Exclusive: Nokia 8 gets SA price, cheapest flagship in market?

HMD’s Nokia-branded smartphones seem to have received a very welcome reception globally and in South Africa, with its budget devices attracting plenty of attention. But all eyes were on the Nokia 8 last week, being the first flagship as part of the new arrangement.

We already confirmed ahead of its reveal that the phone would be coming to South Africa in September, making for a swift launch. But what about pricing?

Cellucity has come to the table once again, confirming to Gearburn that the device would have a prepaid price tag just below R10 000.

“The recommended retail price will be R9499.00,” Cellucity marketing manager Gavin Geldenhuys said in response to an emailed query.

Of course, the retailer’s price might differ ever so slightly compared to the manufacturer’s own RRP, as seen with the BlackBerry KeyOne.

The Nokia 8 will come to South Africa at a price far below other high-end smartphones

Contract pricing will start at R449 per month on Vodacom’s uChoose Flexi 150, Geldenhuys added.

The Nokia 8 is currently available to preorder on the retailer’s website, listing a 7 September release date.

How does it stack up to other flagships in South Africa though? Well, it looks like the cheapest phone with a high-end Snapdragon 835 processor, besting the R14 000+ Sony Xperia XZ Premium. It also comes in under the Galaxy S8, LG G6, BlackBerry KeyOne (if you can call it a flagship) and Huawei P10.

The one dark horse might be the OnePlus 5 though, with Takealot expected to bring stock to the country. The OnePlus 3 launched for R10 999, so it’s reasonable to expect a similar or slightly higher price.