Nokia 8: Full, in-depth review

Specs

If you felt like the specs of Nokia 3, 5 and 6 veered a little close to the budget and mid-tier side of things, the Nokia 8 leaves little doubt that the brand still has what it takes to compete in the higher-end of the market.

The Nokia 8 features a 5.3-inch QHD display that’s almost double the pixel density of its predecessors (554ppi). The display also boasts a peak brightness that, at 700 nits, outshines both the Google Pixel and HTC U11 - though it falls short of the Samsung Galaxy S8’s 1020 nits.

Then, under the hood, the Nokia 8 packs together a Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of on-board storage. Unlike other brands, there’s no larger storage variant available but the Nokia 8 does boast a MicroSD slot that make up some of the difference.

When it comes to battery life, the Nokia 8 packs a 3090mAh battery and Quick Charge 3.0 via the USB-C port at the bottom end of the device.

Credit: Nokia | HMD Global

The Nokia 8 runs on Android 7.1 (Nougat) and, connectivity-wise, it’s ready to make the most of a 4G mobile network. It’s also packing support for Bluetooth 5.0, which is still pretty rare these days and a nice forward-thinking inclusion.

The credentials for the Nokia 8’s camera are similarly upmarket.

On the back, it boasts a 13-megapixel colour sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a separate 13-megapixel monochrome sensor designed for low light plus dedicated black-and-white photography.

Meanwhile, selfie-shooters are treated to a front-facing wide angle 13-megapixel phase detection auto-focus lens on the front.

Read more: 5 ways to extend your smartphone's battery life

All told, there’s a lot to like about what's on offer here.

Design

Thanks to its 5.3 inch display, the Nokia 8 isn’t quite the slimmest flagship around. However, it’s slim enough that sizing never rears its head as an issue. It fits nicely in the palm of your hand and is well-weighted in a way that we haven’t really encountered outside of Huawei’s P10. Even at first, I found it hard to put down. After a few days with it, I found it hard not to recommend. On a physical, handling level, the Nokia 8 holds up really well.

While the shift to a more conventional metal-and-glass unibody design (versus the aluminum frames of the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6) does result in a device that feels good to hold, it also feels less solid and substantial. It doesn't feel like a phone that's going break after a single drop but it feels much closer to the Android phones of today than it does the unbreakables of Nokia's past.

The Nokia 8 comes covered in Gorilla Glass 5 and bearing an IP54 rating against splash and dust damage. This isn't the highest rating around, but it's a respectable enough one regardless.

Credit: Fergus Halliday | IDG

The headphone jack sits on the top of the device and both the volume and power toggles sit on the right-most edge. Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot separating the Nokia 8 from the rest of the Android flock. At least, from the front. On the rear-side, however, the Nokia 8 embodies that classic Finnish design you'd remember. In fact, you can sit it next to more than a few of the Nokia phones of old and it looks right at home.