Nokia 8.1 review: smooth midranger does nearly everything well

Android Planet “Android reviews” Nokia 8.1 review: smooth midranger does nearly everything well

8,5

With the Nokia 7 Plus set manufacturer HMD Global is a great and popular car down, and with the Nokia 8.1 is tried this success to repeat. Finally, you’ll read about in this Nokia 8.1 review.

Check the Nokia 8.1 review

2018 was a busy year for HMD Global, the Finnish company responsible for the Nokia Android smartphones. There were a lot of different models released, in which the mainly went to budgettoestellen. The most successful (and in our opinion the best) smartphone was the Nokia 7 Plus, a midranger with decent specs, nice software and a good price-quality ratio.

Although the name brings to mind, is the new Nokia 8.1 according to HMD, the Global, the spiritual successor of the 7 Plus. Therefore, it is not a replacement for the Nokia 8 from 2017, what more a high-end device. The 8.1 is a car that some critical points of the 7-Plus tackles, and thus the same success trying to emulate. That is grotens successful, as you can see in this Nokia 8.1 review.

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Sturdy housing of metal and glass

Put your the Nokia 7 Plus and 8.1, there are considerable differences in appearance. The 7 Plus has a full metal body and a fine coating on the back which makes the phone very hard to the touch. The unit can withstand a beating, and that feeling you have a bit less with the 8.1. This is because the back is now made entirely of glass, which of course is a more vulnerable material. The frame around the housing is still made of metal.

HMD Global has clearly been on the design, because the Nokia 8.1 looks nicer and more modern than its predecessor. The dimensions are by 154.8 to eur 75.8 at 8 millimeters remained virtually the same, but still feels the 8.1 less awkward. That is mainly due to the screen edges thinner so you simply more screen in the same format.

A small downside is that the Nokia 8.1 not very exciting looking. The design resembles that of the Nokia 7.1, that, in turn, on the Nokia 5.1 Plus seems. The design of Nokia all phones is about the same, and that makes it practically a little bit redeemable. The 7 Plus had a bit more of an own face.

Excellent screen and hardware

That screen is 6,18 inch in size and has a resolution of 2280 by 1080 pixels. That is more than enough and makes for nice and sharp images, whereby it is also with the colour reproduction and maximum brightness all is well. Especially the latter is useful, because the Nokia 7 Plus was in bright sunlight rather difficult to read. With the 8.1 you will have no problems with it and that is a nice improvement.

Just like pretty much every Android smartphone in the last months has been released, is at the top of the screen, a notch. That notch is for the Nokia 8.1 is quite wide and the default is ‘off’. In the areas next to the notch is known as the time, notifications, and system information (wi-fi, accupercentage) are shown, but you have no option to the notch. Possible that function even with an update added. Also your phone unlock with face recognition is missing and that is a pity. Xiaomis Pocophone F1 has this, for example, and on that device it works fine.

Under the hood sits the new Snapdragon 710, an octacore processor that we are in 2019, probably with a lot more midrange Android phones. The chip is backed by 4GB of RAM and 64GB. The performance of the hardware is great: apps load quickly, multitasking is no problem and the Nokia 8.1 fly by the software. Only if you have high-end smartphones are used to, you go into the differences between a faster processor and Snapdragon 710 brands. We dare however to say that the 8.1 for each and every user is fast enough.

The finger print scanner on the back and works accurately and quickly. Furthermore, there is a headphone jack, a micro-sd card, bluetooth 5.0 and a single speaker at the bottom.

Android One is a guarantee on updates

As we have Nokia used, there is very little on the software to brands. The Nokia 8.1 is a Android One device, which means that you are assured of long-term software support and three years of monthly security updates. The 8.1 is also one of the first cheaper smartphones out of the box on Android 9.0 (Pie) is running.

This gives you immediate access to the new gebarenbediening and handy extras such as Adaptive Brightness and Adaptive Battery. Which features yet more are new to the Pie and how they work, you can read in our comprehensive Android Pie review.

