Makers of Nokia phone brand HMD Global had a great start with their lineup last year and it looks like they are keen not to lose any of that momentum.
At Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry, a lineup of new phones for 2018 and there are some really interesting designs and features here to delve into.
Recall HMD Global is a relatively new company that launched last year after receiving the rights to license the Nokia brand name but with a requirement to strictly adhere to core Nokia guidelines.
You will also find Dual-sight, a feature HMD introduced on the Nokia 8 that lets you capture images with the front and rear cameras on your phone simultaneously, also known as “bothies.”
Here are some of the phones launched by HMD Global at the biggest mobile event of the year.
Nokia 1
HMD’s newest budget phone, the Nokia 1 comes in at under $100. The Nokia 1 can connect to 4G networks and it is a simple-looking phone with a polycarbonate body supported by a metal frame. You can add your own flare to the device with Nokia’s new Xpress-on covers, another blast to the past that allows users change the colour of the rear case.
The Nokia 1 featuring a MediaTek Quad Core MT6737M 1.1Ghz processor and 1GB of RAM is the one of the first smartphones to run on the lightweight edition of Android, known as Android Go. That means the core Operating System (OS) size is incredibly small, and so are the accompanying Google apps installed on the phone, which are known as Go apps.
You will find 8GB of storage on board the Nokia 1 with a MicroSD slot for external storage if you need more space.
The Nokia 1 has a 4.5-inch IPS display with a 2 MP selfie camera. On the back, you’ll find a 5-megapixel lens with LED flash. As for the battery, it has a 2,150mAh capacity that should offer plenty of juice for these low-power specifications.
Nokia 6
The new Nokia 6 has an aluminum case with a 5.5-inch full HD IPS laminated display. There are different colour combinations available in black and copper, white and iron, and well as blue and gold. While the Nokia 6 maintains its 16:9 aspect ratio, the bezels or edges around the screen are a bit smaller, creating a more compact phone overall.
As for memory and storage, there are two configurations. You can choose between 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, or 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage on the Nokia 6. Both versions of the Nokia 6 come with a MicroSD slot for more storage.
As for software, the Nokia 6 is now a part of the Android One program, which mostly means it runs stock Android, shipping with Android 8.0 Oreo. Being a part of the Android One program means you will also get quick Android version and security updates.
The Nokia 6 packs a beefy 3,000mAh battery, with USB Type-C quick charging support that offers a 50 percent charge in just 30 minutes.
In terms of cameras, there’s a 16-megapixel rear camera with Zeiss optics and dual-tone flash. There’s a wide-angle 8-megapixel front-facing camera, perfect for group selfies.
You will also find Dual-sight, a feature HMD introduced on the Nokia 8 that lets you capture images with the front and rear cameras on your phone simultaneously, also known as “bothies.”
Nokia 7 Plus
The Nokia 7 Plus is an even more interesting proposition and threatens to take the crown in the ‘affordable premium’ space.
This device is once again cut from a single block of 6000 series aluminum and is coated in 6 layers of ceramic paint, which not only makes it feel great in the hand but also helps to hide any antennae lines.
The edges of the Nokia 7 Plus are anodized twice for even more colour variations and it genuinely feels very slim, solid and premium. What’s more, this is the very first Nokia device to sport an 18:9 aspect ratio. This creates plenty of real-estate on the 6-inch FHD+ screen of the Nokia 7 Plus.
The Nokia 7 Plus gets a slight specs upgrade over the original Nokia 7 with a Snapdragon 660 processor and comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
A bigger upgrade is the camera, which brings the same Zeiss optics and a dual rear camera combining a 12MP and 13MP sensor (the latter being used for telephoto). The pro camera application will provide manual control over aperture, exposure, white balance etc. and provide real-time previews for users to see what they’re getting.
Nokia 8 Sirocco
While the Nokia makers, HMD may refer to the Nokia 7 Plus as its flagship, the Nokia 8 Sirocco rightly wins the title. The phone packs some seriously impressive specs in a gorgeous case.
Similar to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone X, the Nokia 8 Sirocco features a Gorilla Glass 5 glass-wrapped case around a stainless steel frame. There’s a 5.5-inch Quad HD p-OLED display on front, and on the back you’ll find a dual-camera array and fingerprint sensor.
Open up the Nokia 8 Sirocco and you’ll find a Snapdragon 835 processor. There is 6GB of RAM on board as well as 128 GB of storage.
The 3,260mAh battery supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 and the phone is capable of charging wirelessly through Qi compatible charging pads. The phone ships with the stock version of Android 8.0 Oreo, and it is a part of the Android One program. It’s also IP67 water-resistant.
As for cameras, the Nokia 8 Sirocco packs dual lenses on the rear. The primary camera uses a 13-megapixel Zeiss lens, while the secondary relies upon a 12-megapixel Zeiss lens with 2x optical zoom. On the front, it’s a wide-angle, 5-megapixel Zeiss lens for group selfies.