Samsung Galaxy A8s vs. Oppo R17 Pro vs. Nokia 8.1: Features, Specs, Price

The Nokia 8.1 recently launched in the Indian market on 10 December and it is a new addition to the mid-range mobile portfolio of HMD Global. The Indian market has also welcomed some new mid-range smartphones as well such as the Oppo R17 Pro while Samsung just debuted the Galaxy A8s in the Chinese market.

The Oppo R17 Pro

The three above smartphones all pack a Snapdragon 710 SoC as well as a large battery and run the latest Android 9.0 Pie. Since they are all come from popular brands in the same segment, we decided to make a detailed comparison of these phones regarding their specs and price to see which phone will come out on top.

Samsung Galaxy A8s vs. Oppo R17 Pro vs. Nokia 8.1: Design and Display

The Samsung Galaxy A8s

While these three smartphones all feature a metal and glass design, the Samsung Galaxy A8s seems to have an edge to be the most modern one. While the Oppo R17 has a water-drop notch, there is a wider one on the Nokia 8.1’s display. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A8s has the new Infinity-O display which allows the phone to have a modern bezel-less display. At the back, the Oppo R17 has the best design with a very attractive look. Generally speaking, I would say the Galaxy A8s is the winner regarding the design.

The Oppo R17 Pro has a very attractive finish at the back

In the display department, on the Galaxy A8s, Samsung opts for a 6.4-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD with a display hole for the front camera with a very modern look. Meanwhile, the Nokia 8.1 comes with a 6.18-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD PureDisplay, 500 nits brightness, and HDR10 though it comes with a wider notch compared to just a small hole on the A8s. Finally, the Oppo handset packs a 6.4-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel with Corning Gorilla Glass 6. While the Samsung and Nokia both only have an LCD, Oppo uses an AMOLED on its Oppo R17. Therefore, we think the Oppo device is the winner in the display department.

The Nokia 8.1 has the widest notch among the three phones

Samsung Galaxy A8s vs. Oppo R17 Pro vs. Nokia 8.1: Performance, Software, and Battery

The Nokia 8.1 is also behind in the storage and RAM department

All of the three smartphones are powered by the same Snapdragon 710 SoC, but there are differences in the RAM as well as internal storage. While the Samsung and Oppo handsets are packed with 8GB of RAM/128GB of storage, the Nokia 8.1 comes with half the RAM and storage which are 4GB of RAM/64GB of storage. However, the Galaxy A8s and Nokia 8.1 run the latest Android 9.0 Pie while the OS running on the Oppo R17 is Android 8.1 Oreo.

The Galaxy A8s come packed with more features over the other two

Nokia smartphones generally get software updates earlier, but the Samsung Galaxy A8s comes packed with more features so it would be up to buyers to decide which phone is better. Therefore, this should be a tie between the Samsung and Nokia handset.

The Oppo R17 Pro once again is the winner with a 3,700 mAh battery and Super Vooc fast charging

In terms of battery, the Galaxy device is backed by a 3,400 mAh battery, while the Nokia 8.1 and Oppo R17 Pro have a 3,500 and 3,700 mAh batteries, respectively. You can easily see that the Oppo phone has the highest battery capacity. But not just that, Oppo also opts for its new fast charging tech called Super VooC. Therefore, this should be a win for the Oppo R17 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy A8s vs. Oppo R17 Pro vs. Nokia 8.1: Camera

Both the Galaxy A8s and Oppo R17 Pro feature a triple rear camera setup. However, the camera system on the Oppo phone is more interesting due to its OIS, 3D Time of Flight camera sensor and dual-pixel PDAF.

Galaxy A8s's camera setup

The Galaxy A8s features a 24MP f1.7 main sensor with support for 4K video recording and PDAF and a 5MP f2.2 depth sensor as well as a 10MP ultra wide sensor with autofocus. Meanwhile, the Oppo device’s camera setup includes a 12MP (dual f1.5& f2.4, 1.4-micron) main sensor with OIS, 4K video recording and dual-pixel autofocus. There are also a 20MP f2.6 sensor with autofocus and a third TOF sensor in the Oppo R17 Pro’s camera system. Finally, the Nokia 8.1 comes with a dual rear camera setup, comprising of a 12MP camera with 1/2.55-inch sensor, 1.4-micron pixels, OIS, EIS, 4k video recording and dual-pixel phase-detection autofocus.

Oppo R17 Pro's camera setup

Overall, the Oppo phone should have the best rear camera system of the three.

Oppo has been known for making phones with quality selfie cameras

On the front, both the Oppo and Samsung come with a 24MP selfie camera, while the Nokia 8.1 comes packed with a 20MP front camera. Despite having a similar front camera setup, the Oppo phone can deliver higher quality selfies, and the Chinese company has also been well-known for making good selfie smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy A8s vs. Oppo R17 Pro vs. Nokia 8.1: Price in India

The Samsung A8s just released in China but Samsung has mentioned neither its pricing nor release date for the Indian market. We believe it should be priced at around Rs. 35,000 since the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018)’s price is Rs. 36,999. Meanwhile, both of the Oppo R17 Pro and Nokia 8.1 are available to purchase in India for Rs. 45,990 and Rs. 26,999, respectively.

The Nokia 8.1 undoubtedly has an edge in the price aspect as it has a significantly lower price in comparison with the other two mid-range phones.

Oppo R17 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy A8s vs. Nokia 8.1: Which Phone Is The Best?

After going through the critical aspects of these three handsets, the Oppo R17 Pro seems to have the upper hand as it wins in most of the departments. However, it is worth noting that the Oppo R17 Pro is Rs. 20,000 more expensive than the Nokia 8.1 and most likely has a higher price than the Galaxy A8s as well. Therefore, it will come down to how much users want to pay for a smartphone.

If you are looking for a phone with an affordable price and offering high value for the money, you should go for the Nokia 8.1.