On Nokia’s own camera app and support app after running the 8.1 on stock Android. This is Android as Google intended and by far the finest version of the mobile operating system. By the powerful hardware is Android Pie all the way up his right to the 8.1, and that is a big plus. Add to that the many years of updates, and you have a very future-proof smartphone.

Improved camera

Also nice: the camera of the Nokia 8.1 is better than 7 Plus. On the back there is again a dual camera of 12 and 13-megapixel, although it is the intent something else. The telephoto lens of the Nokia 7 Plus, which allows you to up to 2x optical zoom, is gone. The secondary lens is there now is mainly for the collection of depth information for portrait photos, and that takes good. The bokeh-effect is neatly applied and works significantly better on the Nokia 8.1.

During the day makes the 8.1 excellent photos, many of which detail is visible, colors beautiful eyes, and the autofocus works quickly. Very occasionally, the smartphone effort with the optimal adjustment of the exposure, but that is not a huge problem. More annoying is that the camera app sometimes a bit slow, though it is a lot easier to use than the software of the camera of the Nokia 7.1.

Also, there is a Pro mode, where all sorts of settings you can adjust. So imagine, for example, the aperture. Only for the true connoisseurs, but it does produce very nice pictures.

The primary camera of the Nokia 8.1 has optical image stabilization which helps in low-light situations. Images stay reasonably sharp, but don’t expect outstanding photos. High-end smartphones do this logically is a lot better, but in this price range hear the 8.1 to the better. Also the 20 megapixel selfiecamera performs well, even in less light.

Battery life

The Nokia 8.1 has a 3500 mAh battery and that is in 2018, slightly more than average. So is the actual battery life to describe it: good, but not very impressive. That is certainly not a disaster, because on a full charge you come without any problems, the day, and often I knew a day and a half from 8.1 to squeeze.

Excellent, already there are devices in this price range – for example, think of the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 with its 4000 mAh battery – which will last longer. Customizable battery management, a feature of Pie that ensures that apps which you rarely used, less energy consume, helps, is, however, a little bit.

Because of the slightly smaller battery has the Nokia 8.1 or for that recharge very quickly. With half an hour charge gives you 40 to 50 percent battery, and that is enough for the day. From 0 to 100 percent load, it takes with the included usb-c battery charger about two hours.

With a suggested retail price of 399 euro is hovering the Nokia 8.1 between budgetsmartphones (in 2018 still have gotten better) and flagships that are now in price dropped. Devices such as the Motorola Moto G6 Plus and Xiaomi Mi A2, both substantial cost, do not, for example, a lot of under for Nokia 8.1. Are you willing to be more than 100 euros to pay more, then you will find, for example, with the Samsung Galaxy S9. And that is a competitor that the Nokia is not really.

Also the Pocophone F1 from Xiaomi is a good alternative to the Nokia 8.1, and also a bit cheaper. The Pocophone F1 has more powerful hardware, better battery life, and fine face detection, but is less well supported and has a cheap, plastic housing.

Conclusion Nokia 8.1 review

With the Nokia 8.1 shows the Finnish manufacturer once again show an excellent midranger. The device has a solid design, fast hardware, excellent’s camera, and by the Android One program, sure updates. Less is that the smartphone there’s a bit generic looking and the battery life is less than the Nokia 7 Plus.

All in all you get for 399 euros is a fine smartphone in the house where you have many more years ahead. However, we would have a little wait until the Nokia 8.1 something in price decreases. The unit is pretty complete, but has not a very sharp price-quality ratio as some competitors. For much less money if you don’t have to be nice in this neighborhood of what this Nokia know to offer.

The Nokia 8.1 will be out in early January in the Netherlands for 399 euro and is available for pre-order. You will have the choice of three colors: gray, purple, and blue.

28 December 2018, 20:05 | Views: 594