Nokia 8 release date, specs news: flagship smartphone leaked in CES 2017 video; to be made official in February?

Georgia Gana Friday, January 13, 2017

A promotional image of the Nokia 6. HMD Global is expected to officially introduce its flagship smartphone, the Nokia 8, next month. | Nokia

Nokia is not wasting any time with its goal to return to the mobile phone arena this year. Despite having recently unveiled the Nokia 6, HMD Global is planning to introduce another Android-powered device in the coming weeks. Unlike the midrange Nokia 6, the upcoming smartphone called Nokia 8, also known as Nokia Supreme, is touted to be the brand's flagship device.

While reports initially expected the Nokia 8 to debut at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February, apparently, the device was already showcased at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month. A video of the device taken at the annual trade show has provided tech enthusiasts a sneak peek at the Nokia 8's design and specifications.

According to the video, HMD Global will offer two variants of the Nokia 8. The first model will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 6 GB of random-access memory (RAM), a 24-megapixel (MP) rear camera with optical and electronic image stabilization, a 12 MP front snapper and dual front-facing speakers. There will be two built-in storage options: 64 GB and 128 GB. A microSD card slot will also be available for expanded memory.

Meanwhile, not a lot of details have been revealed for the second model apart from having a Snapdragon 821 chip and 4 GB of RAM. It is expected to be a more affordable version of the Nokia 8.

In terms of design, the Nokia 8 will feature the same unibody metal design seen in the Nokia 6. It also does not seem to have any physical buttons on the front panel.

Previous reports about the Nokia 8 also suggest a 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The upcoming smartphone will also most likely come preinstalled with the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.

Despite the earlier reveal of the Nokia 8, HMD Global has announced that it will make more announcements on Feb. 26, a day before MWC 2017. The Finnish company is also expected to introduce up to five new smartphones at the mobile industry exhibition and conference.