Nokia 8 searches for its identity, offers good value: Page 2 of 2

Camera

As mentioned before, you get a dual-sensor array on the back with twin 13-Megapixel cameras. The way it works is that one sensor works as an RGB (Red Green Blue) lens that takes in all the colour information while the other shoots in monochrome which specialises in black-and-white shots.

You can choose to take an image using one or both sensors at the same time. In our experience, the camera was quick and responsive in most cases producing vibrant and colour-accurate images.

Autofocus response was good for the most part but its low-light performance isn’t the best that we have tested. Focusing tends to be slow, sometimes resulting in blurry shots and the image quality is noticeably softer due to high noise reduction.

Now coming to the most unique feature of the Nokia 8, the oddly named ‘Bothie’. While we certainly have seen this dual camera snapping feature on other smartphones, this is the first time we have seen one that snaps two 1:1 ratio images side by side. The image quality is decent upon closer inspection but sadly it isn’t quite Instagram worthy due to the ‘longish’ nature of the photos.

The killer feature of the ‘Bothie’ is that it allows you to livestream directly to Facebook and YouTube from within the camera itself.

It is no doubt a novel feature is clearly this is targeted towards certain individuals who may be influencers or more social media-centric. Sadly, the ‘Bothie’ is ill-suited for taking photos of large groups of people due to the tight framing of the camera unless you have really long arms.

Another strike against the Bothie is that the audio recording isn’t of high quality when compared to recording a regular video but it gets the job done if you are just livestreaming.

Speaking of videos, you can record from full HD up to 4K quality videos. Though the video quality is average, the audio recorded with OZO Audio which utilises the Nokia’s three microphones sounds really clear and immersive.

Here are some sample shots taken with the Nokia 8:

Conclusion

The Nokia 8 is a competent smartphone that ticks all the right boxes in what makes for a great flagship phone. Yes, this is definitely THE Nokia phone that you have been waiting for if you have been holding out. HMD Global certainly has done the name justice with this release.

At US$548 (RM2,299) the Nokia 8 comes at a very attractive price for someone who is looking for a flagship-class smartphone without breaking the piggy bank. For that price, you get a phone with premium build quality, stunning QHD display, very fast Snapdragon 835 processor and a good quality camera with ‘Bothie’ taking features that work well for live streamers.

The Nokia 8’s use of stock Android may be boring to some but the great benefit is that it is able to receive security updates quicker. Also, HMD Global claims that the handset will be receiving an update to Android Oreo and is expected to be released sooner than other manufacturers.

So far it all sounds good but the Nokia 8’s design may appear a bit dated and too conservative with all the crazy bezel-less phones out there now. It may be water resistant but it would have been great if it was waterproof too considering that some mid-tier models like the Samsung Galaxy A7 cost less and have the feature. The camera, while good in its own right, unfortunately, falters when compared to higher-end flagships especially in low light.

All things considered, the Nokia 8 is still an attractive and quality-driven flagship that remains affordable and offers plenty of value though it needs to find its defining voice as the Bothie is too niche to be the sole standout feature that will set it apart from the rest.

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