Imaging company DxOMark known for its in-depth reviews of mobile cameras harshly criticized the first Android flagship offering from HMD Global as part of its recent look at the two-sensor setup of the Nokia 8. The French company awarded the Nokia 8 an overall camera score of 68 and gave the same number of points on its infinite absolute scale to the video capabilities of the device, whereas its photo-taking performance was rated at 72, well below the high 90s given to a number of 2017 Android flagships like the Google Pixel 2 (XL) and Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro.
DxOMark criticized the camera of the Nokia 8 in most aspects, claiming the smartphone can only take “decent” images in extremely well-lit scenarios which would be unsurprising for mid-range and entry-level offerings but below what the company and most consumers are expecting in the context of premium Android devices. Even in broad daylight, the Nokia 8 struggles with capturing noise-free images in any areas of plain color such as grass fields or roads, whereas the general level of detail offered by its camera is also relatively low regardless of the lighting conditions, according to the review. DxOMark wasn’t impressed with the flagship’s performance in poor lighting conditions, citing image noise, color shading, and low details as consistently recurring issues in such scenarios. Various artifacts were also a problem with photographs whose subjects were relatively close to the smartphone, especially around their edges as the Nokia 8 was often found to be struggling with separating them from the background, especially in conjunction with the otherwise solid bokeh mode, the company said.
While the device supports 2x optical zoom, its already poor detail retention suffers even more when trying to use one of its Carl Zeiss lenses at a focal length that’s anything higher than the minimal one, the review states. The camera still manages to deliver accurate exposure and white balance in most circumstances and boasts precise color rendering while recording but is ultimately a disappointment for a premium Android device, DxOMark concluded. The successor to the Nokia 8 known as the Nokia 8 (2018) is rumored to be launching later this month together with a more bezel-less premium smartphone from the Finnish company which is expected to be advertised as the Nokia 9.