At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018, HMD Global unveiled the Nokia 8 Sirocco. You can mistake this handset for simple rehash of the last year's flagship. But, it is more than that. The Nokia 8 Sirocco doesn't just address the shortcomings of the original but brings a lot new features to the table. In fact, we think it is a completely different device in its own right. We wonder why HMD chose not to name it the Nokia 9. And for those not sure what has changed, here's a comparison between the two phones:
Design
Thick bezels aside, the Nokia 8 had an elegant design. With incredible attention to detail, HMD managed to retain Nokia's reputation for impeccable build quality. Each Nokia 8 handset is carved out from a block of aluminium, using CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling machine. As a result, you get gentle curves and a seamless body.
HMD takes this process to a next level with the Nokia 8 Sirocco. For this phone, the Finns have chosen stainless steel over aluminuim. As a result, you get a slim yet solid chassis. The company has also trimmed the bezels to accommodate a bigger screen. On its sides, the phone has curved edge screen. This makes Nokia the only brand other than Samsung to sport such futuristic design. In the new iteration, HMD has added a diamond cut finish on the edges for comfortable grip. The Nokia 8 was a splash proof device. But, with the Sirocco HMD has gone an extra mile to deliver a water and dust resistant IP67 certified body.
Display
Despite its smaller footprint, the Nokia 8 Sirocco packs in a bigger 5.5-inch screen compared to the original Nokia 8's 5.3-inch panel. In addition to the size, the new phone has also gained in terms of the quality. The Nokia 8 IPS LCD screen has been replaced by an OLED panel. This means that you no longer have to put up with an LCD that struggles to produce proper blacks and rich colours. This one upgrade is enough choosing the Sirocco over the Nokia 8. The screens on both phones are protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5, so you don't have to worry about getting them scratched easily.
Photography
The Nokia 8 Sirocco sports a dual rear camera. It comprises of a 12 MP wide primary sensor and a 13MP telephoto one. The optics are made by the German company Zeiss. Simply going by numbers, it sounds like a step down from Nokia 8's 13MP primary lens accompanied by a 12MP telephoto unit. However, it is worth noting that the 13MP unit on the original Nokia 8 has the f-stop of 2 compared to f-1.75 of Nokia 8 Sirocco. A lower f-stop value represents a wider aperture, which allows more light in. Hence, the 12MP camera on Sirocco is likely to perform better than the 13MP unit on the Nokia 8. The Sirocco will also offer a neat Pro mode camera interface (remember the Lumia phones?) that offers manual control over focus, ISO, white balance, and exposure.
Specifications
It is a bit of a downer that the Nokia 8 Sirocco won't be powered by the latest Snapdragon 845. It joins the Snapdragon 835 club with the original Nokia 8. It is the exact same SoC with four Kryo cores running at 2.5GHz and four Kryo cores clocked 1.8GHz. The GPU also remains the same with Adreno 540. The Sirocco will only come in 6GB RAM variant as opposed to 4GB and 6GB options offering with the original Nokia 8. The Sirocco does pack in higher battery capacity at 3260mAh as opposed to 3090 on its predecessor. The only gripe we have with the Sirocco is the lack of 3.5mm jack. It is daft to axe a universal audio jack. It really is.
—By Chandrakant Isi
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