Nokia 7.1 review | TechSwitch

Since being rebooted below the watchful eye of HMD International, the Nokia model has been connected to some very strong, value-for-money handsets – suppose first rate specs at a good value, and a clear, inventory model of Android as well.With the Nokia 7.1, this slightly interesting mid-range excellence is being pushed even additional. However simply how good can a telephone at a mid-range value be? Truly slightly good, the Nokia 7.1 whispers, with its enticing design, competent specs, and spectacular digital camera.Not everybody needs to shell out 4 figures (or near it) for a smartphone, after all, and nowadays you may get some slightly succesful telephones for some slightly interesting costs, with the Nokia 7.1 being one such handset.As for the place this slots in to Nokia’s more and more sophisticated vary, it is newer however cheaper than the Nokia 7 Plus. That is successfully Nokia’s new champion mid-ranger, with solely the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia eight fashions (such because the Nokia eight Sirocco) above it by way of energy and status.Nokia 7.1 value and launch dateYours for a mere £299 within the UK and $349 within the USOn sale from November 2018You should purchase the Nokia 7.1 unlocked for £299 within the UK, $349 within the US, and AU$499 in Australia, with delivery getting underway in early November.Even for a telephone that is unashamedly mid-range, that is a low value – it is veering not removed from funds territory. Once you suppose that Apple’s latest iPhone XS telephones begin the bidding at £999/$999, you are speaking a couple of massive value hole between the very top-end flagships of 2018 and what we have now right here with the Nokia 7.1.Your alternative of colours relies on your market – midnight blue (like our overview mannequin) is offered all over the place, with some areas (together with the US and Australia) stocking a grey silver choice as effectively.Mid-range qualityYou get lots in your moneyMiddling specs however very good packageWhat you really want to learn about this telephone is that it punches above its weight – it is weight being that price ticket, the so-so Snapdragon 636 chipset inside, and the just-enough 3GB or 4GB of RAM. You get 32GB or 64GB of inner storage, although you’ll be able to increase that with a reminiscence card. These choices range by area.The place it goes past what you’ll count on from a mid-range telephone is within the high quality of its construct, the standard of the show, and the standard of the digital camera. We will focus on all of those options in additional element within the overview that follows, however they’re the areas that the Nokia 7.1 stands out in.The HDR10 help on the show is value noting, because it means superior distinction and a broader vary of colours on the apps that help it (which embody Netflix and Amazon Prime Video).On the digital camera facet, a dual-lens rear digital camera is matched with a single-lens front-facing one, and the model continues its #bothie push – that’s, taking snaps that embody pictures from each the entrance and rear digital camera concurrently. It is but to show right into a craze, but when it does turn into well-liked, the Nokia 7.1 has you coated.Talking of the explanation why you may perhaps wish to choose this telephone up, it is also necessary to notice that that is an Android One telephone – meaning inventory Android, free from pointless tweaks and undesirable bloatware, and with a assure of speedy updates sooner or later.You get two years of Android updates and three years of safety patches assured with an Android One telephone.Whereas our overview unit was working Android eight Oreo, we’re instructed the Android 9 Pie replace is imminent, as certainly it ought to be on an Android One handset.The Nokia 7.1 in all probability will not win any design awards or any benchmark exams, however perhaps your subsequent smartphone would not should. What we do get here’s a successful mixture of value, energy, specs and options – that is what a mid-range telephone ought to be.Not every part is ideal concerning the Nokia 7.1 although. The battery life disappoints, and the specs that we talked about earlier imply the handset would not precisely race by way of duties like switching between apps or working the newest video games. There is no waterproofing right here, and no wi-fi charging, to assist preserve prices down.Most telephones are made up of some compromises although, and the Nokia 7.1 will get most of them proper.Design and displayTall, brilliant, responsive displayQuality if unimaginative designThe Nokia 7.1 would not ooze the premium high quality of one thing just like the iPhone XS, however we’re a fan of the design nonetheless. It takes the now-standard glass sandwich method, with aluminum edges across the sides, and a 5.84-inch, 19:9 facet ratio show – the 1,080 x 2,280 decision provides you a really respectable 432 pixels-per-inch.There is a notch right here, which is comparatively chunky, and a backside chin that is slightly thick and makes this very clearly a mid-range handset.It did not offend our eyes an excessive amount of although – general it is a handsome telephone back and front, although we want telephone makers would prioritize rear cameras with no bump once more. It scores factors for its properly chamfered edges, with out an angled nook in sight.Check out the marginally costlier Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 7.1 clearly loses, with out the additional metallic accents and the tender matte backing, however each a part of this telephone is concerning the stability between value and high quality – and it is a stability that the Nokia 7.1 will get proper a lot as a rule.We discovered the LCD show brilliant, sharp and completely good for watching films or checking by way of emails (that 19:9 facet ratio actually provides you quite a lot of scrolling room). Colours are vibrant and clear, and you might be fooled into considering it is a show from a way more costly telephone.In use the display screen is punchy and interesting, although this being an LCD show, it may be tough to view in brilliant daylight (that is a problem different LCD screens battle with too, after all). General, from internet pages to pictures, it actually impresses, much more than the looks of the telephone as an entire.So far as the remainder of the design goes, we’re much less positive concerning the quantity buttons above the facility button (a Nokia staple), or about them being so excessive on the right-hand facet – it makes it laborious to regulate the amount in portrait mode.We did discover ourselves getting extra used to the format because the week went on, so little doubt it is one thing it is potential to get adjusted to ultimately.You aren’t getting something fancy like an in-screen fingerprint scanner – the fingerprint scanner is across the again, as regular. With a thickness of 8mm it is also barely chunkier than a few of the finest telephones round, although you are probably not going to note the distinction.