In a feature called ‘New from Nokia’ I will be taking a quick look at the new Nokia handsets announced at the MWC (Mobile World Conference) 2018. First up is the Nokia 8 Sirocco. I had a look at the Nokia 8 previously, and it is a cracking phone. However, the Nokia 8 Sirocco builds on the first edition. The Nokia 8 Sirocco’s premium curved glass covers over 95% of the phone. It seamlessly meets a frame precision milled from a single piece of stainless steel. Just 2mm thin at the edge, combining an edge-to-edge curved pOLED 2K 5.5-inch display with smaller bezels and body curves to create its sleek, slim look.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco’s steel frame is 2.5 times stronger than 6000 series aluminium. It has 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 which is robust enough to endure life’s everyday knocks. It feels more secure in your hand thanks to the improved grip given by the dual diamond-polished stainless steel frame.
Nokia continues its partnership with Zeiss Optics
Now the Nokia 8 have a lovely camera, which I found out during our trip to New York. Again the Nokia 8 Sirocco has dual sensors with Zeiss Optics. There’s a 12MP main sensor alongside a 13MP telephoto lens. Excitingly, we have a 2x Optical Zoom, which is very interesting. Most phones have a digital zoom, which means it’s zooming in artificially – not so here! There’s also a ‘Pro Camera’ mode. This allows you can have full manual control, including white balancing, focus, ISO, shutter speed and exposure correction – perfect for those tricky shots! The ‘Bothie’ Mode is back, and it’s now got integration with the Google Assistant so you can say “take a picture with both cameras”.
They’ve also made improvements to the sound recording department. The Nokia 8 Sirocco features Nokia Spatial Audio. It has three high performance microphones that are able to capture everything from the quietest whisper to the loudest concert in 24bit audio. Often you’ll find that phones just can’t record loud audio without clipping and distortion, I’m intrigued to see how it performs.
Something missing from the original is Qi Wireless Charging – the Nokia 8 Sirocco has this. It’s also IP67 rated – so it’s dust and water resistant. It comes with 6gb RAM and 128gb of storage. Unlike its younger brother, there is NO MicroSD slot, so 128gb is the maximum. Certainly not a show stopper – but worth mentioning!
The Nokia 8 Sirocco is also part of the ‘Android One’ programme. This means the core Android software can be updated swiftly. You’ll have all the latest improvements to the operating system, as well as security updates. I loved that the original was pretty much pure Android, and although it isn’t part of Android One, Nokia push out regular updates. The Sirocco will improve on this. Also, there will be limit ‘bloatware’ – leaving more room for your stuff!
The Nokia 8 Sirocco is due for release in April with a retail price of €749. I can’t wait to get my mitts on this beauty, and hopefully I’ll be able to do a full review of the Nokia 8 Sirocco in due course!
