HMD Global, the Nokia phone manufacturer had unveiled its latest flagship Nokia 8 back in August. The phone was launched in India back in September. The phone is the first flagship from the company and features high-end features like dual camera and a Snapdragon 835 processor. The device is priced at Rs. 36,999 in India.
On the other hand, another leading smartphone company Samsung had launched its latest Note series phone, the Galaxy Note 8 back in August. The Galaxy Note 8 comes with premium features and specifications and also premium pricing. If we talk about pricing, you can buy Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy Note 8 for Rs. 67,900 for the 64GB model.
Both the Nokia 8 and Galaxy Note 8 have a lot to offer in terms of features and specifications. These flagships attract different types of customers, depending on the features. So, between the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 which device is the best and offers more value for your money? Let’s find out!
Nokia 8 Vs Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Specifications
| Key Specifications | Nokia 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
| Display | 5.3-inch IPS LCD | 6.3-inch Super AMOLED |
| Screen Resolution | 1,440 x 2,560 pixels | 2,960 x 1,440 pixels |
| Operating System | Android 7.1.1 Nougat | Android 7.1.1 Nougat |
| Processor | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| Chipset | Snapdragons 835 | Exynos 8895 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 | Mali-G71 MP20 |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB |
| Internal Storage | 64 | 64GB/128GB/256GB |
| Expandable Storage | Yes, up to 256GB | Yes, up to 256GB |
| Primary Camera | Dual: 13 MP, f/2.0, laser & phase detection autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, OIS, dual-LED (dual tone) flash | Dual 12 MP (26mm, f/1.7, PDAF & 52mm, f/2.4, AF), OIS, autofocus, 2x optical zoom, LED flash |
| Secondary Camera | 13 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus | 8 MP, f/1.7, autofocus |
| Video Recording | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps |
| Battery | 3,090mAh | 3,300mAh |
| 4G VoLTE | Yes | Yes |
| Sim Card Type | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Dimensions | 151.5 x 73.7 x 7.9 mm | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm |
| Weight | 160 g | 195 g |
| Price | Rs. 36,999 | Rs. 67,900 |
Design and Display
Nokia 8 despite being a flagship phone, doesn’t follow the latest trend of taller aspect ratio display with smaller bezels, which makes its design a little obsolete these days. The Nokia 8 with its metal unibody design sports a 5.3-inch QHD IPS LCD display with a 2560×1440 pixels resolution. Nokia has used capacitive navigation buttons to make use of the bottom bezel.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has got the curved edge-to-edge display which means it has a similarly-sized overall footprint with minimal bezels. It comes with a 6.3-inch QHD Super AMOLED display with a higher resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 looks a lot more premium in terms of design and display.
Both the phones support Always-On Display feature. However, if we do the comparison between both the flagships, overall, Galaxy Note 8 seems to surpass the Nokia 8. With a bigger display, higher screen resolution and curved glass display, the Galaxy Note 8 looks more premium than the Nokia 8.
Hardware and Storage
The Nokia 8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with an Adreno 540 GPU. Memory wise, it offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Galaxy Note 8 has the same processor in the US, however, in India, it comes with Samsung’s own Exynos 8895 chipset, which is kind of similar to Snapdragon 835 in terms of performance. The Galaxy Note 8 packs 6GB RAM and offers up to 256GB of storage. Both the phones come with a microSD card slot for expandable storage up to 256GB.
Coming to the comparison, once again Galaxy Note 8 is a winner because of extra 2GB RAM.
Camera
In terms of the camera, HMD Global has opted for a dual camera setup for its first flagship. It comes with two cameras featuring Carl Zeiss optics – a 13MP RGB sensor and a 13MP monochrome sensor with f/2.0 aperture, Phase and Laser detection autofocus, OIS, dual tone dual LED flash, 1.12µm pixel size, and 4K video recording support. On the front, it has 13MP camera with f/2.0 aperture.
The Galaxy Note 8, on the other hand, is also the first Samsung phone to feature a dual rear camera setup. It sports two 12MP sensors with a f/1.7 aperture on the wide-angle lens and f/2.4 aperture on the telephoto lens. Notably, there is OIS in both the lenses, which is a first time for any smartphone. The Note 8 dual cameras offer a good bokeh effect. For the front camera Galaxy Note 8 comes with an 8MP sensor and f/1.7 aperture.
Now, if we compare both the cameras, as for the rear cameras, it is still difficult to say which has an edge over the other. On papers, Nokia 8’s camera packs very good features, and Galaxy Note also has a good dual camera setup. We can safely say there is a tie in term of optics between both the phones.
Software
In terms of software, the Nokia 8 was launched with Android Nougat 7.1 out of the box. However, just last week, the Nokia 8 started receiving Google’s latest Android version Oreo 8.0 as promised by the company. On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 8 was also launched with Android Nougat and Samsung’s software experience on top. It will also be updated to Android Oreo in the near future, however, there is no sign of that as of now.
So, in terms of software comparison, Nokia 8 takes the lead with the latest stock Android experience.
Battery
Nokia 8 features a 3,090mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support. After the Galaxy Note 7 battery issues, Samsung hasn’t put a big battery in the Note 8. It has a 3,300mAh battery that supports fast charging and wireless charging as well.
Overall, in terms of battery, there is no big difference, and it is not a decisive point here.
Other features
Nokia 8 is the first phone that offers a ‘Bothie’ feature which means that you can use both front and rear cameras simultaneously for split-screen photos and videos. Further, there is Nokia OZO spatial 360° audio technology that lets you experience good sound quality with less background noise in 4K videos. Nokia 8 is IP54 rated which means it is splash proof.
If we talk about other features, the Galaxy Note 8 comes with its S Pen which can be used to make notes, drawings, translate sentences, and much more. The Note 8’s S-Pen also brings a few tweaks over the last year such as being able to save screen off memos up to 100 pages, send gif-like live messages etc. The Note 8 has IP67 certification for dust and water resistance.
On comparing these features, Galaxy Note 8 again seems a winner with a lot more premium features and is also the water resistant.
Price
The Galaxy Note 8 price starts at Rs. 67,900 in India. While the Nokia 8 doesn’t cost that much and its price in India starts at Rs. 36,999.
It’s noticeable that Nokia 8 wins the price war. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with an S Pen, and 2GB of extra RAM, and bigger display, which make it more premium, but, still there is a huge difference between both the device’s prices.
Conclusion
Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 compete in some areas like hardware and camera very closely. On the one hand, the Galaxy Note 8 looks more modern with its curved display and smaller bezels, but the Nokia 8 has the same old design. Overall, in terms of design and display, the Galaxy Note 8 is the winner.
In terms of the software, Nokia is easily ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, thanks to the latest Android 8.0 Oreo update. If we talk about hardware, Exynos and Snapdragon 835 are not quite different, but the Note 8’s extra 2GB of RAM makes it a winner here. As for the cameras, it’s hard to decide which phone has the better camera without further testing.
So, overall the extra 2GB RAM, curved glass Super AMOLED display with higher resolution with bezel-less design, brings Galaxy Note 8 ahead of Nokia 8. However, if we talk about the pricing, Nokia 8 is an excellent device and one of the best options in its price range.
