Smartphone companies have now started banking on devices that not only appeal to the masses but also offer value for money. Chinese companies like Xiaomi marvelled the idea in India and now there's an unexpected challenger giving them a healthy fight. HMD Global has been making some spectacular smartphones that offer a pure Android experience and look sexy at the same time. The Nokia 6.1 Plus is one of those smartphones that are priced modestly and offer a design that isn't being offered by anyone else. Here's our review of the Nokia 6.1 Plus.

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The Nokia 6.1 Plus has been crafted to give you the utmost premium feeling you can imagine that sometimes does not coincide with the price. When we first opened the box, the smartphone felt great in the head and for a second we could not believe this was a mid-tier budget smartphone. It has a glass back finish and overall feels lightweight, It has a USB Type-C port, has a headphone jack and a display with a notch. The inclusion of the headphone jack gives the 6.1 Plus a slight advantage over the Xiaomi Mi A2 in our books and overall feels a much better phone to hold thanks to its uncompromising premium design. 

The form factor of the smartphone is also quite different from the rest of the smartphones out there. It has a 5.8-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD screen with an aspect ratio of 19:9 aspect ratio. The smaller form factor is a breath of fresh air especially since everyone is trying to go big when it comes to size. The smaller body does host a bigger display which is probably the biggest difference you will notice from its predecessor. 

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

At the back, the Nokia 6.1 Plus has a vertical dual camera set up in the centre and a fingerprint sensor right below it. There's a prominent camera bump which can be well protected with the supplied camera cover. 

The 5.8-inch display has a resolution of 2280X1080p and is not entirely an edge-to-edge design which may disappoint a few full-view display fans. There are very small bezels present beneath the screen albeit visible. Overall, the screen is bright for an LCD display however we did feel that the display did not represent colours accurately. The screen is great for casual use however it does not feel as vibrant when compared to its competition. The notch at the top is ever present as it cannot be turned off from the settings. That could be annoying for some users however the design of the smartphone is distracting enough for people to forget about it. 

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

We've been using the smartphone for almost 3 weeks now and we have to say, the Nokia 6.1 Plus performs as well as the Mi A2. It has the Snapdragon 636 processor and is coupled with 4GB of RAM. The phone is not meant for easy duty gaming but it can surely hold its own. We played PES, streamed countless YouTube videos and used it for navigation without ever facing any lag or glitches. The 3,060 mAh battery performed well while performing the above activities. The smartphone easily lasted for an entire full day with a single charge and we could fast charge the phone whenever needed thanks to the USB Type-C charger. 

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

During the course of our review, the Nokia 6.1 Plus scored a respectable 4903 points on the multi-core score and 1332 on the single-core test. If you want things put in a better perspective, the Nokia 6.1 Plus performed better than the Mi A2 in the multi-core test. 

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

As far as the camera quality is concerned, it was the only disappointing feature we came across on the smartphone. The Nokia 6.1 Plus has a 16MP primary lens and a 5MP secondary camera which aides in taking portrait shots. While the camera performed well in well-lit environments, we found the smartphone lacking in dimly lite and low light environments. The pictures from low light environments lacked details and often had grains in the final output. This is probably the only category where the Xiaomi Mi A2 has a slight advantage over the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Here are a few shots for your reference:

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

© MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

The Nokia 6.1 Plus is a smartphone for people who are looking for a device that boasts premium design and value for money. It may not have a great camera but the smartphone makes up in other categories. Pure Android fans will find it a delight to use this phone. For Rs 15,999; the smartphone is a perfect alternative to Xiaomi's Mi A2 that have a few cons of its own.