The "1-Minute" Review
Verdict
While the Nokia 8 is a solid device at a relatively low price with good specs and a crisp display, its uninspired design and unreliable camera lead to a lukewarm response from reviewers.What's good
- Zippy performance
- Sharp display with natural colors
- Great in-hand feel
- Good battery life
What's bad
- Camera slow to focus and capture images
- Uninspired design
- Not waterproof
- Aluminum rear attract smudges and fine scratches
Nokia has gone through quite a few name changes. They even disappeared for a few years after their acquisition by Microsoft. But the company is back, and while it had a shaky start, they hope to bring people back into the fold with the Nokia 8.
Does it check all the boxes?
Maybe not.
For years, Nokia was renowned for their bright colors and playful designs. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll be let down by the design of the Nokia 8.
While it comes in an eye-catching copper (as well as tempered blue, polished blue, and steel) most reviewers weren’t wowed by the look of the phone. Some reviewers went so far as to call it boring. They also noticed the aluminum rear attracted smudges and, after a few weeks of normal use, fine scratches.
Still, they felt the rounded edges combined with a low weight of 160 grams made it nice to hold for long amounts of time. Though, if you have smaller hands, the large size made it difficult for them to use one-handed.
While touted as splash-proof, it does not have an IP rating. So, you’ll want to make sure you don’t spill water on it or drop it in a puddle.
In the age of bezel-less smartphones, the Nokia 8 seems like a blast from the past with its chunky top and bottom bezels. They are so large that the screen-to-body ratio does not even reach 70 percent.
Fortunately, the screen that's there gets high marks. The 5.3-inch LCD panel offers Quad HD resolution (1,440-by-2,560). Experts called it “pin sharp” with excellent sunlight legibility.
The only downside they noticed was that the LCD could not achieve the same level of inky blacks as an AMOLED panel—ultimately leading to less contrast. They also experienced some dimming when viewing at different angles although it wasn’t a huge problem.
Most were happy with the realistic colors, fine details, and decent brightness. Reviewers agreed the downsides were heavily outweighed by the positives.
Performance-wise, reviewers had no complaints. The octa-core Snapdragon processor and 4GB of RAM offered a super-fast experience regardless of the whether they were multitasking, playing games, or just navigating their home screen.
The 3,090mAh battery lasted most around a full day with moderate usage. While not the best on the market, it’s on par with other smartphones.
Nokia has revived their relationship with Zeiss for their rear camera. The dual 13-megapixel lenses are meant to work together to create higher quality pictures. When put to the test, reviewers were less than impressed.
Although images were well-balanced, they were let down by slow and unreliable auto-focusing—even in good lighting situations. While it comes with optical image stabilization, they still noticed a fair amount of noise. The slow focus and capture speeds led to blurry images more often than not.
Still, when the camera nailed a few shots, the pictures were very detailed and colors were vibrant without being over-saturated.
Although it’s a decent first Android flagship for Nokia, reviewers have a hard time enthusiastically recommending it. Trusted Reviews states, “... there’s nothing that really stands out about the Nokia 8... it will need to do more with its effort if the brand is to stand out among the elite…” Tech Advisor adds, “Although the Nokia 8 offers some decent specs for the price, it’s just not a device that stands out in a crowded market.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Nathan Spendelow, Expert ReviewsEverything is all above board, but the burning question is whether there’s still room for Nokia in 2017. Before now, I’d have argued not, and especially so given the firm’s recent track record with middling handsets like the Nokia 3. But it looks like the Nokia 8 may just put the Finnish firm back o...
- Kunal Dua, Gadgets 360Nokia made its name selling no-nonsense phones that were built to last, and while the ownership of the mobile brand might have changed hands, the Nokia 8 is a smartphone that would have been a worthy addition to the lineup of the Finnish company even in its heyday.
- Alexandru Stănescu, GSM DomeIt’s elegant and it symbols the return of a big brand, that has a ton of fans. It offers great performance and acoustics, pretty neat display, but the camera does more wrongs than rights.
- Dan Carter, CoolsmartphoneOverall though I was impressed with the Nokia 8. It costs around £500 SIM free in the UK. You have a chance to get a stunning looking device that packs a lot of punch.
- Jonathan Bray, AlphrNokia is well and truly on the road to recovery as a smartphone brand and with the Nokia 8 Sirocco – a design that’s both mature and alluring – it’s certain to begin attracting fans back who might have deserted the brand over the past few years.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
Nokia backs up the 8 with a 2 Years parts & labour warranty.
If your 8 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Nokia support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Nokia's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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