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Nokia 5.1 Plus (Nokia 5X) Smartphone Review

Fratricide? The Nokia 5.1 Plus not only performs better than the Nokia 5.1 but also better than the Nokia 6.1, despite what Nokia’s number system may have led you to believe. In-house competition or just confusing numbers?

The Nokia 5.1 Plus has a 5.8-inch IPS display with a rather unusual 19:9 aspect ratio. The display is powered by 3 GB RAM and a MediaTek MT6771 SoC, the latter of which integrates an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. The SoC is also known as the MediaTek Helio P60. Nokia has equipped the 5.1 Plus with a meagre 3,060 mAh battery too, although this is on par with the battery capacities of many comparable smartphones. There is also 32 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card should you need more space. Moreover, the 5.1 Plus has a 5 MP front-facing camera and dual rear-facing sensors. All these components should combine to provide the 5.1 Plus with a small performance boost over its sibling, the Nokia 6.1.

We have seen the Helio P60 before in the Umidigi Z2 Pro, which we covered a few months ago. It will be interesting to see how well the 5.1 Plus fares against the Z2 Pro, particularly as the latter has 3 GB more RAM. Moreover, the 5.1 Plus runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo and is not bogged down by bloatware. Hence, the device should have snappier system performance compared to devices that run more resource-intensive customised versions of Android. 

We have chosen to compare the 5.1 Plus against the Nokia 6.1 (Nokia 6 2018), which has a higher resolution display. Additionally, we shall be comparing our test device against the BQ Aquaris X2, the Honor 8X, the Motorola Moto G6, the Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus and the Umidigi Z2 Pro.

We will not include the Nokia 5.1 among our comparison devices though, despite its name suggesting that it may share plenty of attributes with the 5.1 Plus. The latter is considerably more powerful than the former, although the Nokia 5.1 has a higher-resolution display than its namesake. In short, we would not consider comparing the two devices against each other but for their similar names.

Processor
Mediatek Helio P60 8 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A73 / A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.80 inch 19:9, 1520 x 720 pixel 290 PPI, Capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 22 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Card Reader: up to 256 GB microSD cards, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, USB Type-C
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM: B2, B3, B5, B8. CDMA. HSPA: B1, B2, B5, B8. LTE: B1, B3, B5, B7, B8, B40, B41., Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.1 x 149.5 x 72 ( = 0.32 x 5.89 x 2.83 in)
Battery
3060 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix Dual: 13 MP, f/2.0 & 5 MP
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/2.2
Additional features
Speakers: 1, Keyboard: Virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty, SAR values: Body – 1.885 W/kg, Head - 0.778 W/kg, fanless
Weight
162 g ( = 5.71 oz / 0.36 pounds), Power Supply: 63 g ( = 2.22 oz / 0.14 pounds)
Price
249 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The 5.1 Plus looks and feels more expensive than it is. HMD Global has designed the device with a metal frame and a glass back in the style of current flagship devices. Conversely, the Nokia 6.1 has an aluminium back that is tougher than glass and is less of a fingerprint magnet too. The 5.1 Plus also has a notched display that reminds us of the design of the Nokia 7.1, which we reviewed a few months ago. By contrast, the trend towards higher screen-to-body ratios appeared to pass the Nokia 5.1 and the Nokia 6 (2018) by. Moreover, the rear-facing camera housing protrudes slightly from the back of the device, which means that our test device cannot lie flat on a table.

Our test device is well-made considering its price. Gaps between materials are even and narrow, while the card slot also sits flush with the frame. Additionally, the hardware buttons have clear pressure points and feel sturdy when pressed. Moreover, our attempts to twist the 5.1 Plus were in vain as it would not even emit a sound regardless of how hard we tried to bend it.

The 5.1 Plus is sealed shut, which means that the battery is not user-replaceable. The device is also dual-SIM, although it only has a hybrid card slot, so you can either use two nano-SIMs or a single SIM and a microSD card.

The front of the device is covered with Gorilla Glass for added impact and scratch-protection. The 5.1 Plus has a smaller footprint than all our comparison devices, although the Nokia 6 (2018) is marginally shorter than our test device. Additionally, the combination of metal and glass helps the 5.1 Plus weigh only 162 g, which makes it lighter than all our comparison devices.

Size Comparison

160.4 mm / 6.31 inch 76.6 mm / 3.02 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs160.2 mm / 6.31 inch 75.7 mm / 2.98 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 191 g0.4211 lbs153.8 mm / 6.06 inch 72.3 mm / 2.85 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 167 g0.3682 lbs153.4 mm / 6.04 inch 74.4 mm / 2.93 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs150.7 mm / 5.93 inch 72.3 mm / 2.85 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 163 g0.3594 lbs149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs148.8 mm / 5.86 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

HMD Global has equipped the 5.1 Plus with a USB Type-C port, which is not always a given with devices in this price range. Please keep in mind that the Type-C operates at USB 2.0, rather than the faster USB 3.0 or 3.1 standards.

The device also supports up to 256-GB microSD cards, according to HMD Global, which corresponds with the SDXC standard. Theoretically, larger microSD cards should work too, but the device does not support exFAT, which limits file sizes to 4 GB. Furthermore, our test device cannot format microSD cards as internal storage, so apps can only be installed on the 32 GB of internal storage.

The 5.1 Plus also supports modern Wi-Fi standards up to 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.2.

HMD Global has equipped the device with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, which puts the 5.1 Plus on par with its competitors. The distribution of ports is unsurprising too. The headphone jack is on the top of the device with the USB port on the underside, while the volume rocker sits above the power button on the right-hand side of the frame. HMD Global has placed the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device. The 5.1 Plus also integrates an FM receiver.

