LAUNCHED just three months after the Nokia 6.1, the Nokia 6.1 Plus came in swinging into the Malaysian market with a better design, improved performance, and a price tag that is merely RM50 more.
Don’t get me wrong; I admire Nokia smartphones, the ones made by HMD Global.
They have no frills, no bloat, and is an easy recommendation for someone who is looking for a smartphone without all the bells and whistles that would complicate things.
However, Nokia has a habit of making phones that make people say: this is what the previous phone they made should have been.
That issue aside and on its own, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is still a phone that I would recommend. However, cautiously, in case Nokia puts out a 6.2 before the end of the year.
Almost anyone who picks up a Nokia 6.1 Plus would immediately say it is small at its design look and feel as similar to the latest phones made by a specific smartphone maker with a fruity name.
Without a cover, the Nokia 6.1 Plus feels good to hold. It is one of the very few phones that I would twirl in my hand instead of keeping in my pocket. Its smooth rounded aluminium sides that flow seamlessly into the glass front and back.
The phone is also slippery, especially when placed on hard surfaces, but it is not as slick as the previous Nokia 6.1’s aluminium body, nor is it especially slippery in hand. Still, it would be nice if Nokia included a cover in the box.
The face of the Nokia 6.1 Plus is a 5.8in full high definition display with a 19:9 ratio, a notch and a chin, complete with branding. I am not a fan of notches because I feel it takes away from the screen.
However, I do not mind the chin, despite the quaint branding, and I appreciate the beautiful display. It is good enough to display news feeds, but personally, it is a little too small to enjoy videos on.
The back of the Nokia 6.1 Plus is also glass. It is embellished with more branding, and an Android One badge. This is also where you will find the dial camera system and the fingerprint reader.
Android One means the phone is running an unmodified Android operating system. It is a hardware and software technical standard created by Google intended to provide a consistent user experience and improved security through frequent updates and Google Play Protect. It is also the second best feature on this smartphone.
I admit that not everyone likes it. Without any proprietary apps, Nokia phones feel bare, but that is the way I love my smartphones; without any bloatware.
One unique feature of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, and almost every other phone in the current Nokia line is the ability to use the front and rear cameras simultaneously for photos and videos. It is still novel, yet I wonder why it is not prominent among influencers.
Both the front and the main rear cameras are 16MP sensors. The rear camera is further enhanced with a 5MP depth sensing sensor.
I find that the photos on the Nokia 6.1 Plus better than average. Low light images are usable and pictures taken in the daylight looks colder than some other phones. Greens and reds have some pop to them while the blues are pleasant.
The brains of this smartphone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, with 64GB of expandable storage and 4 GB RAM. To the rest of us, these numbers do not matter because this is an Android One phone and it runs great.
At RM1,149, the Nokia 6.1 Plus has some fierce competition especially against other phone makers with a larger marketing budget and marketable features.
Nonetheless. It is an excellent choice for the discerning user who wants to be in control of their device.
