Review Nokia 8.1: A True Nokia of the good times, Finally!
Nokia 8.1 Review - A few years have passed since HMD Global acquired Nokia Mobile to bring it back to its former glory, thanks to more or less successful attempts, finally, we are faced with a small concentration of beautiful things, a smartphone with standard features, it manages to be concrete and good on everything.
In this review of Nokia 8.1, we will talk about all its features, its pros, and small defects, but above all, I will tell you why it is one of the best smartphones on the market in the mid-range.Hardware & Connectivity
Nokia 8.1 is a well-equipped mid-range, Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor, combined with 4 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64 GB of internal memory eMMC5.1.
The performance is convincing, thanks to the relative simplicity of Android One (a basic version of Android),
Overall, Nokia 8.1 is a responsive smartphone, and the auto-maintenance features introduced with Android Pie create the ideal conditions for maintaining performance over time.
Gaming is not its ideal terrain, but if necessary the hardware platform can roar up to 2.2 GHz clock frequency, ensuring constant and pleasant frame rates and support for 4G.
The range of sensors includes accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, light and proximity sensor.
There is no notification LED (replaced by the non-deactivable ambient display), while on the back there is a very fast biometric scanner for fingerprints.Ergonomics, Design & Materials
Nokia 8.1 is a balanced smartphone in design, it will not have those flashy or mirrored colors that we have been used to for some time, but it is distinguished by a sober elegance and a slightly retro look.
The corners are very rounded and blend well with the sinuosity of Android in the pure version from which it is animated.
Across the board runs a chrome-plated aluminum belt, similar to the one already seen on the Nokia 7 Plus, other chrome details are found on the rear around the headlight assembly and the fingerprint reader.
The back cover is made of glass, while at the front the entire surface is covered by the protective Gorilla Glass and the notch is well hidden when the display is off, while below is the NOKIA logo when it is hit by light.
The perceived quality is high, thanks to refined materials and impeccable assembly.
The dimensions are not excessive (154.8 x 75.8 x 8 mm) and the weight of 180 grams is a good middle ground between portability and a sense of solidity transmitted.Display, Audio & Multimedia
The multimedia sector is one of the best things ever in Nokia 8.1, the display is an LCD IPS Full HD Plus in 19:9, with a diagonal of 6.18 inches and a fairly large central notch.
The quality of the panel is immediately perceptible, thanks above all to the high brightness, with consequent excellent outdoor readability, and an impeccable chromatic calibration, especially by setting the "cinema" mode.
A display therefore of excellent level, we could say from the reference for products under 400 Euro, also the management of blacks and legibility at high viewing angles.
The notch is hidden when the display is on, making the "status bar" completely black, incomprehensibly though, it is not possible to completely exploit the surface of the screen and unfortunately, we fear that Nokia has deliberately chosen to present the product with a black bar at the top and corners rounded simulated. Camera
The photo compartment of the Nokia 8.1 is excellent, behind it there is a Sony IMX 363 sensor, combined with a standard focal length lens, optical stabilization and F / 1.8 aperture, the second module has 13 MP but is only used to store data on the depth of field to exploit for photos with simulated bokeh effect.
Previously, there is a single 20 MP camera with fixed focus F / 2.0 optics and 0.9 micrometers pixels.Battery & Autonomy
The battery available to Nokia 8.1 is 3500 mAh, it allows the use of the phone throughout the day requiring minimum attention to consumption, with about 4 hours of active display.
The expectations were higher and the potential for a better yield would be there, too bad that Nokia obliges to keep the ambient display active (the screen stays ON with a black screen with clock and notifications, even when it is on standby), a function that goes wrong. With the LCD technology of the panel, it forces it to keep the backlight active to show only a small text in the center.
We hope that the company will go back and allow the user to disable the function to save even 20% charge in a day.Software
On board of Nokia 8.1, there is an Android One already updated to Pie, taken care of directly by Google and updated with timeliness for a minimum period of 2 years, the advantages of this solution adopted by Nokia are many.
First of all, it is clear the immediacy and stability of a software version without substantial changes by the brand, designed by Google to be understandable and practical in daily use, the other advantage is the simplicity with which Nokia can intervene to adopt the new updates to the hardware.
Nokia has added some small functions, details that are in any case valuable and useful in everyday use: custom display calibration, gesture, multi-account management. Video Review of Nokia 8.1
In conclusion
We are at the end of the review of Nokia 8.1. It is a product that we liked and could satisfy the needs of a large part of users, it works well and has no particular gaps or flaws worthy of note.
Certainly, it does not even have strengths that elevate it compared to the competition, but at the right price, it could be a reliable, durable and always pleasant companion to carry along.
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