The device scores points for what is under the hood too. The 5.1 Plus is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 SoC, which integrates an ARM Mali-G72 MP3-GPU. The comparatively low-resolution display, which operates at a native 1520x720 resolution, will also help improve CPU, GPU and system performance as the SoC has to render fewer pixels than it would if there was a 1080p display.

Software

The 5.1 Plus ships with Android One 8.1 Oreo, while our test device arrived with relatively recent Android security patches installed. XDA reported in late December 2018 that the 5.1 Plus had started receiving Android 9.0 Pie, but our test device had not received the update at the time of writing.

The Android One OS is a pure version of Android that Google supplies directly with security and system updates. HMD Global can only control the timing of when updates are released and cannot include any bloatware. Google promises to update devices running Android One for two years from launch.

The lack of third-party software is pleasing and ensures that the system can run in a lean manner.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Default app drawer
Default app drawer

Communication & GPS

Our test device performed well in our Wi-Fi tests, averaging over 300 Mb/s in both iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests. Overall, the 5.1 Plus finished on par with the Z2 Pro and the Nokia 6.1, while our other comparison devices finished well short of our test device.

The 5.1 Plus has decent mobile connectivity too and utilises LTE Cat. 4 for up to 150 Mb/s download and 50 Mb/s upload speeds. The device can also connect to almost any network, but 4G connectivity will depend on the region in which you are using the device. Our test device maintained good mobile reception throughout testing.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Nokia 6 2018
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
345 MBit/s +11%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
335 (313min - 342max) MBit/s +7%
BQ Aquaris X2
Adreno 509, SD 636, 32 GB eMMC Flash
322 (275min) MBit/s +3%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 32 GB eMMC Flash
312 (121min - 348max) MBit/s
Honor 8X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
182 (136min - 231max) MBit/s -42%
Motorola Moto G6
Adreno 506, SD 450, 32 GB eMMC Flash
113 MBit/s -64%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
Adreno 506, SD 450, 32 GB eMMC Flash
113 MBit/s -64%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +12%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 32 GB eMMC Flash
337 (318min - 347max) MBit/s
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
336 (200min - 344max) MBit/s 0%
Nokia 6 2018
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
289 MBit/s -14%
BQ Aquaris X2
Adreno 509, SD 636, 32 GB eMMC Flash
275 MBit/s -18%
Honor 8X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
207 (162min - 243max) MBit/s -39%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
Adreno 506, SD 450, 32 GB eMMC Flash
119 MBit/s -65%
Motorola Moto G6
Adreno 506, SD 450, 32 GB eMMC Flash
113 MBit/s -66%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340Tooltip
Nokia 5.1 Plus Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø334 (318-347)
Umidigi Z2 Pro Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø331 (200-344)
Honor 8X HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø207 (162-243)
Nokia 5.1 Plus Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø312 (121-348)
Umidigi Z2 Pro Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø335 (313-342)
Honor 8X HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø182 (136-231)
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Outside
GPS Test: Outside
GPS Test: Outside
GPS Test: Outside

The 5.1 Plus uses BeiDou, GLONASS, GPS and SBASS for location services. Our test device struggles to locate us indoors even when we stand next to a window, but this is expected performance from a budget smartphone. Predictably, GPS accuracy improves outside with our test device achieving a satellite fix with up to three metres accuracy, which is impressive.

We also subjected our test device to a bike ride to compare its location accuracy against the Garmin Edge 500, a professional navigation device. The 5.1 Plus plotted an 80-metre shorter route than the Garmin over an 8.66-km bike ride, which represents a 99% location accuracy. The 5.1 Plus cannot keep up with the Garmin in certain scenarios as demonstrated in the screenshots below. In short, the 5.1 Plus is an excellent navigation system that is easily good enough for general navigation tasks.

GPS Test: Nokia 5.1 Plus - Overview
GPS Test: Nokia 5.1 Plus - Overview
GPS Test: Nokia 5.1 Plus - Lake
GPS Test: Nokia 5.1 Plus - Lake
GPS Test: Nokia 5.1 Plus – Cornering
GPS Test: Nokia 5.1 Plus – Cornering
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 – Overview
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 – Overview
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 – Lake
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 – Lake
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cornering
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cornering

Telephone Features & Call Quality

The 5.1 Plus uses the standard suite of Google telephony apps to handle calls, contacts and texts. The apps function just like they do on other devices that we have tested.

Our test device has decent call quality. Both sides of the call are intelligible, and the speakerphone gets loud enough for making calls from noisy environments. Moreover, the microphone amplifies our voice well and does a good job at suppressing background noise. The included headphones are disappointing though, so we would recommend using other headphones where possible.

Cameras

The 5.1 Plus has dual rear-facing cameras, with the main 13 MP sensor being supported by a 5 MP depth sensor. The Zeiss branding with which HMD Global adorned the Nokia 8 is missing, but the 5.1 Plus has the same camera app, which looks like the Windows Phone Nokia Lumia camera app. The camera app has numerous settings including a manual mode should you wish to try to take a better photo than the automatic mode can.

Historically, Nokia pioneered innovations in smartphone camera tech, so our expectations remain, perhaps naively, exceptionally high. Our test device takes decent-looking photos though, which are detailed and they look clean. The main camera even does a good job at reproducing small objects and fine lines, which is not always the case for budget smartphones. However, our comparison devices generally do a better job at exposing shots than our test device, as demonstrated below in scene 3. Photos taken in low light are particularly poorly exposed, dominated by image noise and they are visibly blurry.

