Nokia 8 Sirocco review: This is one stylish looking phone, but is the price right? We find out in our review.
There is something homely about the Nokia ringtone that offers a sense of warmth. For some of us who have used more Nokia than any other phone, there is a distinct sense of nostalgia. It is almost like comfort food that has been packed by your mom herself. So when the Nokia 8 Sirocco sprung up to life for the first time on my work table, it also brought with it a flood of memories.
I have never used the original Sirocco, never even held it in my hand. But the new Nokia 8 Sirocco still connects the dots somewhere to the many Nokias I have owned — a long list that ended with the E63 which is now used by my tech-challenged father. This is exactly the appeal HMD Global hopes to cash in on when people think about their next smartphone. If you have ever used a Nokia in your life, you will give the new phones a look for sure.
Nokia 8 Sirocco review
Nokia 8 Sirocco specifications: 5.5″ QHD pOLED with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 3D Glass | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile platform, Octa core (4 x 2.36 GHz Kryo + 4 x 1.9 GHz Kryo), with 6GB RAM | 128GB memory | 12 MP Wide (2L7, 1.4um, 2PD, f/1.7, FOV 78.2″) + 13 MP Tele (3M3, 1.0um, f/2.6, FOV47.3″) | Front-facing 5 MP camera | 3260 mAh battery with Qi Wireless Charging | IP67 dust and water resistant | LTE Cat 12 600 Mbps DL \ Cat13 150 Mbps(64QAM) UL |
The new breed of Nokia phones stand out for their looks. They have a distinct European design feel and aesthetic that’s been missing in the smartphone space for many years now. At the moment, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is the pinnacle of this design renaissance and manifests itself in soft curved 3D glass that folds seamlessly into the sharp edges, the stainless steel chassis and fluidity of the rear panel that melds the dual camera module into its core. The phone feels solid in the hand and the sharp edges offer it a better grip than most other phones.
The new breed of Nokia phones stand out for their looks. They have a distinct European design feel and aesthetic.
The phone also stands out for its display. This a 5.5-inch QHD pOLED, which is one of the most vivid and bright displays I have seen. So when you watch a movie on Netflix or click a photo, the visuals come to life with the curved edges offering a slight immersive element. This is a display that has been made to impress even the Samsungs and the Huaweis, and it shows.
A lot of people will buy the Nokia 8 Sirocco because there are not many other flagships that offer a pure Android experience. Running Android 8.1, the Sirocco was a smooth experience all through the week I used it. Nokia’s contribution here is in pushing security updates faster than on most other phones, so you can expect this phone to be a bit more secure. Also, there is a support app that lets you fix small problems and get in touch with the company for more serious ones.
This a 5.5-inch QHD pOLED which is one of the most vivid and bright displays I have seen.
The top feature of this phone for me, however, is the camera. The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a dual camera which is a combo of a 12MP wide and 13MP telephoto lens. The camera gave me some stunning results, especially in low light — the wide lens has a f/1.7 aperture. It comes with a Pro mode that offers much more control.
Overall, the photos has good detail and there is not a lot of blurring when you zoom in. I could not find a good reason to use the dual selfie option unless I want to who the world how I am reacting to something weird being said on TV news. This phone can record video in 4K UHD and with its Ozo surround sound capabilities emerges as a really good video camera option.
Nokia 8 Sirocco camera samples for indoor shots. (Image resized for web)
Nokia 8 Sirocco camera samples for indoor shots. (Image resized for web)
Nokia 8 Sirocco camera samples for indoor shots. (Image resized for web)
Nokia 8 Sirocco camera samples for outdoor shots. (Image resized for web)
Nokia 8 Sirocco camera samples for portrait mode. (Image resized for web)
Nokia 8 Sirocco camera samples for indoor shots. (Image resized for web)
The overall performance of the phone is really good. On benchmarks it was placed just a notch under the OnePlus 5T, which is good. It can handle all daily tasks well along with the high performance camera. The battery life of the phone is also good and lasts well over 12 hours with intensive use. The phone does heat up a bit when it is stressed and clocked up to 36 degrees at times.
The one issue that nagged me through the review was that the volume and power buttons are so well integrated into the edge of phone that you might struggle to find them at times. It takes a while to figure out which is which purely on touch.
On benchmarks, Nokia 8 Sirocco was placed just a notch under the OnePlus 5T, which is good.
Nokia 8 Sirocco price in India – Rs 49,999
At Rs 49,999, a lot of users might think the phone is pricey. I too think this would be a killer device around the price point of the OnePlus 5T. Anyway, given the design and the camera abilities, it will be that hard to impress some people to invest in the Nokia 8 Sirocco as their phone for the next few years.