So, it’s the mid-range phones which get caught in the middle since they have to balance the features while at the same time justifying the price. And one of the new phones to join this mid-range club is HMD Global’s Nokia 7 plus. From the initial looks, it seems to have settled the value-for-money proposition quite well. With a good processor and ample RAM and storage in tow, the Nokia 7 plus seems to pack a mean punch — all for an amazing price of Rs 25,999. So, should you buy the all-new Nokia 7 plus? Today, we weigh its pros and cons to help you make the right decision.
Nokia 7 plus Pros
1. Solid Premium Build
Nokia devices, both old and new, are all about quality and durability. Thankfully, the new Nokia 7 plus handles this aspect quite well. It’s made using series 6000 aluminum thus ensuring a good build quality. Interestingly, the back has a ceramic coating which gives it a smooth finish. Yep, no antenna lines at all. Moreover, the copper trimmings around the phone, camera module and the fingerprint sensor giving the phone a premium look.
2. Dual Camera With the Zeiss Advantage
A dual camera setup is the signature of any flagship phone now and the Nokia 7 plus is no different. Its dual camera setup houses a 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel lens. The marriage of both these lens lets you capture DSLR-like bokeh effect and also brings the advantage of 2x optical zoom. The Zeiss optics on the camera sensors promises great optical performance. Plus, the primary wide-angle lens has a pixel size of 1.4µm and an aperture of f/1.75, while the telephoto lens comes with 1.0µm pixel size and f/2.6 aperture. Another signature inclusion is the Full HD+ screen with an immersive 18:9 aspect ratio. It sports a 6-inch LCD display and is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen.
3. Powerful Chipset
The Nokia 7 plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 mobile platform. The chipset which was announced in 2017 packs major upgrades over its predecessors. For one, it has an improved camera processing and promises a longer battery life. If we were to compare it with the Snapdragon 652 and the 625, its power consumption is around 50% to 75% low. Other than that, HMD Global’s new flagship has 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM and an onboard storage of 64 GB. The storage can be expanded up to 256 GB via a microSD card.
4. Pure Android Experience & Timely Security Updates
Thanks to Android One, the Nokia 7 plus will receive timely security updates and two versions of OS upgrades are guranteed. Other than that, this phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo. As you may already know, Android One phones have stock UI, which translates into an easy-to-use interface and zero bloatware. Moreover, the Nokia 7 plus is also expected to get facial recognition as a biometric authentication feature.
5. A Good Battery Life
This new phone is powered by a 3,800mAh battery which should be able to see you through two days of regular use. Other than that, the phone comes with a USB Type-C (2.0) charging port. As per the company, the Nokia 7 plus comes with Fast Charge. However, as some of the reviewers have found out, it’s also capable of Quick Charge 3.0.
Nokia 7 plus Cons
1. No Dedicated Slot for Memory Card
The Nokia 7 plus doesn’t have a dedicated slot for the microSD card. This means that you won’t be able to use the secondary SIM card and a microSD card together. Usually, the 64 GB of internal storage should suffice. However, if you are someone who needs plenty of storage, you should take this point into consideration.
2. Not Entirely a Bezel-less Display
Here, I might be a bit nitpicking. But considering that most of the mid-range flagships are going for a bezel-less experience, the Nokia 7 plus comes with bezels on the sides, as well as on the top. On the brighter side, the bezels are considerably reduced. So, instead of going completely bezel-less, the Nokia 7 plus is an almost bezel-less device.
3. A Bit Pricey
Though the Nokia 7 plus is a pretty sturdy phone with all the right features, it’s a bit pricey for the Rs 25,999 price tag. But then, as I mentioned above, it has all the right features.
So, To Conclude
The Nokia 7 plus is a great multimedia-focused device and packs spatial audio, an immersive screen, Bluetooth 5.0 and the signature Bothie feature. Bothie, seen previously in the Nokia 8, lets you use both the front and the rear camera for capturing both the sides of a story. Honestly, it was quite a task for us to find drawbacks for the Nokia 7 plus. A few of us can argue that it doesn’t have OIS, or the phone isn’t waterproof, but then, it’s rare to see a phone in the sub-Rs 27,000 price tag with these features. As I said above, mid-range phones end up doing some compromises to justify their price tag, and the above were some of those compromises. At the end of the day, should you buy the Nokia 7 Plus? Well, if you are looking for a phone with a speedy processor and equally good camera and a fuss-free interface, then why not?
