Nokia 7.1 Challenges the $1,000 Field, Comes in at $350

Made official this week, the Nokia 7.1 tries to stand out while taking on top-of-the-line flagships. It doesn’t have cutting-edge specifications in every area, but HMD Global push the boundaries for its price. That’s been HMD Global’s mission, after all.

Rather than chasing the competition into unreasonable pricing, all Nokia phones are meant to be affordably approachable. The Nokia 7.1, despite all its advantages, will set you back just $350.

The Nokia 7.1 flaunts a premium design that’s not expected for the price. It has a metal construction met with glass, and it should be durable enough to remain intact over time. Truthfully, the Nokia 7.1 might trick people into thinking you’re holding a $1,000 phone.

When you first look at the edge-to-edge screen, you’ll be surprised. Not because of its notch, though. The Nokia 7.1 enhances color and contrast due to PureDisplay technology. It unlocks “HDR10 cinematic quality” for compatible video streaming services.

Take a look at the internals, and you’ll realize HMD Global put together a formidable product. It features a 5.84-inch Full HD+ (2280×1080) LCD display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, 12MP and 5MP rear cameras, an 8MP front camera, a 3060mAh battery, a USB-C port, and a fingerprint scanner. Not bad, folks.

While the details are outmatched by expensive alternatives, the Nokia 7.1 rises above because not everyone needs so much horsepower. The Nokia 7.1 should be enough for most consumers.

On the software side, you’re getting Android 8.1 Oreo. It should be Android 9.0 Pie, but HMD Global says that’ll be available at a later date. Google, not the Finnish hardware manufacturer, will handle system-level and security upgrades as the Nokia 7.1 falls into Android One’s vicinity. All software-related matters are handled for three years.

Most importantly, it means you have a stock-like Android experience. While other companies put a ton of effort into unsightly skins, HMD Global believes Android in its purest is best.

The Nokia 7.1 will, to our surprise, be sold in the United States. In the past, the company’s sent entry-level devices to the U.S. and nothing with serious strength. Select U.S. retailers will have the Gloss Midnight Blue and Gloss Steel variants up for pre-order on October 5.

As mentioned before, it starts at $350. It has better specifications than almost all mid-range devices, and its price can’t be beaten. Following the pre-order window, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo will release the Nokia 7.1 on October 28. That should mean it’ll arrive around the same time as the Pixel 3.

If you want a Pixel phone-like experience but are limited on money, the Nokia 7.1 might be perfect for you. We’ll be sure to get our hands on it soon.