Overall, the 5.1 Plus has rear-facing cameras that are on par with our comparison devices. Likewise, videos look detailed and sharp, although our test device cannot shoot in 4K like the Nokia 6 (2018) can. Time-lapse and slow-motion videos are available though, albeit the 5.1 Plus can only record the latter in a strikingly low resolution.

The front-facing camera is an 8 MP sensor that takes passable photos, which lack sharpness to our eyes. The camera can only record videos in up to 720p too.

Photo taken using the main camera
Photo taken using the main camera
Photo taken using the front-facing camera
Photo taken using the front-facing camera
Bokeh effect photo taken using the main camera
Bokeh effect photo taken using the main camera

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

We also took a closer look at the main camera under controlled lighting conditions. ColorChecker Passport demonstrates that our test device reproduces colours vibrantly, although white and black tones are too bright compared to the reference colour. Grey tones look warmer than they should too.

By contrast, the 5.1 Plus did a great job at capturing our test chart. The chart is uniformly sharp across the entire image, and there is no visible fraying of fine lines or text. There is some image noise at the edges of the chart, and the contrast drops off too, but these are minor quibbles.

A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour

Accessories & Warranty

The 5.1 Plus comes with a USB Type-A to Type-C cable and a charger. There is also some warranty information and a quick-start guide in several languages. There are some headphones too, but the less said about these, the better. They fit poorly in our ears and have underwhelming sound. HMD Global does not currently sell any 5.1 Plus specific accessories, but third-party companies sell cases and screen protectors should you need them.

The 5.1 Plus comes with 24 months manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The Nokia 5.1 Plus has a 10-point multi-touch display, which worked reliably during testing. The display has a smooth finish that proved easy to use during our tests too. Moreover, we noticed no delays while playing Gismart's Piano Free app between our fingers touching the screen and the input being replicated on-screen.

The 5.1 Plus has Google GBoard preinstalled as its default keyboard, which functions just as well as it does on other devices that we have reviewed. You could download another keyboard from the Google Play Store if you prefer though.

The fingerprint sensor is on the back of the device and worked quickly throughout testing. Unfortunately, the fingerprint sensor could not unlock our test device from standby, which is something that we have come to expect from other smartphones.

However, HMD Global has integrated lift-to-wake and tap-to-wake features to simplify using the device. Unfortunately, we still had to swipe again after unlocking our test device with our fingerprint regardless of how we woke it from standby.

Using the number pad in portrait mode
Using the number pad in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in landscape mode
Using the keyboard in landscape mode
Using the keyboard in landscape mode
Using the keyboard in landscape mode
Using the number pad in landscape mode
Using the number pad in landscape mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The 5.1 Plus has a 5.8-inch display that operates natively at 1520x720. The resolution results in a somewhat odd 19:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of around 290 PPI. Our test device achieved an average maximum brightness of 502 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which is better than all our comparison devices except for the BQ Aquaris X2. The 5.1 Plus also has a decent 0.36 cd/m² black value and an impressively high 1425:1 contrast ratio. Only the Z2 Pro of our comparison devices achieved better results in this regard, but the 5.1 Plus blows away devices like the Honor 8X and the Nokia 6 (2018). The Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus has an AMOLED display though, which means that it theoretically has an infinite contrast ratio and can deliver absolute black tones. Moreover, our test device has an 89% evenly lit display, which is respectable but is slightly less homogenous than the Aquaris X2.

We should mention the resolution though as all our comparison devices have Full HD displays. The display in the 5.1 Plus has 1,094,400 pixels, which is less than half of the 2,527,200 that the Honor 8X has. However, in daily use, most people will only notice the difference in resolution if they look closely at the 5.1 Plus next to any of our comparison devices. There are positives to having a lower resolution display, which we will cover in the Performance section of the review.

517
cd/m²
511
cd/m²
467
cd/m²
522
cd/m²
513
cd/m²
488
cd/m²
506
cd/m²
509
cd/m²
481
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 522 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 501.6 cd/m² Minimum: 1.15 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 513 cd/m²
Contrast: 1425:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
93.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.33
Nokia 5.1 Plus
IPS, 1520x720, 5.80
Nokia 6 2018
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Umidigi Z2 Pro
IPS, 2246x1080, 6.20
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
Super AMOLED, 2220x1080, 6.00
Honor 8X
LCD IPS, 2340x1080, 6.50
Motorola Moto G6
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
BQ Aquaris X2
IPS LCD, 2160x1080, 5.65
Screen
-33%
-33%
33%
-29%
-1%
-9%
Brightness middle
513
417
-19%
479
-7%
519
1%
484
-6%
488
-5%
631
23%
Brightness
502
421
-16%
466
-7%
513
2%
469
-7%
478
-5%
622
24%
Brightness Distribution
89
88
-1%
73
-18%
93
4%
93
4%
95
7%
96
8%
Black Level *
0.36
0.61
-69%
0.27
25%
0.55
-53%
0.42
-17%
0.61
-69%
Contrast
1425
684
-52%
1774
24%
880
-38%
1162
-18%
1034
-27%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.2
6.1
-17%
8.2
-58%
1.8
65%
7.3
-40%
3.9
25%
5.5
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
9.8
11.2
-14%
16.2
-65%
3.6
63%
11.1
-13%
6.8
31%
8.5
13%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.1
7.1
-73%
10.5
-156%
1.5
63%
7.4
-80%
5.3
-29%
5.6
-37%
Gamma
2.33 94%
2.16 102%
2.47 89%
2.06 107%
2.16 102%
2.41 91%
2.38 92%
CCT
7423 88%
8362 78%
9193 71%
6462 101%
8534 76%
7146 91%
7531 86%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

We also subjected the 5.1 Plus to further tests with a photo spectrometer and CalMAN analysis software. The results demonstrate that our test device is comparatively colour accurate upon delivery. The 5.1 Plus achieved DeltaE ColorChecker deviations of 5.2, which puts the device in second place behind the Galaxy A6 Plus and is just above the ideal target of 3. Typically, you would have to spend a lot more to get a smartphone with a more colour-accurate display than the one in the 5.1 Plus. Our additional tests flag a slightly blue tint to grey tones, but we did not notice this with our eyes, so we doubt that this would be an issue for most people in daily use.

CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: sRGB Colorspace
CalMAN: sRGB Colorspace
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
46.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 20.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 99 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
66 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 32.4 ms rise
↘ 33.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 98 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The 5.1 Plus is easy to use outdoors thanks to its bright display. The screen got bright enough to overcome most reflections that it encountered during our tests and even those in direct New Year’s sunlight. Correspondingly, our test device is readable in the shade too.

Using the Nokia 5.1 Plus in direct sunlight
Using the Nokia 5.1 Plus in direct sunlight
Using the Nokia 5.1 Plus in the shade
Using the Nokia 5.1 Plus in the shade

Our test device has strong viewing angles too thanks to its IPS display. There are hardly any brightness, colour or image distortions even at acute angles, although black backgrounds look more greyish, which is typical for most displays.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The 5.1 Plus is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60, which we have also seen in the Umidigi Z2 Pro. The octa-core SoC consists of four Cortex-A73 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores that each clock up to 1.81 GHz. The Helio P60 integrates an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU and is complemented by 3 GB of RAM.

The Helio P60 is considerably more powerful than the Helio P10 found in the Nokia 5.1. Our test device finished on par with the best of our comparison devices in most benchmarks, although it consistently fell short of the Honor 8X with its HiSilicon Kirin 710 SoC.

The ARM Mali-G72 GPU also performed well in benchmarks partially because of the 5.1 Plus’ low-resolution display. However, our test device does not get the maximum from its GPU though as demonstrated by comparing GPU benchmark results against what the Umidigi Z2 Pro also achieved. The latter scored more in off-screen benchmarks despite having a higher-resolution display and even scored 25% higher in certain benchmarks. We suspect that the reason for this is that the Umidigi clocks up to 2 GHz while the 5.1 Plus is limited to 1.81 GHz, which is a 5% lower clock speed per core.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Points
Nokia 6 2018
883 Points
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Points
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
754 Points
Honor 8X
1614 Points
Motorola Moto G6
743 Points
BQ Aquaris X2
1323 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1472 - 1487, n=2)
1480 Points
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Points
Nokia 6 2018
4210 Points
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Points
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
3912 Points
Honor 8X
5557 Points
Motorola Moto G6
3868 Points
BQ Aquaris X2
4974 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (5554 - 5743, n=2)
5649 Points
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Points
Nokia 6 2018
3690 Points
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
3229 Points
Honor 8X
4083 Points
Motorola Moto G6
2777 Points
BQ Aquaris X2
4309 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (5172 - 5309, n=2)
5241 Points
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
9065 Points
Nokia 6 2018
5484 Points -40%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
9893 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
5199 Points -43%
Honor 8X
8939 Points -1%
Motorola Moto G6
5321 Points -41%
BQ Aquaris X2
6437 Points -29%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (8609 - 11387, n=7)
9916 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +66%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
7021 Points
Nokia 6 2018
4719 Points -33%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7384 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
4422 Points -37%
Honor 8X
7141 Points +2%
Motorola Moto G6
4552 Points -35%
BQ Aquaris X2
5706 Points -19%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6934 - 7954, n=7)
7309 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +55%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
17082 Points
Nokia 6 2018
17030 Points 0%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
21538 Points +26%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
12825 Points -25%
Honor 8X
20468 Points +20%
Motorola Moto G6
12756 Points -25%
BQ Aquaris X2
19743 Points +16%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (17082 - 22323, n=5)
20432 Points +20%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
16820 Points
Nokia 6 2018
18572 Points +10%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
20991 Points +25%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
12527 Points -26%
Honor 8X
21533 Points +28%
Motorola Moto G6
12441 Points -26%
BQ Aquaris X2
20806 Points +24%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (16820 - 21847, n=5)
19897 Points +18%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
18065 Points
Nokia 6 2018
13196 Points -27%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
23697 Points +31%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
13988 Points -23%
Honor 8X
17450 Points -3%
Motorola Moto G6
13997 Points -23%
BQ Aquaris X2
16747 Points -7%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (18065 - 24828, n=5)
22578 Points +25%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1118 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1332 Points +19%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1273 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
803 Points -28%
Honor 8X
1445 Points +29%
Motorola Moto G6
800 Points -28%
BQ Aquaris X2
1478 Points +32%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1008 - 1755, n=6)
1421 Points +27%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +217%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
983 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1249 Points +27%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1112 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
692 Points -30%
Honor 8X
1280 Points +30%
Motorola Moto G6
690 Points -30%
BQ Aquaris X2
1337 Points +36%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (861 - 1593, n=6)
1272 Points +29%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +297%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2159 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1733 Points -20%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2587 Points +20%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
1832 Points -15%
Honor 8X
2645 Points +23%
Motorola Moto G6
1803 Points -16%
BQ Aquaris X2
2338 Points +8%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2159 - 2720, n=6)
2494 Points +16%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +39%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1309 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1395 Points +7%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1595 Points +22%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
822 Points -37%
Honor 8X
1485 Points +13%
Motorola Moto G6
824 Points -37%
BQ Aquaris X2
1540 Points +18%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1309 - 1817, n=6)
1649 Points +26%
Average of class Smartphone (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +590%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1159 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1320 Points +14%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1423 Points +23%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
713 Points -38%
Honor 8X
1316 Points +14%
Motorola Moto G6
713 Points -38%
BQ Aquaris X2
1402 Points +21%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1159 - 1680, n=6)
1495 Points +29%
Average of class Smartphone (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +1260%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2388 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1740 Points -27%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2765 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
1773 Points -26%
Honor 8X
2697 Points +13%
Motorola Moto G6
1816 Points -24%
BQ Aquaris X2
2359 Points -1%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2388 - 2924, n=6)
2664 Points +12%
Average of class Smartphone (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +82%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
777 Points
Nokia 6 2018
814 Points +5%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
959 Points +23%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
445 Points -43%
Honor 8X
945 Points +22%
Motorola Moto G6
442 Points -43%
BQ Aquaris X2
955 Points +23%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (733 - 1273, n=8)
1052 Points +35%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +246%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
657 Points
Nokia 6 2018
707 Points +8%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
815 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
366 Points -44%
Honor 8X
798 Points +21%
Motorola Moto G6
363 Points -45%
BQ Aquaris X2
816 Points +24%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (628 - 1119, n=8)
910 Points +39%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +307%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2149 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1738 Points -19%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2512 Points +17%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
1852 Points -14%
Honor 8X
2663 Points +24%
Motorola Moto G6
1834 Points -15%
BQ Aquaris X2
2353 Points +9%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2149 - 2528, n=8)
2455 Points +14%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +46%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
853 Points
Nokia 6 2018
907 Points +6%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1007 Points +18%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
