Nokia has just released a range of three smartphones. Futura goes around the Nokia 5.1 Plus, sold for Rs.9,999 and is presented by the brand as worthy of a flagship.
Nokia, or rather HMD Global has just marketed its new range with the Nokia 8.1, a premium smartphone sold less than 400 euros and positioned to compete with Xiaomi, Oppo and Honor. The Nokia 5.1 Plus, sold at a very reasonable mid-range price and finally, the Nokia 3.1 Plus (199 euros). For its Nokia 5.1 Plus , Futura was intrigued by Nokia’s marketing message that gives it ” flagship performance and design at a competitive price .” To verify this affirmation full of optimism, we wanted to take in hand and dissect the smartphone.
Promise 1: Performance worthy of a flagship … really?
Performance side, when we stop at the Nokia 5.1 technical data sheet, this little sentence seems a bit pretentious. The flagship, ie smartphones stars operate generally upscale families of processors of the moment. In the case of the Nokia 5.1 Plus, it is a Mediatek P60 eight hearts beat. It was designed to rub the midrange chips Qualcomm, with the Snapdragon 636 found, for example on mobile like the Asus ZenFone Max Pro 11. Good point, the chip knows how to manage the tools of artificial intelligence, which probably makes Nokia say that the 5.1 Plus has a ” sophisticated AI for photos “. In fact, the photos are correct without more. The SoC is supported by 3 GB of RAM, a quantity that has nothing to do with those flagships. That said, remember that unlike high-end smartphones of the moment, as OnePlus 6T and 8 or 10 GB of RAM, the 3 pixels of Google did not blush with 4GB of RAM. The optimized nesting of a pure Android is certainly for many in the good performance of Pixel 3.
In the case of the Nokia 5.1 Plus, the mobile is responsive enough to use the illusion and it is probably also due to the presence of a version labeled ” One ” Android 8.1. This lightweight edition of the mobile OS and quite pure, equips all models in the range. No overlay, no home applications or duplicate and therefore less worries . Another advantage: Android One has the latest security updates from Google.
Promise 2: A flagship design
In terms of design, for a smartphone of this price, the Nokia 5.1 has a back shell coated with glass and the front of the notch for the selfies module . The set of buttons is grouped on the right side. Not very discreet, the drawer to Sim / microSD is placed on the left. Even if the back of the mobile likes to retain fingerprints, the promise of a smartphone class and economic is respected. The sensor of fingerprint is placed under the two camera modules at the back. Moreover, in terms of photos, the mobile is neither more nor less good than other smartphones of the beginning of medium range with its two back sensors.
The killer option : a screen that is worth the cost
The screen of the Nokia 5.1 Plus is its most obvious asset. With a diagonal of 5.8 inches, it has the distinction of having a ratio of 19: 9 quite rare on models in this category. The screen is provided with the famous notch. It is wide but its flanks hidden by a black background are only used to display the usual mini-icons of notification and network. Touch, the screen differs from the vast majority of models in this price range. Similarly, the display is responsive and remains legible even outside the sun . Nothing to reproach from this point of view.
Who replaces?
The Nokia 5.1 Plus is the upgraded replacement of the mid-range Nokia 5 with a 5.2-inch HD display. It was then equipped with a chip Qualcomm and 2 GB of RAM. To enlarge the surface of the screen, Nokia has not hesitated to remove the home button to exploit the virtual buttons of Android. The micro-USB jack has been advantageously replaced by a micro-USB-C plug .
What are the competitors?
What price and where to find it?
The Nokia 5.1 Plus is available since last week via the Internet and major classic brands (Fnac, Boulanger …). It is sold in black or dark blue at a suggested price of 229 euros. It is also found from a euro in the Power 100 Go package at SFR.
Review
If it is not a true flagship and only competes on tiptoe with Chinese smartphones of the same price, the Nokia 5.1 Plus can still pull out of the game. Its pure Android One is a real asset and the “paw” Nokia always gives it an aura that makes the difference.
Technical sheet
OS: Android 8.1 (One)
Processor: MediaTek Helio P60
RAM: 3 GB
Storage: 32GB and microSD
Screen size: 5.8 inches
Definition: 1.520 × 720 pixels (19: 9)
Camera: 13 megapixels (f / 2) / 5 megapixels (front): 8 megapixels
Battery: 3.060 mAh
Special feature: USB-C socket, 19: 9 screen
