Johannesburg - The Nokia 8 has been launched into the South African market as the first flagship device under HMD Global.
At a launch event, HMD Global southern Africa general manager Shaun Durandt said the device would be available exclusively from Vodacom on contract from R449, and at a recommended retail price of R9 499 - making it one of the cheapest high-end devices in South Africa.
The device features a 13 megapixel selfie camera and dual 13 megapixel camera on the rear.
The Nokia 8 brings three world firsts to Android smartphones, including a debut collaboration with ZEISS optics, a "Bothie" feature and enabling Dual-Sight video to be live-streamed natively. The Nokia 8 is the first smartphone to feature Nokia OZO Audio.
OZO spatial 360° is Hollywood audio technology that produces immersive audio experience to 4K video captured by the device.
The smartphone is also powered by the Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform, which optimises performance of the 3090mAh battery.
This is Nokia's biggest launch since the revamped 3310 mobile phone brought to South Africa earlier this year.
After HMD acquired Nokia's licensing rights, the focus of the company shifted to producing a device with no internet access, while the company relied on love for the brand to spark the nostalgia of its customers – making it no surprise that Nokia’s most popular cellphone would be re-released.
The 3310 was seen as the drawcard into other offerings from the manufacturer, such as the Nokia 8.
@Fin24 the #Nokia8 will retail for R449 from Vodacom with a cash price tag of R9499. pic.twitter.com/02ZDBDXy0u
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
@Fin24 the #Nokia8 features a #Bothie function that allows capturing of photos and videos using the front and rear camera simultaneously pic.twitter.com/dEZlPDR59U
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
@fin24 HMD Global Product Head for SSA Patrick Henchie says the #Nokia8 is one of the most powerful Android devices in SA at the moment. pic.twitter.com/gSwIUzCFbz
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
@fin24 HMD Global Southern Africa GM @durand_s introduces the #Nokia8 as the new flagship device. pic.twitter.com/dp1X045VIh
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
@Fin24 the #Nokia8 will be available today from Vodacom exclusively. pic.twitter.com/0tWkyuqhqw
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
@Fin24 The #Nokia8 features a 13 megapixel dual camera on the rear and a 13 megapixel selfie camera. pic.twitter.com/j2tsvsCUZY
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
@fin24 @MyNews24 HMD Global have announced the launch of the #Nokia8 to South Africa. pic.twitter.com/bJj9C6LdjO
— Kyle Venktess (@KyleVenktess) September 7, 2017
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