497 Points -42%
Honor 8X
950 Points +11%
Motorola Moto G6
498 Points -42%
BQ Aquaris X2
1016 Points +19%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (853 - 1282, n=8)
1116 Points +31%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +667%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
721 Points
Nokia 6 2018
801 Points +11%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
881 Points +22%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
412 Points -43%
Honor 8X
801 Points +11%
Motorola Moto G6
413 Points -43%
BQ Aquaris X2
872 Points +21%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (721 - 1122, n=8)
964 Points +34%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +1194%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2377 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1686 Points -29%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2013 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
1780 Points -25%
Honor 8X
2702 Points +14%
Motorola Moto G6
1786 Points -25%
BQ Aquaris X2
2396 Points +1%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2013 - 2918, n=8)
2540 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points +75%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
40 fps
Nokia 6 2018
31 fps -22%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
31 fps -22%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
20 fps -50%
Honor 8X
36 fps -10%
Motorola Moto G6
20 fps -50%
BQ Aquaris X2
34 fps -15%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (31 - 40, n=6)
34.2 fps -14%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +109%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
30 fps
Nokia 6 2018
30 fps 0%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
37 fps +23%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
22 fps -27%
Honor 8X
39 fps +30%
Motorola Moto G6
22 fps -27%
BQ Aquaris X2
36 fps +20%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (30 - 38, n=6)
35.8 fps +19%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +710%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
29 fps
Nokia 6 2018
15 fps -48%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
18 fps -38%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
8.9 fps -69%
Honor 8X
19 fps -34%
Motorola Moto G6
8.9 fps -69%
BQ Aquaris X2
15 fps -48%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (17 - 29, n=6)
20.2 fps -30%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +146%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
16 fps
Nokia 6 2018
14 fps -12%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
20 fps +25%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
9.3 fps -42%
Honor 8X
21 fps +31%
Motorola Moto G6
9.4 fps -41%
BQ Aquaris X2
16 fps 0%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (16 - 21, n=6)
19.2 fps +20%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +762%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
20 fps
Nokia 6 2018
10 fps -50%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
11 fps -45%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
5.8 fps -71%
Honor 8X
13 fps -35%
Motorola Moto G6
5.8 fps -71%
BQ Aquaris X2
9.8 fps -51%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (11 - 20, n=6)
12.5 fps -37%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +201%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
9.6 fps
Nokia 6 2018
9.8 fps +2%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
12 fps +25%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
6.1 fps -36%
Honor 8X
14 fps +46%
Motorola Moto G6
6.1 fps -36%
BQ Aquaris X2
10 fps +4%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (9.6 - 12, n=6)
11.6 fps +21%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +910%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
7.4 fps
Nokia 6 2018
5.9 fps -20%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
6.7 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
3.3 fps -55%
Honor 8X
6.4 fps -14%
Motorola Moto G6
3.3 fps -55%
BQ Aquaris X2
6 fps -19%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6.7 - 7.4, n=6)
7.03 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +480%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
5.8 fps
Nokia 6 2018
5.6 fps -3%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7.1 fps +22%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
3.5 fps -40%
Honor 8X
7.6 fps +31%
Motorola Moto G6
3.4 fps -41%
BQ Aquaris X2
6.3 fps +9%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (5.8 - 7.7, n=6)
7.05 fps +22%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +910%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
8.6 fps
Umidigi Z2 Pro
6.6 fps -23%
Honor 8X
5.2 fps -40%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6.6 - 8.6, n=7)
7.5 fps -13%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +403%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
6.2 fps
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7.2 fps +16%
Honor 8X
4.6 fps -26%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6.2 - 8.3, n=7)
7.63 fps +23%
Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +915%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
6.4 fps
Umidigi Z2 Pro
4.1 fps -36%
Honor 8X
4.1 fps -36%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2.6 - 6.4, n=7)
4.49 fps -30%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +403%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2.1 fps
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2.6 fps +24%
Honor 8X
2.6 fps +24%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2.1 - 4.3, n=7)
2.87 fps +37%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +1090%
Basemark GPU 1.1
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Umidigi Z2 Pro
8.99 fps
Honor 8X
7.38 (4.38min - 16.86max) fps
Average Mediatek Helio P60
8.99 fps
Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value)
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7.78 fps
Honor 8X
9.43 (4.95min - 26.06max) fps
BQ Aquaris X2
6.63 fps
Average Mediatek Helio P60
7.78 fps
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
7.98 fps
Umidigi Z2 Pro
11.7 fps +47%
Honor 8X
10.26 (5.41min - 30.41max) fps +29%
BQ Aquaris X2
7.5 fps -6%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (7.98 - 11.7, n=2)
9.84 fps +23%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
119367 Points
Nokia 6 2018
90435 Points -24%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
137018 Points +15%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
70016 Points -41%
Honor 8X
140188 Points +17%
Motorola Moto G6
71352 Points -40%
BQ Aquaris X2
116748 Points -2%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (119367 - 138589, n=5)
131946 Points +11%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
91667 Points
Nokia 6 2018
72580 Points -21%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
110668 Points +21%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
55332 Points -40%
Honor 8X
112870 Points +23%
Motorola Moto G6
59454 Points -35%
BQ Aquaris X2
96430 Points +5%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (91667 - 110668, n=4)
102435 Points +12%
VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1029 Score
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1119 Score +9%
Honor 8X
1033 Score 0%
BQ Aquaris X2
681 Score -34%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1029 - 1119, n=2)
1074 Score +4%
Average of class Smartphone (1010 - 10071, n=14, last 2 years)
5281 Score +413%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1830 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1504 Points -18%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2096 Points +15%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
1165 Points -36%
Honor 8X
2410 Points +32%
Motorola Moto G6
1069 Points -42%
BQ Aquaris X2
1972 Points +8%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1830 - 2096, n=4)
1980 Points +8%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +212%
System (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
3817 Points
Nokia 6 2018
3237 Points -15%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
3987 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
2560 Points -33%
Honor 8X
5529 Points +45%
Motorola Moto G6
2560 Points -33%
BQ Aquaris X2
4434 Points +16%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (3817 - 4736, n=4)
4114 Points +8%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +152%
Memory (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2150 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1161 Points -46%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2721 Points +27%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
914 Points -57%
Honor 8X
4360 Points +103%
Motorola Moto G6
770 Points -64%
BQ Aquaris X2
2016 Points -6%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1958 - 2721, n=4)
2276 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +190%
Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1262 Points
Nokia 6 2018
1520 Points +20%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1532 Points +21%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
968 Points -23%
Honor 8X
1456 Points +15%
Motorola Moto G6
965 Points -24%
BQ Aquaris X2
1597 Points +27%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1262 - 1590, n=4)
1468 Points +16%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +1001%
Web (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1083 Points
Nokia 6 2018
895 Points -17%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1161 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
814 Points -25%
Honor 8X
1207 Points +11%
Motorola Moto G6
688 Points -36%
BQ Aquaris X2
1059 Points -2%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1083 - 1161, n=4)
1130 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +37%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
Nokia 5.1 Plus
322 Points
Umidigi Z2 Pro
413 Points +28%
Honor 8X
431 Points +34%
Motorola Moto G6
129 Points -60%
BQ Aquaris X2
260 Points -19%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (322 - 413, n=2)
368 Points +14%
Average of class Smartphone (177 - 6114, n=61, last 2 years)
2145 Points +566%

