.1GHz MediaTek processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 5MP camera. Hopefully Android Go will mean it the Nokia 1 punches above its weight in terms of performance.

While the Nokia 1 is predominantly designed for emerging markets, it will still see in Australian release. It will go on sale in - you guessed it - May, for $149.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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