Nokia 6.1 Plus: Plans | Pricing | Specs

With its larger screen, faster processor and sharper dual-lens camera, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is a significant upgrade over its predecessor.

You can't fault HMD Global for its dedication. Since acquiring the Nokia brand back in 2016, the Finnish mobile phone company has rolled out no fewer than eight different handsets spanning the entire breadth of the smartphone market. From the budget-friendly Nokia 1 to the top-of-the-line Nokia 8 Sirocco, the second coming of Nokia is in full swing.

What stands out most about the Nokia renaissance, though, is HMD Global's focus on iterative design. In the year and change since it first launched its new Nokia handsets, it has taken onboard critical and customer feedback and released improved versions of many of its smartphones. Thus, the Nokia 6.1 Plus. An upgraded take on the Nokia 6.1 which itself was a refresh of the original Nokia 6, the Nokia 6.1 Plus brings a slew of new features including a larger screen, a more versatile dual-lens camera and faster guts for a smoother user experience. Despite all these improvements, the Nokia 6.1 Plus remains a budget-friendly mid-range device, with a price tag of just $379.

Design

• Larger screen and wider 19:9 aspect ratio lend themselves well to on-the-go entertainment
• Two years of regular updates will help the Nokia 6.1 Plus stay relevant into the future

• Read more on the Nokia 6.1 Plus's design

  

  In any ways, HMD Global has been playing catch-up with more-established smartphone brands like Apple and Samsung. It has taken a few iterations for the current Nokia handsets to integrate many of the features we've come to expect from modern smartphones, and this trend continues with the Nokia 6.1 Plus. This time around, it's the infamous "notch" that makes its Nokia debut, with the Nokia 6.1 Plus's screen featuring a small groove at the top to accommodate the front-facing camera lens.

  This allows the Nokia 6.1 Plus to pack a significantly larger screen than its predecessor, expanding from 5.5 inches to a roomy 5.8 inches. The aspect ratio also sees a considerable increase, stretching out from the typical 16:9 to a much wider 19:9. HMD Global kept the resolution at full HD and used Gorilla Glass 3 for the physical screen to give it added protection against bumps, falls and scratches.

  Other aspects of the Nokia 6.1 Plus are a little more predictable. There's the now commonplace fingerprint sensor located on the back of the handset below the camera, providing a more secure means of locking your phone as well as preventing other people from making digital payments through platforms like the Google Play store. A 3.5mm audio jack ensures compatibility with traditional wired headphones, while support for Bluetooth 5.0 lets you connect wireless headsets and other Bluetooth devices if you're sick and tired of tangled cables.

  Whether you use those headphones for listening to music, watching videos or playing games, the 64GB of internal storage gives you plenty of space for downloading and storing large files. If you find yourself running out, you can always add more storage via a microSD card, with the Nokia 6.1 Plus supporting cards of up to a massive 400GB in size.

  Further reinforcing HMD Global's commitment to the Nokia brand is the fact that, like previous handsets, the Nokia 6.1 Plus comes with Android One certification. This means that it will continue to receive security and software updates for a minimum of two years, ensuring it remains protected against the latest threats and compatible with new apps and software. This also means that although the Nokia 6.1 Plus ships with Android 8.0 "Oreo", it shouldn't be long before it receives an update to the newer Android 9.0 "Pie".

Camera

• Dual-lens camera enables sharper photos and more complex depth-of-field effects
• AI-powered image enhancements simplify the photo-taking process

• Read more on the Nokia 6.1 Plus's camera

  

  Dual-lens cameras are all the rage in smartphones these days. They add an extra layer of versatility to your typical happy snap, allowing for fancy effects like bokeh blur and higher image clarity. HMD Global has seized upon this with the Nokia 6.1 Plus, equipping the phone with both a 16MP primary lens and a 5MP depth-of-field lens for its rear-facing camera. Compared to the regular Nokia 6.1, this should result in sharper photos and faster focus, and in general should be more than sufficient for the photography needs of most smartphone users. The front-facing camera has received plenty of attention, too, doubling in resolution from the original Nokia 6.1's 8MP sensor to a hefty 16MP sensor.

  Camera hardware isn't the only area where the Nokia 6.1 Plus improves upon its predecessor. HMD Global has incorporated AI enhancements into the phone's camera app, using facial recognition and image analysis to enhance your photos without the need to go in and adjust settings manually. For the less experienced photographers out there, this can make it significantly easier to take high-quality photos with minimal effort.

Performance

• A faster processor and more RAM makes for a capable mid-range handset
• Android One provides a clean and streamlined interface

• Read more on the Nokia 6.1 Plus's performance

  The Nokia 6.1 was already a marked improvement over the original Nokia 6 thanks to its much-faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, but HMD Global has gone even further with the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The company replaced the Snapdragon 630 with a Snapdragon 636 chip which Qualcomm touts as being capable of delivering 40% better performance than the 630.

  While we haven't crunched the numbers to verify that claim, we have put the Snapdragon 636 through its paces in our testing of phones like the Motorola Moto Z3 Play. In doing so, we've found it to be a solid performer well-suited to mid-range handsets like the Nokia 6.1 Plus. When coupled with a RAM increase from 3GB to 4GB, this primes the Nokia 6.1 Plus to deliver a smooth and slick experience with enough power to meet the needs of most smartphone users.

  That capable hardware is backed up by the Nokia 6.1 Plus's software, too. As an Android One handset, its interface is clean and minimal, with no unnecessary software or services to slow down its operation.

Battery

• Up to 9 hours of video playback according to HMD Global, which should ensure easy all-day battery life
• Fast charging via USB-C ensures minimal downtime

• Read more on the Nokia 6.1 Plus's battery

  The more powerful a smartphone is, the more battery you have to cram into it to keep it trucking along throughout the day. This is especially relevant for the Nokia 6.1 Plus since it not only packs higher-powered hardware but also a larger display that requires additional juice to light up. Despite this, HMD Global has only made minor improvements to the battery capacity of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, increasing it from 3,000mAh to 3,060mAh. Factoring in the increased battery drain of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, this is likely to lead to lower battery life overall.

  That's not terrible, necessarily, as we were able to get a full day of use out of the vanilla Nokia 6.1's 3,000mAh battery when we tested it in our review. For the Nokia 6.1 Plus, HMD Global claims that it can deliver up to 20.5 hours of talk time and up to 9 hours of continuous video playback. This should be sufficient to get you through a complete day of moderate use on a single charge.

  Like its predecessor, the Nokia 6.1 Plus also supports fast-charging over USB-C. USB-C charging can deliver hours of charge in minutes, minimising the time you have to spend chained to a power outlet.

Pricing and availability

Nokia 6.1 Plus

Bigger and beefier but still budget-friendly

The Nokia 6.1 Plus refines nearly all aspects of its predecessor while still retaining its affordable mid-range price tag.

Buy Now

• You can purchase the Nokia 6.1 Plus for $379 from online retailers like Amazon and Kogan.