The slim, aluminium-body phones are chiseled from single blocks of a 6000 series alloy in a precision machining process, then delivered in a polished mirror finish in gray, copper and two blues. The company says there are 40 stages in the process for making and finishing the aluminium bodies.

The phone measures 151.5 millimeters by 73.7 millimeters by 7.9 millimeters, which helps it to fit well in the palm of a user's hand, and it sports a 134.6 millimeter screen. Nokia 8 weighs in at 160 grams, so it's fairly light – although, by comparison, slightly heavier than the iPhone 7. It runs on the Android 7.1.1 operating system with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile platform and 4G of RAM, so it looks capable of delivering on the power it promises – but that comes with a price tag of USD$705 on global average. While there were no plans originally to release the phones in the United States and China, the latest word is that HMD Global does plan to release a custom version, at least in China, in early in 2018.

Among the most intriguing features on all of the Nokia 8 phones is the split-screen "bothie" camera. The user can activate both the front and rear cameras for simultaneous video and images – as is the case with some Samsung and LG models – but the user also can livestream to Facebook or YouTube directly from the camera. That's an attractive option for people who frequently broadcast or cover live events.

"We know that fans are creating and sharing live content more than ever before, with millions of photos and videos shared every minute on social media," says Juho Sarvikas, the Chief Product Officer for HMD Global. "People are inspired by the content they consume and are looking for new ways to create their own." The flagship Nokia 8, Sarvikas adds, is intentionally designed to meet consumers' visual demands.

The cameras rely on Carl Zeiss optics, which reestablishes a partnership between the two firms that defined smartphone camera technology a decade ago. Past collaborations saw the two companies create the first multi-megapixel mobile phone, and innovations reflected in the Nokia Nseries as well as those featuring Nokia PureView technologies, HMD says. The new partnership is reflected in the Nokia 8 optics, but it is planned as a renewed long-term relationship to introduce future optics features too.

The Nokia 8 screen is getting high marks for its clarity, color accuracy and brightness. The latter comes in at 663cd/m2, which is more than adequate to ensure visibility even in the glare of direct sunlight.

There's also a boost in the audio, which relies on the Ozo technology previously used in Nokia's virtual reality camera. The Ozo Audio allows for videos with 360-degree sound to complement the live images. The Nokia 8 is loaded with sensors too. They include an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, accelerometer, the e-compass, a gyroscope, a fingerprint sensor, a hall sensor and a barometer. The connectivity options include a standard Type C USB 3.1 Gen 1 port running 5Gbps.

All in all, the aluminium-clad Nokia 8 appears every bit the phone the company has long promised – but there are still a few features that are missing. The phone is splashproof but it's not waterproof, which may be a limitation for some users. There's also no wireless charging option, something consumers are increasingly coming to expect and the company may wish to revisit in future versions.

Banner image: Journal du Geek