Legend

 
Nokia 5.1 Plus Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia 6 2018 Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Umidigi Z2 Pro Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 8X HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto G6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
BQ Aquaris X2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509, 32 GB eMMC Flash

The hamstrung CPU speeds do not prevent the 5.1 Plus from scoring well in browser benchmarks, although it scores up to 10% lower than the average of Helio P60-powered devices that we have already tested. We conducted our browser tests using Chrome 71, for reference.

Subjectively speaking, browsing the Internet feels snappy on the 5.1 Plus. Even complex websites and media content load quickly, which is impressive for a device at this price point.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +104%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
47.01 Points +13%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (41.7 - 48.9, n=6)
45.8 Points +10%
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
45.79 Points +10%
BQ Aquaris X2 (Chrome 67)
44.24 Points +6%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrome 71)
41.67 Points
Nokia 6 2018 (Browser: Chrome 65)
28.17 Points -32%
Motorola Moto G6 (Chrome 66)
22.56 Points -46%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67)
22.19 Points -47%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +281%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
9095 Points +4%
BQ Aquaris X2 (Chrome 67)
9004 Points +3%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (8287 - 10257, n=7)
8975 Points +3%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrome 71)
8744 Points
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
8626 Points -1%
Nokia 6 2018 (Browser: Chrome 65)
4993 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67)
4032 Points -54%
Motorola Moto G6 (Chrome 66)
3943 Points -55%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Motorola Moto G6 (Chrome 66)
11751 ms * -155%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67)
11450 ms * -148%
Nokia 6 2018 (Browser: Chrome 65)
9923 ms * -115%
BQ Aquaris X2
4733 ms * -3%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrome 71)
4611 ms *
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (4309 - 4773, n=6)
4486 ms * +3%
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
4309 ms * +7%
Honor 8X
4248 ms * +8%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +64%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +167%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
58 Points +18%
BQ Aquaris X2 (Chrome 67)
54 Points +10%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
54 Points +10%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (43 - 54, n=4)
49.8 Points +2%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
49 Points
Nokia 6 2018 (Chrome 66)
35 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
32 Points -35%
Motorola Moto G6 (Chrome 66)
31 Points -37%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
167 Points +20%
BQ Aquaris X2 (Chrome 67)
164 Points +18%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (139 - 167, n=2)
153 Points +10%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
147 Points +6%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrme 71)
139 Points
Nokia 6 2018
117 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67)
93 Points -33%
Motorola Moto G6 (Chrome 66)
90 Points -35%

* ... smaller is better

The Nokia 5.1 Plus has 32 GB of eMMC flash memory, of which around 22 GB is available upon delivery. HMD Global has equipped the device with reasonably fast storage that delivered above-average performance in benchmarks. Our test device finished bottom overall in our comparison table, but the gap between bottom and top is small.

