Nokia 8 Sirocco

As the new home for Nokia phones, HMD Global has turned out an impressive portfolio of phones for 2018, all of which are part of Google’s Android One programme and are guaranteed to get Android/security updates for the next couple of years. Yet the lineup lacked a flagship device that could stand tall among the premium league, until the Nokia 8 Sirocco.

Crafted from a single piece of stainless steel with Gorilla Glass 5 curving at the both the front and rear edges, blending into the thin metal strip on the sides, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is a stunning piece of craftsmanship. Even though the phone features a seriously trimmed down screen bezel, it forgoes the du jour 18:9 display trend, giving it a squat compact design, which is an absolute ergonomic pleasure to use.

The only quirk is the buttons on the side of the phone, which sit so flush with the metal that they are difficult to discern and use without looking. Under its winning looks lies the tried-and-tested Snapdragon 835 chip, and while this may disappoint specs nerds looking for the latest silicon from Qualcomm, it  still runs the latest version of Android without missing a beat. There is 6GB of fast memory and a capacious 128GB of storage (non-expandable), and the lack of bloatware is refreshing to see. There is support the Qi wireless charging standard and the phone is IP67 rated for dust and water resistance. The Nokia 8 Sirocco features Carl Zeiss optics in its cameras, which allows the 12MP/13MP dual camera setup to focus quickly and turn out good images in decent light conditions, with rich details and balanced colors and exposure.

In low light, the wide f/1.7 aperture allows for a wide dynamic range in images, but there is a visible amount of digital noise in the images. No optical image stabilisation either, which would have helped with low-light shots. As with other Nokia smartphones, there is the excellent Pro mode and the Dual Sight mode which lets you shoot from the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Battery life is acceptable, lasting a full day of medium to heavy use.