HMD Global has been on a launch spree for this entire year. The company has been releasing Android One phones left, right and centre at every price point. Whether it is the budget range, mid-range or upper mid-range or even flagship, Nokia has got a phone in the market for all of them. New reports are hinting that another Nokia phone might be in the pipeline for the Indian market. This new phone has been suggested to be the Nokia 8.1. As such, the release of the Nokia 8.1 would fill up the Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 segment for the Finnish company. If the Nokia 8.1 is launched in India, it is going to be the rebranded version of the Nokia X7 which was initially released in China. Google also added this phone to its list of ARCore supported devices, but it was later taken down courtesy of many reports. However, now we are pretty clear that HMD Global may soon launch the Nokia 8.1 globally. Let’s see how it will position itself against the OnePlus 6T and the Poco F1.
The Design Factor
Nokia has put a lot of emphasis on design for almost all of its phone. The major chunk of Nokia phones out there have been made from 6000-grade aluminium with a six-layer ceramic coating on top. Now the Nokia phones come with an all-glass design with copper accents, which lend it a very premium and aesthetically appealing feel.
The Nokia 8.1 comes as a better option when compared in this regard as it is definitely better looking as the Poco F1. Also, this will be a much more affordable option as compared to the OnePlus 6T, since the new phone costs well over Rs 30,000.
The new Nokia 8.1 also sports a notch, owing to which it is able to boast of a 6.18-inch Full HD+ display panel which is a slight step up from the Nokia 7 Plus. The phone also fashions the PureDisplay technology which HMD had first introduced with the launch of Nokia 7.1. Through this, HMD promises higher contrast and deeper colours on the screen alongside HDR10 quality streaming videos on platforms like YouTube and Netflix which will offer sharper video viewing experience.
The New Mid-Range Dominator
The Nokia 8.1 might very well be the next mid-range smartphone winner. For hardware, this phone is expected to pack the Snapdragon 710 which is the latest SoC from Qualcomm designed for high mid-range devices and is likely to offer flagship grade performance. The chipset has been architectured on the 10nm process and packs much power when compared to the Snapdragon 660.
The smartphone might also stand a solid chance in front of phones like OnePlus 6T and the Poco F1 which pack the Snapdragon 845. Although these two phones will be better performers on paper, Nokia 8.1’s stock Android One experience will probably offer a smoother performance. Combining all of these qualities, the design and the Snapdragon 710, this phone might go onto become a very attractive mid-range offering from HMD around the Rs 25,000 price tag.
