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Nokia 8 Sirocco is the swanky flagship we've been waiting for

With its curving glass and waterproof design, the Nokia 8 Sirocco gives us a lot to be excited about.

Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
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  • Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
Andrew Lanxon
2 min read
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Read our full review of the Nokia 8 Sirocco, the latest Nokia phone from HMD Global. 

The Nokia 8 may have been a decent all-rounder, but it didn't have the visual pizzazz that a flagship needs. With the 8 Sirocco, Nokia seems to have learned its lesson.

This new flagship may share the same numeral as its predecessor, but it's a more visually exciting creature. The 5.5-inch display stretches to all sides of the phone, curving gently at the edges to meet a stainless steel frame. The glass back curves too. Sure, it makes it look a bit like a Galaxy S8 , but that's no bad thing. The Sirocco looks and feels like the premium device the Nokia 8 should have been all along.

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It's not just the design that's worth your attention. The display has a 2K resolution. It's also running a powerful Qualcomm 835 processor and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There's wireless charging too, and it's waterproof to a depth of 1 metre for up to 30 minutes.

There's two cameras on the back: A regular 12-megapixel one and a telephoto 13-megapixel one for zoomed-in shots. The front camera might only be 5 megapixels, but Nokia says that the sensor is physically much larger, so those megapixels can take in much more light, resulting in better-looking photos overall. We'll be putting that to the test soon.

It runs Android Oreo software -- specifically, the Android One version,a clean version of the software that has none of the manufacturer tweaks you'll find on most top-end handsets.

Overall, the Sirocco is shaping up to be an exciting flagship phone, but it remains to be seen whether it's worth the steep 749 euro price tag (that's around £660 or $925; it'll officially sell for AU$1,199 in Australia). It's due to hit stores in Europe this April. There are no plans for a US release.

Specifications

  • 5.5-inch 2K display
  • 7.5mm thick
  • IP67 rated waterproof
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
  • 8GB RAM, 128GB storage
  • microSD card expandable
  • Dual 12- and 13-megapixel rear cameras
  • 5-megapixel front camera
  • Android Oreo One
  • 3,260 mAh battery

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