Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Nokia is now in its second comeback year, and is back at it with another flurry of smartphone launches. Again, there’s the token nostalgia phone – this time in the form of the banana-shaped Nokia 8110 4G– and a top-tier flagship, but let’s not forget about the phones that rest in the middle.
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And that’s exactly where the Nokia 7 Plus finds itself. A plus-sized handset that rivals Google’s Pixel 2 XL, this is, like the 8 Sirocco, the Finnish firm’s first attempt at a phone with an 18:9 display and a set of dual Zeiss-branded cameras. The best thing, however, is that the Nokia 7 Plus is a fair bit cheaper than both.
Nokia 7 Plus review: UK release date and specifications
- 6in 18:9 FHD+ (2,160 x 1,080) display
- Octa-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB of storage (expandable via microSD)
- 12-megapixel camera and 13-megapixel telephoto rear camera
- €399
- April 2018
Nokia 7 Plus review: Design, key features and first impressions
It’s always intriguing to see a mid-range phone that can, at least on paper, keep up with the flagship competition. And when it comes to the Nokia 7 Plus’ looks, there’s little in the way of strong competitors.
That's because, despite its low price, the Nokia 7 Plus is an absolute stunner. The chassis is carved out of a single block of aluminium and coated with a rather fancy “ceramic feel” paint, which Nokia says – rather incessantly – has had six coats applied.
What this means is that, besides looking lovely, the Nokia 7 Plus’ coating shouldn’t wear off so easily over time. It also feels nice in the hand, and it gives the immediate impression of a phone retailing at two or even three times the price. This is helped by the bronzed, copper detailing around the edges, too.
As for the display, we’re looking at a massive 6in, 18:9 FHD+ (2,160 x 1,080) IPS screen. It fills most of the front of the phone, with slim bezels above and below the screen. It looks stunning, especially for a device that undercuts flagships by this wide of a margin.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a USB Type-C port at the bottom for charging, along with a solitary speaker grille. On the right is the volume rocker and power button, and on the left is the microSD and SIM tray, with a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top.
The Nokia 7 Plus is powered by Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 660 processor, which runs at a clock speed of 2.2GHz. This is far from Qualcomm’s fastest, and I expect performance will be lacking compared to this year’s Snapdragon 845-equipped handsets, such as the Galaxy S9 and Xperia XZ2. The processor is backed up by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.
On the rear is a Zeiss-branded 12-megapixel camera, which works with an additional 13-megapixel 2x optical zoom lens. On the front, there's a 16-megapixel selfie camera, for those snap-happy Instagram shots.
Nokia 7 Plus review: Early verdict
There’s a lot to like about the Nokia 7 Plus. It’s the best-looking handset I’ve seen at this year’s MWC, and its dual rear camera shows a lot of potential. The only issue is that performance might not be on par with say, the OnePlus 5, which is only slightly more expensive.
One thing’s for sure, it won’t be long until we find out which is best.
