Nokia 8 Sirocco smartphone - pros and cons

The Nokia brand has always been associated with high quality and reliability of mobile devices, as well as with unusual design solutions, which ensured the popularity of this company's models. The new Nokia 8 Sirocco is positioned as a fashion flagship in a metal case with a 5.5-inch screen. The company announced the release of the device at the exhibition in February 2018.

The article discusses in detail all the functionality and characteristics of the gadget, as well as how much this smartphone model costs.

Overview of the technical parameters of the device

The device has a powerful filling, which ensures fast operation of the device.

1. Processor: 8-core Snapdragon 835 with a clock speed of 2360 MHz. There is an Adreno 540 graphics processor.
2. Memory: operational - 6 GB, built-in - 128 GB.
3. Operating system: Android One (version 8.1).
4. Battery capacity: 3260 mAh, provides up to 22 hours of talk time. Wireless charging of the device is provided, fast charging technology is supported.
5. Screen: diagonal is 5.5 inches, resolution - 2560x1440. Production technology - P-OLED. The pixel density is 534 ppi. The display occupies 80% of the entire body. The glass is scratch resistant, there is a light and proximity sensor.
6. Camera: the number of megapixels of the main camera - 12 and 13, and the front - 5. The presence of a two-fold zoom.
7. Communication: support CDMA, GSM, UMTS, LTE, Bluetooth0 and Wi-Fi.
8. Sensors: built-in accelerometer, compass, barometer and compass.
9. Positioning: Glonass, BeiDou and GPS.
10. Material: glass and aluminum.
11. Color: the model is only available in black.
12. Dimensions: the flagship is 14.1 cm long, 7.3 cm wide, and 0.75 cm thick.

Device design

The appearance of the gadget strongly distinguishes this device from the range of smartphones. While many manufacturers are trying to lengthen the casing of their models, Nokia, on the contrary, prefers standard shapes, which look more "square" against the background of other devices. The extended screen effect is achieved by fillets on both sides of the device.

The body of the smartphone itself is made of metal with a protective glass Gorilla Glass 5, which also covers the entire front of the gadget. A steel frame runs along the edge of the device, which makes the design of the Nokia 8 Sirocco smartphone more stylish. The device is waterproof, allowing the phone to be immersed in water for half an hour to a depth of no more than 1 meter.

Despite the large screen diagonal, the smartphone fits comfortably in the hand and looks very compact. The device is only 7.5mm thick and has a 2mm steel rim. The volume control and unlock buttons are located on the right side of the device, however, they are completely invisible, as they completely merge with the body of the phone. On the one hand, this makes the device more monolithic, and on the other, it creates problems with finding and pressing keys.

The back surface of the flagship has a glossy surface, on which prints remain from any touch.The same panel houses a dual camera and a fingerprint scanner, which is quite responsive. On the bottom of the smartphone is a USB type C port. There is no headphone jack.

Smartphone performance

Thanks to the flagship Snapdragon 835 processor, which was installed in all top devices of 2017, and a large amount of RAM, the device works without freezes and slowdowns, even under heavy load. The device does not have heavy applications that many manufacturers pre-install on their models.

The device is so smart that it is suitable for active games at the highest quality settings. The company considers businessmen to be the main buyers of this flagship, so the phone can work with a large number of work programs without any problems. Expanding the built-in storage by 128 GB is impossible, but this is compensated by access to unlimited storage on Google Photos. Dual Sim technology is also not provided.

The operating system is worth a separate look. There is pure Android One installed here, which will be regularly updated and improve security. It is not overloaded with third-party services, so it works quickly and smoothly.

Autonomy

Popular Nokia models have always had good battery life. Sirocco is no exception. With an average load of the device, it can withstand a charge up to 6 hours. A big plus for this device is the availability of Qi wireless charging. It also adds style and image to the device.

Screen characteristics

The display of a gadget with curved edges is not very popular with manufacturers. Such screens are most often installed on premium models, so the Nokia 8 Sirocco smartphone, the advantages and disadvantages of which are described below, is no exception. However, this detail has a significant drawback - when viewed from different angles, the display is inverted, which is especially striking in rounded areas. It's all the fault of the matrix used in the phone.

The device has a good brightness reserve, and the large screen size contains a lot of information. The clarity of the picture is provided by QHD resolution, so everything looks bright and colorful. The screen size is comfortable not only for watching videos, but also for playing games. A bonus is the Always On screen feature. With its help, the display always shows the date, time, missed calls, messages and other notifications.

