Earlier today, HMD Global, the company that is manufacturing smartphones with the Nokia brand on them, sent out invitations for an event it plans on hosting in London on August 16. That's not too far from now, and the expectation is that the company will be unveiling the Nokia 8 -- their first flagship, high-end Android device.

We've already seen what HMD and Nokia can put together with previous mid-range handsets, like the recently released Nokia 6, but as one might imagine, it's the high-end, flagship phone that has a lot of people talking. It's not a secret by any stretch of the imagination that the smartphone market is a competitive one, especially at the flagship level, and Nokia has an uphill battle in front of it.

Can that recognizable brand name help?

That's a question that is going to be put to the test in the near future. Nokia was once a company at the front of the pack when it came to smartphones manufacturers, but it's definitely lost some of that presence over the years. Adopting Android for its smartphones may help it in the long run, especially in emerging markets where its low- and mid-range handsets can pick up attention, but moving into the high-end market will be a tough sell.

And it doesn't even really have anything to do with Apple, even if that competition will technically still be present. Nokia and HMD are going to have to go up against Samsung, Motorola (which is announcing a new high-end phone today), LG, and a surging HTC. The Android market for high-end phones has always been busy and worthwhile for those who love options, and Nokia won't have any easy go of it.

But, the rumor mill has told us the Nokia 8 will pack all the essentials. A relatively big (enough) display with a high resolution, plenty of RAM, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and even two cameras on the back with Carl Zeiss optics. If the leaked images of the device are real, it will be a nice looking handset, too. There's a lot to like from what we've heard so far.

Has it grabbed your attention up to this point? If you've been watching you've probably heard enough about the upcoming Nokia 8 to put together an opinion of the handset. And now that we know it's scheduled to be unveiled on August 16, and probably launched to the public soon after that, I have to ask: Are you considering the Nokia 8 to be your next daily driver at all? Do you think Nokia can go up against the heavy hitters at the flagship level? Let me know!