Nokia - 7.1 with 64GB Memory Cell Phone (Unlocked) - Blue

I've been a Motorola devotee for a few years now, my first Motorola Android phone being the first Moto G (back when they were still owned by Google), but I'm not at all happy with way Motorola has supported their phones since Lenovo took over. Nor am I happy with the shroud of secrecy surrounding when security patches and software updates will be released, along with the vague promises of “soon.” So right after New Years it was time for a new phone, as my Moto X Play had slowed considerably, and even things like typing were becoming tedious tasks (it's hard to type when GBoard keeps crashing). I began looking at alternatives to Moto. I don't like the pricetag or the bloat associated with Samsung, so a Galaxy S-whatever was out of the question. I'm not fond of LG's customizations to Android. And even though the specs on the Razer Phone 2 are awesome, I'm just not ready to shell out that kind of money – for a phone! I thought about switching to iPhone, but honestly, I prefer Android (full disclosure, I'm a Mac guy, so even *I* am surprised at my lack of enthusiasm for iPhone). And then I saw that Nokia was back in the game with their new line of Android phones. After doing some research, finding out that HMD Global, the company that makes the Nokia phones, is essentially the original Nokia mobile phone division, and comparing Nokia phones to others, I knew that I had found what I was looking for. After viewing all of their models – the 3.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 – I settled on the Nokia 7.1. Thanks to the AndroidOne program that Nokia's phones are a part of, they receive regular updates for at least two years, there's no bloat, and the experience is as close to stock Android as you can get (which, honestly, I prefer). Indeed, right out of the box it updated from Android Oreo (which the phone shipped with in November) to Android Pie, and then last week the first security patch came through. The phone is fast and responsive, and has all the features that you would want: 64GB built in storage, 4GB RAM, SDXC support up to 400GB, dual SIM support, Fingerprint sensor, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and a pretty decent camera. The rear camera is a 12MP camera with a 2nd 5MP camera that does things like depth of field, portrait mode, and HDR images. And it has a decent front camera, too. Nokia can't be beat as far as features for the price. It's priced like a value phone with all the features you'd expect from a flagship phone. And it's backed by the AndroidOne program. As of today, you just *cannot* go wrong with a Nokia phone, and I highly recommend it to people.

Screen viewing quality is excellent using enhanced HDR 10 display. I manually set display brightness level instead of adaptive due to screen definition and color being easy on the eyes at brighter setings than most phones. Fingerprint scanner works flawlessly and has not failed yet on first scan using programed scan finger only. The camera really captures small font print A1, several settings available for more active photographing. Audio is good and speaker on top of phone, volume control is smooth as silk with options. A case for this phone is not a option if you lay it on a surface with any slope or loosely in a pocket. The glass back looks great but is slick finish. I know because this is the first phone I have had a cracked screen. It slipped from jacket pocket prior receiving a ordered protective case. I sent phone to HMD repair in TX. Inside a week the phone was returned 100% like new for reasonable cost of repair to home address by Fed Ex.

I upgraded from a Nokia 6.1 with PIE to this phone. I was a little taken back it came with Oreo. I tried to force it to update to PIE no luck. I can't download my backup SMS as Google backups are not backward compatible. Contacted Nokia support. They said PIE had been out for it since November. They said to remove carrier SIM and reset it boot to WiFi and it should update. The first day no luck. So I inserted the carrier SIM. And uses SMS backup and restore on old phone saved to cloud and restored on new phone. And started using it. 2 days later PIE dropped informing the update. And WOW MOM WOW. Now the phone is really awesome. Much faster than the Nokia 6.1 and much better call support holding calls that dropped on the old Nokia 6.1 I like the fact the phone is a little narrower in width and makes it easier one handed. And the display is awesome. Great photos too. And the camera has motion stills and bokeh. I'm very happy. Oh I got the official Nokia clear case it's incredible.

I was not sure whether to buy this phone at first, but I'm glad I did. The first thing you'll notice is the awesome build quality. This thing looks and feels like an $800+ phone, and feels extremely solid in the hand, it's all metal and gorilla glass, no cheap plastic to be seen anywhere, and the design just looks beautiful. Performance is also excellent for the price, it's fast and responsive. I would say I'm a moderate user (I do a lot of online searching, watch a lot of videos, music, occasionally play some hi resolution games, etc) I usually have 10 or more apps running at the same time and I have not had any problems with the phone slowing down or crashing, or anything like that, so I'd say that unless you're a very heavy usser you'll never run into any performance issues. Battery life is very good, the screen looks fantastic, bright, very sharp, and great color rendition, the camera is not on par with an $800 phone (to be expected), but still very good, certainly better than any other $350 phone camera I've seen. In conclusion, this is in my opinion the best phone you can buy for $350 in the US at the moment. If you're looking for a phone that won't break the bank but will give you great quality and performance, look no more, this is it.