Camera features

Main

The gadget is equipped with a dual camera module with Zeiss optics. The main one has an f / 1.7 aperture, and the second one has an f / 2.6 aperture. The number of megapixels is 12 and 13, respectively.

In good daylight, shots are clear and high quality, thanks to good focus and sharpness. But at night with standard settings, it is difficult to get a high-quality photo. It is recommended that you carefully adjust the professional shooting mode.

An example of a photo taken during the day:

How the flagship photographs at night:

The camera has an HDR mode, but when it is turned on, there are slight slowdowns during shooting. This is due to the used frame processing algorithm, which, in the opinion of many users, is not fully optimized in this device. The device also has a feature that is typical for most Nokia phones - Bothie mode. It allows you to take pictures with the main and front cameras at the same time. Live Bokeh creates a slight blur in the background, but does not always accurately predict the location of the subject.

Frontal

The rear camera has a 5 megapixel standard for most devices. The pictures are of average quality.

Shooting video

The quality of the video shot does not differ dramatically from other representatives of this price segment. The model has good stabilization and a shooting mode in 4K resolution.

Sound

The device is equipped with one speaker, which provides comfortable sound quality both when watching video and listening to music. An unusual solution here is the presence of a Type C headset.This addition is not only modern and technological, but also insanely stylish. The sound quality in the headphones is good.

Separately, it is worth talking about the quality of the recording, because it was on it that the producers focused. The gadget is equipped with 3 microphones that are capable of recording high definition sound (up to 132 decibels). With their help, you can record even at a loud rock concert; this will not affect the sound quality in any way. This innovation is especially pleasant for those who like to shoot videos.

Interface features

Nokia was the first to switch to Android One. Therefore, all phones produced by this brand have a similar interface. This solution provides for regular security updates. The gadgets of this company also have access to beta developments of the Android system, so users of these devices are among the first to see new versions.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco has added some details that are missing in pure Android. They allow you to expand the functionality of devices. These additions include double tap on the screen, which is designed to wake up the device.

Also, this device opens the taskbar in a special way. Here you can't just make a gesture over an empty space, but you need to interact with a fingerprint scanner. For users who use smartphones of the presented company for the first time, such an innovation may not seem entirely convenient. You can start the camera even when the screen is locked. To do this, just press the lock key twice.

Input and processing

The device's sensor is fast and responds well to touch even in curved parts of the screen. The nimble fingerprint sensor is surrounded by a small bezel, making it easy to find without looking. The system buttons are located on the display, which is why the screen bezels are quite narrow.

In the settings of the device, you can find a setting for unlocking the screen by face recognition (not available at the initial start-up). However, the function works quite slowly and after turning on the screen, you need to additionally swipe the screen to completely disable the lock, which takes even more time. This option requires major improvements from the manufacturer.

The pre-installed GBoard acts as a keyboard. It is easy to use, quick to touch and has voice input.

Equipment

Together with the smartphone, the user receives a charger with a USB cable, a clip to open the SIM slot, a wired headset with a USB type C adapter, and a user manual. The power supply supports the QuickCharge technology (allows you to charge the device in just 2 hours at 100%).

Also, the phone has a branded transparent case that will protect the device from scratches and abrasions. But according to the majority of the owner of the device, such an accessory significantly worsens the appearance of the gadget.

The device is guaranteed for 24 months.

User reviews

Those users who are already lucky enough to become the owner of the novelty of 2018 are actively sharing their opinions about the flagship on the Internet. Many people note the solid design of the phone - elegant and minimalistic.

Most are completely satisfied with the performance of the device and its system. Fans of mobile games claim that the device works stably at 60 frames per second. There are no slowdowns of the sensor in demanding applications, control using the gyroscope also does not fail.

However, some users are upset that the device does not have a separate jack for standard headphones.

Smartphone cost

The average price for this model, according to online stores, in 2018 is 40,000 rubles. On the territory of Kazakhstan, the device can be purchased for 270,000 tenge.

Output

• stylish design;
• productive;
• fits comfortably in the hand;
• reliable manufacturer;
• good autonomy;
• Android One OS;
• headphones with Type C connector included;
• high quality of the recorded sound.

• high price;
• inconvenient buttons on the side panel;
• no 3.5 mm jack;
• there is no slot for memory cards and an additional SIM card;
• the screen is inverted at the folds.

The new Nokia 8 Sirocco has many advantages among the devices in this segment. However, in terms of price, this device cannot compete with other flagship smartphones on Android system, which have better processors and cameras. But for lovers of a clean system, a screen with the usual aspect ratio and just fans of Nokia, such a device will be the best purchase, especially if the price of this device decreases in the future.