Nokia 8 review

The Nokia 8 offers a lot of great features such as a powerful chipset, dual-sensor camera and a perfectly sized QHD display, but compared to a lot of the competition right now it struggles to offer anything unique. With a super-high price point, the Nokia 8 is a good phone but far from a great one.

The comeback of Nokia is perhaps the most interesting story in phones of 2017, and now its first range of devices seems to be complete, with the introduction of the brand new Nokia 8.

Earlier in the year HMD Global revealed it would be announcing new phones using the Nokia branding, and we’ve already seen the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and theNokia 6, which are all middling to good mid-range devices.

Nokia 8 price and release date

• Out now in the UK and Australia, may not come to US
• Price was originally £499/AU$899 (about $700)
• We've now seen the price drop as low as £399/AU$690

The Nokia 8 is now out in the UK and Australia, but there's no word on whether it'll ever be released in the US. You can sign up for updates on the official Nokia website, but there's currently no word on whether it'll happen.

The phone launched at £499.99/AU$899, but we've already seen the price drop down to £399/$690. That price puts it below the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8, but still very much in high-end territory just above the OnePlus 5T.

Key features

• Dual-sensor rear camera that can take great bokeh images
• New 'Bothie' mode for both selfie and rear camera images

With the Nokia 8 being the brand’s first flagship for a few years, a big emphasis is being put on its camera, which was a highlight feature of the last Windows Phone Nokia devices from 2014.

The Nokia 8 features a dual-sensor rear shooter that can capture ‘bokeh’ images with an attractive background blur, and uses a RGB and monochrome sensor in tandem for better low light photography.

The camera has been made in partnership with Zeiss too, although it’s not entirely clear what input the German lens specialists have had.

There are lots of extra features squeezed in here in an attempt to make this one of the best phone cameras on the market.

You may have heard of the new ‘Bothie’ mode, which uses both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras at the same time, so you can capture what’s behind your phone – probably yourself – as well as what’s in front.

On top of that there’s also Nokia’s OZO 3D audio capture tech, which should allow for more immersive video when you’re recording.

Design and display

• One of the best looking Nokia phones ever
• Metal uni-body and available in four different colors with differing looks
• Vibrant 5.3-inch QHD display that's bright and looks stunning

The design of the Nokia 8 is one of the key elements, and it’s one of the most – if not the most – beautiful phones we’ve ever seen with the Nokia branding emblazoned on the rear. 

It’s an aluminium unibody design with metal edges, but while the back is metal too, the feel on the rear will depend on which finish you opt for.

There are steel and tempered blue colors, but both of these have a matt finish, and look a little bit lackluster when put next to the shiny copper and blue options.