Overview

HMD Global has launched the Nokia 6.1 Plus in India, which was launched in China as the Nokia X6. The phone is a part of the Android One initiative and runs a stock build of Android 8.1 Oreo. It has a 19:9 display, dual rear camera setup and a glass and metal design. The phone has been launched in India for Rs. 15,999, and competes with the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1, among others.

Nokia has also launched the Nokia 7 Plus smartphone which features a 6-inch display, Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor, Adreno 512, and runs Android 8.1 (Oreo).

Design

The Nokia 6.1 Plus has a glass back and front with an aluminium frame. It is available in Gloss White, Gloss Midnight Blue, and Gloss Black colours. The left of the Nokia 6.1 Plus has the SIM tray and on the right side of the device is the volume rocker and power button. It has a 5.8-inch full-HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19:9 and supports Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection against scratches.

Camera

In terms of optics, the Nokia 6.1 Plus has a 16 MP primary camera with an aperture of f/2.0, and a 5 MP monochrome secondary camera with an aperture of f/2.4. On the front, you will get the 16 MP fixed-focus camera with an aperture of f/2.0. The phone has a dual-LED flash at the back. The camera comes with a Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama shot, and HDR for clicking images.

Performance

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor. The smartphone is a part of the Android One initiative and runs a stock build of Android 8.1 Oreo which Google has assured will get regular updates.

It has a Fingerprint (rear-mounted) sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, and a compass.

Storage and Battery

It is backed by a non-removable 3,060mAh battery with a fast battery charging 18W (Quick Charge 3.0). The phone comes with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage that can be expanded up to 400 GB using a microSD card slot.

Configuration

The smartphone is available in multiple variants with 32 GB / 4 GB RAM, 64 GB / 4 GB RAM, 64 GB / 6 GB RAM. It has a microSD expandable phone memory up to 400 GB.

Connectivity

Connectivity options included in the smartphone are dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, and FM radio. It also has a GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, USB Type-C (USB 2.0), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The smartphone supports dual SIMs (Nano) which can run on 4G networks simultaneously. It has a single loudspeaker next to the USB Type-C port at the bottom. 

Mention 3 Pros of your review device:

1. The classic beautiful Android One ensuring regular updates.

2. Sleek and compact design with glass back and notch display gives it a premium look under ₹16,000 budget segment.

3. 5.8-inch display, just perfect for day to day usage.

Mention 3 Cons of your review device:

1. Not up-to the mark battery life, just 3060 mAh of it.

2. Faulty charging port, many of the users (including me) reported it within 6 months of usage.

3. Camera is just okay. Not too good considering low light performance.

Write about the performance of your review device:

Nokia 6.1 Plus, undoubtedly is an awesome device. With more than 1.5 years of usage, I'm still not disappointed with it. It works flawlessly and smoothly without much lags. Although heating issues arises while using camera, still not a major problem. Talking about gaming, I have played games like PUBG, Call Of Duty and many others on this device & I can say they run fine on medium graphics, although lags could be experienced while playing them on high graphics. The 3060 mAh of battery is definitely a con while talking about performance, but it's acceptable for the price of ₹16,000 (the time when I purchased it).

Regular security updates and software updates from Google itself ensures stability of my device.

Overall, 8.5 points out of 10 could be awarded to my device keeping its performance in focus.

Write about the software of your review device:

The Nokia 6.1 Plus came with Android 8.1, which was the latest version back there in late 2018. Now it's running on latest Android 10 , all thanks to Google One support making the device flawless. The Snapdragon 636 processor provides a decent efficiency and is just awesome for both my day to day uses and basic gaming. Although HMD Global could have optimized the software much better by keeping up the camera to focus as sometimes the phone doesn't click up-to the mark photos it surely can as per it specifications.

Overall, 9 out of 10 points could be awarded keeping its software performance in focus.

Write about the battery life of your review device:

Battery life is the area where Nokia 6.1 Plus lags behind. With just 3060 mAh of battery, the phone can't stand up for one full day even with basic usage. While gaming, battery drains at a faster rate, further deteriorating battery life and consequently performance. Still for basic usage, battery segment is just acceptable. The faulty charging port is something that really bothered Nokia 6.1 Plus device users, including me. The device stopped charging after 3 months of usage. Faulty port while manufacture was claimed by HMD Global itself. This was something that really disappointed me. Although the company provided free repairing at service centre's for this problem.

Overall, 6.5 out of 10 points could be awarded to my device keeping battery life in focus.

Write about the design and display of your device:

The phone looks premium and ultimately beautiful with glass back and sleek design. It is very compact and easy to use even with one hand. The 5.8 inch display is just awesome for day to day usage. The phone has a vibrant display and ensures right color balance. The notch display add-ons to its beauty. The phone is perfect considering its design and display as they give this device an expensive and premium look. Overall, 10 out of 10 points could be awarded to my device keeping its design and display in focus.

Your Smartphone's Camera Review

Talking about camera, Nokia 6.1 Plus can be considered a good device for the same. The duo combo of primary camera's (16MP + 5MP) indeed captures good photos and videos. Although the camera disappoints a bit when considering low light photography. The phone heats up while shooting up videos and keeping the shutter on for a long time.

The front camera is impressive. The 16MP front camera ensures perfect selfies and amazing video stability. The features like AR Stickers, bothie mode (dual sight mode) and builtin filters are really impressive. The camera has a superb feature for live streaming on YouTube or Facebook, directly from the stock camera application, keeping the device way up from others.

Overall, 8.5 out of 10 points could be awarded to my device keeping its Camera in focus.

Final Verdict..!!

In 2020, this phone is not a good choice to buy as many more devices with better specs than this one are there in the market. Still this phone stands out most of the time and definitely holds up a good position in the history of Android smartphones with its impressive specs and performance. Nokia 6.1 Plus indeed is an amazing phone and quite impressive for stock Android lovers. Overall, 9 out of 10 points could be awarded to my device keeping all of its specifications and features in focus.

Reviewed By:

Ishaan Bedi