Many know me as a person keenly promoting Xiaomi smartphones, but with Xiaomi slowly removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from their latest line-up, as well as their insistence of not making waterproof smartphones, I am appalled to switch brands because my love of Xiaomi smartphones is largely due to its pricing and the MiUI operating software which was better than other tweaked Android versions out there.
While Xiaomi remains cheaper than most brands offering similar specifications, their awesome MIUI is replaceable for now.
You see, in 2017, Xiaomi decided to join the AndroidOne program and this introduced a clean Android version into the Xiaomi smartphone lineup through the MiA1.
ABOUT ANDROIDONE
The introduction of AndroidOne by Xiaomi gave me an insight of what pure Android feels like.
While the MIUI does gives Xiaomi smartphones an edge over other Android smartphones, AndroidOne feels really light and snappy, being the base version of Android with no bloatware. Don’t get me wrong, the MIUI is great, but like any other tweaked Android out there, there is flaws with the MIUI.
With AndroidOne, you need to seek apps you want and need and this maybe time consuming to some.
However, AndroidOne would also get updates for three years from the phone release date, hence making it good to be used until the full three years is up.
WHY THE NOKIA 8 SIROCCO?
You see, before this, most AndroidOne phones were of the lower tier of the smartphone range, and it was a bit ‘old fashioned’, made to cater for emerging markets with lower pricing in mind.
However, the Nokia 8 Sirocco which was introduced at the MWC 2018 is different. It bonds well with today’s trendy smartphone design, and packs mid-range specifications worth to notice.
The entry of the Nokia 8 Sirocco would also mark the entry of mid-range smartphones into the AndroidOne program with the phone itself carved out of a single piece of stainless steel, and utilizes a Full 3D Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 which is not only dust, but splash proof. I am a clumsy person, so that splash proof does come in handy.
Adding to the ‘premium side’ of the phone is the 6GB of RAM which is paired nicely with 128GB of internal storage and a good 3260mAh battery which supports wireless charging.
If those ain’t good reasons to choose the Nokia 8 Sirocco, then how about the dual primary cameras which comes with a dual-tone flash?
These cameras can’t match the aperture speed of the Samsung Galaxy S9 but the 12 MP Wide, and 13 MP Tele primary cameras with ZEISS optics and optical zoom, should count for something when it comes to photography, right?
Of course the Nokia 8 Sirocco isn’t without it’s flaws. It does spot an older Snapdragon 835 processor, and does away with the 3.5mm audio jack, but an older processor does mean more stability as it’s proven, and there’s always wireless headphones like the Xiaomi Sports Earbuds which cost less than RM100.
Either way, I am personally excited about the Nokia 8 Sirocco, and I will be following it’s progress closely, and did I mention I also loved the name ‘Sirocco’?