Our test device also performed well in AndroBench 3-5 when tested with the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, our reference microSD card. The 5.1 Plus cannot reach the card’s maximum potential transfer speeds, but it is on par with our comparison devices and outscored the class average.

Nokia 5.1 PlusNokia 6 2018Umidigi Z2 ProSamsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018Honor 8XMotorola Moto G6BQ Aquaris X2Average 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-9%
16%
-4%
33%
23%
5%
-14%
662%
Sequential Read 256KB
301.6
272.6
-10%
292.9
-3%
298.8
-1%
283.9
-6%
238.2
-21%
270.5
-10%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=247)
-20%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
387%
Sequential Write 256KB
88.9
118.3
33%
188.1
112%
88.5
0%
170
91%
117.2
32%
188.7
112%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
13%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
1113%
Random Read 4KB
77.7
38.78
-50%
86.2
11%
72.9
-6%
49.54
-36%
69.9
-10%
43.9
-44%
43.2 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=247)
-44%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
211%
Random Write 4KB
25.65
15.3
-40%
20.34
-21%
16.1
-37%
59.9
134%
59.9
134%
14.4
-44%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
-13%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
937%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
76.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
83.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
9%
76.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-1%
83.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
9%
75.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
75.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
82.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
8%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-6%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
59.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
61.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
58.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-1%
67.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
14%
68.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
14%
61.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
62.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-11%

Games

The ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU handles almost all games smoothly and at high graphics. Many titles are playable at 60 FPS thanks to the 720p display, although more-complex games like Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG Mobile average below 30 FPS, which is not an enjoyable gaming experience. By contrast, Shadow Fight 3 averaged nearly 50 FPS at high graphics. Interestingly, all three games that we ran on the 5.1 Plus averaged almost the same FPS regardless of the graphics preset at which we set them. Hence, some graphics settings must be set automatically, which renders the graphics presets somewhat redundant.

The positional sensor and touchscreen worked well throughout our games tests. Our test device reacted promptly and accurately when playing Asphalt 9: Legends, so you should have no issues when playing games in daily use.

Shadow Fight 3
Shadow Fight 3
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
Shadow Fight 3
0510152025303540455055Tooltip
Nokia 5.1 Plus; high: Ø48.4 (25-57)
Nokia 5.1 Plus; minimal: Ø49.8 (42-56)
Asphalt 9
0510152025Tooltip
Nokia 5.1 Plus; High Quality: Ø16.3 (12-21)
Nokia 5.1 Plus; Standard / low: Ø18.9 (13-26)
PUBG Mobile
0510152025Tooltip
Nokia 5.1 Plus; Smooth: Ø24.6 (8-26)
Nokia 5.1 Plus; Balanced: Ø24.9 (23-26)
Nokia 5.1 Plus; HD: Ø25 (23-26)

Emissions

Temperature

The 5.1 Plus manages its surface temperatures relatively well. Our test device averages a respectable 30.45 °C when idling, which rises to a maximum of 34.8 °C under sustained load. The 5.1 Plus is on par with the Nokia 6 (2018) in this regard, although the latter is significantly cooler at idle.

Moreover, our test device does not thermal throttle either. We subjected the 5.1 Plus to a looped GFXBench Battery Manhattan benchmark, during which frame rates dropped by around 1%. Such a small change does not constitute thermal throttling, so you should have no problems pushing your 5.1 Plus hard in daily use.

GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test
GFXBench Battery Test: Manhattan OpenGL ES 3.1
GFXBench Battery Test: Manhattan OpenGL ES 3.1
Max. Load
 34.8 °C
95 F
34.4 °C
94 F
34.2 °C
94 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
34.5 °C
94 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 33.1 °C
92 F
33.7 °C
93 F
34.7 °C
94 F
 
Maximum: 34.8 °C = 95 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
31.7 °C
89 F
32.1 °C
90 F
34.1 °C
93 F
31.1 °C
88 F
31.9 °C
89 F
34.7 °C
94 F
31.3 °C
88 F
31.8 °C
89 F
32.5 °C
91 F
Maximum: 34.7 °C = 94 F
Average: 32.4 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  27.8 °C = 82 F | Room Temperature 20.8 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.8 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.7 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The 5.1 Plus has a single speaker on the underside of the device. The speaker is decent and provides a balanced frequency response at mid and high frequencies when the volume is set at medium. The speaker in our test device reaches a maximum of 85.6 dB(A), which is comparatively loud. Predictably, there is no bass, but even larger laptop speakers struggle to reproduce bass tones accurately. In short, the 5.1 Plus has a good speaker for its class.

