Nokia 8 Review – Back into Business

Nokia 8 Review Pakistan Tech Prolonged

Software and User Interface

Software: Android 8.1 Oreo

Again like Nokia 3, 5, and 6 or any other Nokia devices partially available in limited regions, Nokia 8 also runs almost stock Android operating system. The phone comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat right out-of-the-box but instantly upgrade-able to to Android 8.1 Oreo at the time of writing. This review is also based on the latest 8.1 Oreo software update.

Even though most of the things are acceptable being stock in Nokia 8. Most, including myself, won’t like the camera. Despite having a good camera, one couldn’t see its capability unless provided with an intuitive camera interface. We’ll look into that in camera section later; for now we’ll continue to see what else could impress or hurt you.

As noted above, you will get a software update instantly after first start, depending if it’s not already (unlikely) up to date. This is first important and impressive factor about Nokia 8’s software. In fact all the Nokia devices release in the past year, are bound to receive monthly security updates.

User Interface

Other OEMs, which have their own software layers on top of the Android operating system to run their devices, usually have such titbis like an animated power menu. With Android 8.1 Oreo software update Google has made some changes in the user interface just like the one we talked.

Nokia 8 - Android Oreo 8.1

Nokia 8 – User Interface Change in Android 8.1 Oreo

The power menu is not simply a popup in the middle of the screen any more. It now appears right along the side of the screen near the power button. I just wanted to mention it because it’s the first thing I noticed.

Let’s just take an overview of the user interface and experience.

Lock Screen and Security

Notifications are listed on the lock screen in standard grouped style, expandable and quick actions like replying to messages. You can set the security level as how could notifications be listed on lock screen.

Lock screen also provide shortcuts to camera and voice assist, however only camera will be available to launch if the lock-code is enabled. Voice assist will require you to provide the pass-code. If you have enabled fingerprint unlock, the fingerprint graphic will be available. on the lock screen too.

Home Screen and App Drawer

As Nokia 8 also follows the other range of Nokia devices, Home screen and app drawer are also the same. The phone provides blue colored icons for standard phone apps – such as phone, text, contacts, camera, etc. Third party apps that you download, come with their own icons and aren’t overridden by system theme. Likewise, Google apps also have their own icons with distinct colors which you normally know them with. The system, however may modify the icons only to mask them in circular shapes.

Nokia 8 – Android 8.1 Oreo, Home screen • Folder open • App drawer

Everything is pretty similar in experience like choosing app icons from the app drawer and placing them onto home screen or organizing them into folders. Adding, removing home screens and placing widgets in those home screens, etc.

Customizing Home Screen, Background Tasks, Split Screen

Home screen can be turned into edit mode by just a long press in a free space or by a pinch-in gesture on the screen.

Nokia 8 – Customize home screen • widgets • wallpapers • Overview of open apps • Multi-window / Split Screen

The task switcher or recent apps view appears as standard Android rolodex with snapshots of background apps that you can swipe away to close. A cross button is also provided on each snapshot. All apps can be closed with a single tap on “Clear All” at the end of the list.

Split screen can be initiated by a long-tap on “recent apps” key when a compatible app is already open. The feature is only better to use in on high-resolution displays and Nokia 8 has that display.

Status bar and Notifications

The top status bar is the stock one that you can pull out by swiping down. It’s the two-step pull-down panel with a quick set of toggles and the notification below them. The second swipe-down on the panel will expand the quick toggles section to provide more options with more glance. In addition, you also get access to the brightness controller. However you can not turn on/off the adaptive/auto brightness. For that you have to go to settings > display.

Nokia 8 – Notifications and Toggles with dark theme

The quick actions or toggles can be customized right from there by editing them and adding or removing them. Standard Android “users” feature is also available on Nokia 8 and can be reached right from the status bar. More options are available in “Settings” app.

Bright background and Light theme

As appeared the above theme is dark but it’s based on background you choose. If you select a background with light and bright colors, the theme will be switched to light colors.

Nokia 8 – Light and Bright theme

Add-on Gestures & Motions

Like Nokia 6  or 5, there are some gestures and motions which can be accessed from Settings > Accessibility in Nokia 8 as well. Only a couple options of “Mute on pickup” and “Turn over to reject call”.

Glance Screen

Now say welcome to the popular Glance Screen of Nokia, once appeared in Symbian and MeeGo, then transitioned to Windows Phone. Now it’s back on Nokia running Android operating system. Previously, it had required an AMOLED display to work with, but HMD seems to have managed the feature on IPS panel of Nokia 8. Hence it’s limited to operate continuously and default timeout value is 1 minute. However if you want, you can set it up to 20 minutes.

It’s the idle timeout of the glance screen before it disappears. The glance screen will appear sooner after your phone goes into standby mode, or you press the power button to put it down. If your phone stays static for the set time period (default 1 minute), the glance screen will disappear automatically. It will reappear with a slight movement, such as if you pick the phone up.

The auto turn-off of the Glance Screen is there to conserve battery. Remember it’s an IPS display, when it’s on, it has to be all-on. That is, all the pixels remain active with black color, unlike the AMOLED display that used to turn on only the used pixels while having the remaining pixels pure black (off). You can easily observe the difference when you are in a fully dark room and the Nokia 8’s Glance Screen is active. You will see the whole screen popping some light out if it. With AMOLED displays, that’s not the case.