This time last year, Nokia was desperately making up for lost time and eager eyes were fixed on the once-beloved smartphone giant’s grand resurgence. And, well, Nokia made a pretty bold statement that year: it was well and truly back with a vengeance.
See, they successfully pulled at nostalgic heartstrings with the revived Nokia 3310, while simultaneously launching not one, two or three, but FOUR smartphones aimed at the lower end of the price scale. The only thing that was missing, however, was proper flagship punchiness.
READ NEXT:The best smartphones of 2018
Fast forward a year and that’s precisely what Nokia has unveiled at this year’s MWC. The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a far cry from last year’s cheap handsets, so is there really any definable reason you should scavenge for the extra funds?
Nokia 8 Sirocco review: UK release date and specifications
- 5.5in 18:9 2K OLED display
- Octa-core 2.45 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
- 6GB of RAM
- 128GB of storage (expandable via microSD)
- 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel telephoto rear cameras
- €749
- April 2018
Nokia 8 Sirocco review: Design, key features and first impressions
The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a 7.5mm thin blend of metal and glass loveliness. Rather than aluminium, it’s built from a single block of stainless steel, covered on the front with what Nokia describes “vacuum moulded” Gorilla Glass 5, which curves around the edges, just like the Samsung flagships of old.
The only issue with this design is that given the phone tapers off to the sides on both the front and back – to just 2.5mm to be exact – it’s not particularly comfortable to hold, with very sharp sides. Still, It’s a small price to pay for a such a lovely design, I suppose.
Elsewhere, a solitary USB Type-C port sits at the bottom of the handset, with the volume rocker and power button on the right. The microSD and nano-SIM card tray can be found on the left edge and a circular fingerprint reader, along with the dual-camera arrangement, is on the back.
As for the screen, we’re treated to a 5.5in 2K OLED beauty. It’s – along with the recently announced Nokia 7 Plus – Nokia’s first attempt at a bezel-free display and it’s lovely. As for initial impressions, the screen is bright and clear, which is exactly what you want.
There is a caveat, though: despite its €749 (~£660) price tag, it’s powered by last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. It’s no slouch, but with the 845 due to feature in this year’s flagships, it might be worth seeing exactly how much of an upgrade it really offers. Still, 6GB of RAM should ensure it provides a smooth Android experience and 128GB of expandable storage is quite generous.
Camera-wise, we’re looking at a 12-megapixel rear snapper, which works in tandem with a 13-megapixel telephoto lens. On the front, expect to find a 5-megapixel selfie camera, for those gratuitous Instagram snaps.
Nokia 8 Sirocco review: Early verdict
The Nokia 8 Sirocco is shaping up to be a very interesting handset. Indeed, it might be pricey, but It undeniably looks the business, has a gorgeous 2K resolution 18:9 display on the front and its rear Zeiss-branded cameras show real promise, too.
Following an impressive first year, now’s the chance for HMD, the Finnish firm behind Nokia, to really stamp its authority and claw back the high acclaim Nokia phones once had. And, the Nokia 8 Sirocco could be the handset to do so.