I pre-ordered this phone at Best Buy and got it immediately, which is great on Best Buy's part. I've been using the phone for more than a week now, and I can, without a doubt, say that this is a very good phone. Especially considering the price point (some may say it could be even cheaper, but I feel this is good), the phone is more value for money. I may be reiterating what the other reviewer (sinnwo) has already said (very detailed), but I will try to add some more (or other) points. I will update the review in the coming weeks as I keep using the phone. Also, I haven't played any games on the phone (not a gamer), so I can't speak of it. Pros: 1. Design & Build. The design does have a premium feel to it, with the solid-feeling buttons and I think the build is also strong; may not be "Nokia strong", but I haven't tested it and don't intend to. I'll leave that to some of those YouTubers. 2. UI and Performance. Absolutely no bloatware, since the phone comes with Android One. The UI is also very smooth and the performance is also very good (hardly any lag so far). 3. Fingerprint Sensor. Although I'm not a big fan of fingerprint sensors and face identification (call me old), I did use it for a couple of days or so and it's very fast. On that note, I did see facial recognition under "Smart Lock" (tested it and it works alright), but after an update, it doesn't appear now, for some strange reason. 4. Camera. I don't have any photos to post, but I did test the picture quality and a couple of "effects" and I feel they come in a very good and natural quality. 5. Headphone jack, USB-C port and a fast charger. Mentioning about headphone jack and placing it in "pros" is silly, but you know what most other phones are doing. Anyway, the fast charger does charge fast enough. I think it took about 40 minutes for an 80% charge (may not be entirely accurate). Cons: I haven't really come across any major issues, but I'll point out the minor ones, and I'm nitpicking here. 1. Notch? Although you don't tend to notice it much, it does exist and it cannot be hidden at the moment. Will update the review if/when I'm able to hide it. 2. The look of the accessories in the box. The charger doesn't look good (it's strong, but it's old), but it does its job well. I don't think anyone would use the headphones bundled with the phone, because they look very old and they don't fit well either. Nokia has the quality and nostalgia associated with it and people still like the brand, despite its absence in the market. It has made a delayed, yet a nice entry to the US market with this phone. I would definitely recommend this to others. You wouldn't be disappointed.

Please be aware of the SERIOUS Bluetooth issue when using the phone in your car: When first connect to a car, the cell signal is normal, but after you make the first call, the signal drops SIGNIFICANTLY, usually down to 0 or NO SERVICE! This issue is 100% replicable, and I've tested it in 2 cars - 2016 Toyota Sienna and 2016 Mazda 3. If you Google the issue, you will find results indicating the issue happens to many auto makes and models, and the issue is NOT limited to the Nokia 7.1 model, some reported the same issue with other Nokia phones. so far the root cause is not identified, and I'm not sure if it's hardware related or software related. Overall we really like the phone, and thought it was the best in that price range, but the issue is quite significant that we cannot ignore.

I'm not the type who needs the latest and the best. But I do want the most Bang for my Buck. When flagships phones are selling for upwards of $1000 and more.. it's great to know that there are options out there who are budget conscious. Enter the Nokia 7.1 which I bought when it went on sale. I've had it for a couple of months now so I think it's fair to say that I've had a chance to check it out. I'm not going through all the details about the processors, memory, and pixels on the cameras. I'll just say it as regular talk. I believe that most people out there buy the most bells and whistles on their phones, pay a good chunk of money for it but the most they use it for is text, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and maybe a few calls. The Nokia 7.1 handles all that fine with no glitches. You can have several apps open and it doesn't show any lag. But I've always wondered what kind of people keep 15 or more apps open and then complain that the phone is slow. As for size and features, the phone fits perfectly in one hand. The screen is listed as 5.8 inches but its slimmer than other phones. It has the "notch" for the front camera but it is not even noticeable when you play games. The back camera sticks out a bit but a case that I bought made the whole back flush so the camera is protected. Photos come out great with good light, fine with low light.. again, this no Samsung Galaxy S# or Pixel fighter but it works for me. The speaker is plenty loud and the charging port is a Type-C and the battery lasts me all day with my regular use which is internet, games, a few videos and streaming music. It has NFC which is a feature that I was looking for and best of all, it's on Android One which makes it gets the latest updates faster than other makes. It's running the current Android 9 and looking forward to when it updates to 10. So to summarize.. The phone is slim, fast for everyday tasks and a little more, takes great pictures and runs a clean Android experience. All the features that I look for is probably what most people out there look for also. Now if you want to show off your bling but not know how to maximize the features of your $1000 phone, by all means go for it. Otherwise, spend a quarter of that on this phone and smile knowing that you have extra cash to put in your pocket.

Pro: Android one is very snappy, Battery life last easily one day. Camera takes great photos. Cons: Bluetooth requires a lot of management and does not easily swap between devices.