Nokia 8 Sirocco to disrupt premium smartphone segment in India

To create ripples in 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 that run Android One -- the unmodified Android operating system (OS).

HMD Global that has the license to sell Nokia-branded smartphones also announced the launch of Nokia "Mobile Shop" -- its own online shop for all Nokia handsets and accessories in India.

Made out of a single block of stainless steel, the premium 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.

Highlighting the importance of Indian market for Nokia, Pekka Rantala, Chief Marketing Officer, HMD Global, said: "We are truly running a worldwide business now. We are serious about consumers in India, including those using feature phones.

"Nokia become the number one feature phone player in terms of value in past one year," Rantala added.

The third device, Nokia 6 (2018), will be available for Rs 16,999 and consumers can buy the devices from April 6.

"Being part of the Android One family, these Nokia smartphones further emphasize our strong commitment to pure, secure and up-to-date Android," said Pranav Shroff, Director, Global Portfolio Strategy and Planning, HMD Global.

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.

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 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.

--IANS

ksc-sku/na/mr