Nokia 8 Sirocco launched in India; set to disrupt premium smartphone segment

To disrupt the premium smartphone market in India, Finnish company HMD Global on Wednesday unveiled its flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco, along with two other mid-segment devices Nokia 6 and Nokia 7 plus with Android One operating system (OS). Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available for Rs 49,999 while Nokia 7 Plus is priced at Rs 25,999. Pre-booking of both the devices will start from April 20. The new Nokia 6 will be available for Rs 16,999 and consumers can buy the devices from April 6. 

"We are delighted to bring to India three new award-winning smartphones -- Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 plus and Nokia 6 -- each with a very distinct proposition and catering to different consumer segments & price-points," Pranav Shroff, Director, Global Portfolio Strategy & Planning, HMD Global, told reporters here. "Being part of the Android One family, these Nokia smartphones further emphasize our strong commitment to pure, secure and up-to-date Android," he added. Nokia 8 Sirocco has premium features like enhanced Dual-Sight, ZEISS optics and tuned acoustics with Nokia spatial audio. Available in black colour, Nokia 8 Sirocco has dual rear sensors with ZEISS optics. 

The wide angle primary camera claims to deliver impressive low-light performance and a secondary 13MP sensor has 2x optical zoom. Nokia 7 plus has dual rear sensors with ZEISS optics, 12MP wide-angle primary camera and a secondary 13MP camera that delivers 2x optical zoom. Nokia 7 plus is backed by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 mobile platform.  Nokia 6 has 2.5D display with damage-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 mobile platform.

HMD Global also announced the launch of "Nokia Phones Shop" -- an online platform for all Nokia devices and accessories in the country. "Today, we are taking the next significant step forward with the launch of three new Nokia Android smartphones. In 2018, we will continue to strengthen our presence in the country," said Ajey Mehta, Vice President India, HMD Global.

"In 2018, we will continue to strengthen our presence in the country," Mehta added.