The device also supports aptX for high-resolution Bluetooth audio. Moreover, the headphone jack also delivers clean-sounding audio.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.7392526.724.33128.723.14026.5265036.934.66326.7218026.92310022.321.512520.222.716017.735.920018.740.725019.250.531515.85840015.661.250013.960.763014.361.780014.861.4100013.459.5125014.367160014.571.3200013.873.6250013.675.1315014.176400014.174.4500014.977.363001578.1800015.272.91000014.972.81250014.7681600014.762.8SPL26.785.6N0.859.8median 14.8median 62.8Delta0.910.935.245.832.946.537.232.231.738.439.639.728.332.227.330.926.929.726.732.52433.620.939.120.947.319.551.118.559.217.568.517.566.715.768.515.872.916.673.615.87515.476.815.578.51676.715.876.41676.116.375.516.375.516.268.616.463.616.452.128.687.21.167.9median 16.4median 68.52.211.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseNokia 5.1 PlusNokia 6 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Nokia 5.1 Plus audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 12.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 54% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 72% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Nokia 6 2018 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the 5.1 Plus is on par with our comparison devices. Our test device consumes a minimum of 0.56 W at idle, which puts it first in our comparison table. However, power consumption rose to a maximum of 5.2 W under load during our tests and averaged 3.11 W when pushed hard, both of which are on the high side compared to its competitors. Overall, the 5.1 Plus consumes slightly more than the average of Helio P60-powered devices that we have currently tested, but this does not make it a particularly power-hungry device.

The 5.1 Plus should be QuickCharge capable. Our test device recharged fully in under two hours with the included charger.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.12 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.56 / 1.72 / 1.76 Watt
Load midlight 3.11 / 5.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Nokia 5.1 Plus
3060 mAh
Nokia 6 2018
3000 mAh
Umidigi Z2 Pro
3550 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
3500 mAh
Honor 8X
3750 mAh
Motorola Moto G6
3000 mAh
BQ Aquaris X2
3100 mAh
Average Mediatek Helio P60
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-0%
-23%
32%
-38%
3%
-26%
-37%
-35%
Idle Minimum *
0.56
0.67
-20%
0.71
-27%
0.62
-11%
0.92
-64%
0.6
-7%
0.65
-16%
0.97 ?(0.56 - 1.8, n=6)
-73%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-60%
Idle Average *
1.72
1.76
-2%
2.01
-17%
0.96
44%
2.3
-34%
1.81
-5%
2.24
-30%
2.36 ?(1.72 - 3.3, n=6)
-37%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
16%
Idle Maximum *
1.76
1.78
-1%
2.03
-15%
0.99
44%
2.32
-32%
1.86
-6%
2.26
-28%
2.41 ?(1.76 - 3.4, n=6)
-37%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
7%
Load Average *
3.11
2.82
9%
3.61
-16%
1.85
41%
4.37
-41%
2.78
11%
3.87
-24%
3.53 ?(2.74 - 4.4, n=6)
-14%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-78%
Load Maximum *
5.2
4.56
12%
7.34
-41%
3.04
42%
6.13
-18%
4.04
22%
6.8
-31%
6.45 ?(5 - 8.3, n=6)
-24%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-58%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The 5.1 Plus has a 3,060 mAh battery, which performed well in our battery life tests. Our test device achieved excellent runtimes at idle, which underlines our power consumption results. Moreover, it lasted a respectable 12:59 hours in our Wi-Fi battery life test, which puts it fourth in our comparison table. However, our test device performed particularly poorly in our battery life under load test, which ends with the 5.1 Plus second bottom of our comparison table overall.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
32h 33min
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 71)
12h 59min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 18min
Nokia 5.1 Plus
3060 mAh
Nokia 6 2018
3000 mAh
Umidigi Z2 Pro
3550 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018
3500 mAh
Honor 8X
3750 mAh
Motorola Moto G6
3000 mAh
BQ Aquaris X2
3100 mAh
Battery Runtime
33%
-0%
24%
9%
1%
-21%
Reader / Idle
1953
1833
-6%
1269
-35%
1817
-7%
1170
-40%
WiFi v1.3
779
942
21%
669
-14%
848
9%
852
9%
553
-29%
617
-21%
Load
198
362
83%
294
48%
335
69%
338
71%
H.264
675
916
600

Pros

+ stock Android experience
+ prompt security updates
+ excellent battery life at idle
+ moderate power consumption
+ low surface temperatures
+ aptX certified
+ support for numerous LTE bands
+ no bloatware
+ good anti-glare display
+ decent cameras
+ robust
+ stylish design
+ games can run at 60 FPS
+ fast touchscreen
+ practicable screen resolution
+ dual-SIM
+ support for up to 256-GB microSD cards

Cons

- included headphones could be comfier
- poor battery life under load
- does not get the most from its SoC
- microSD cards cannot be formatted as internal storage
- poor low-light camera performance

Verdict

The Nokia 5.1 Plus smartphone review. Test device courtesy of HMD Global.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus smartphone review. Test device courtesy of HMD Global.

The Nokia 5.1 Plus is a balanced smartphone. There is nothing particularly wrong with the device, although it does not get the most out of its SoC. Most people would not notice this without having a device like the Umidigi Z2 Pro against which to compare the 5.1 Plus though, so this should not prove an issue in daily use. Moreover, the 5.1 Plus does not do anything that necessarily sets itself out from the Nokia 6.1, although the more modern design of the 5.1 Plus may appeal more to some people. This is a matter of taste though.

The Nokia 5.1 Plus is a well-balanced and affordable smartphone that hardly puts a foot wrong.

There are plenty of positives to talk about too. The 5.1 Plus is elegantly and robustly designed with a powerful SoC, plenty of RAM, a decent camera and a pure Android experience.

Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives with the Nokia 5.1 Plus, and it is a device to which we give a clear recommendation to buy. There are small gripes like the inability to format a microSD card as internal storage and that the SoC is not fully utilised, but these do not detract from the Nokia 5.1 Plus being an excellent budget smartphone.

Nokia 5.1 Plus - 01/04/2019 v6(old)
Florian Schaar

Chassis
90%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 86%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
44 / 60 → 73%
Weight
91%
Battery
96%
Display
85%
Games Performance
42 / 63 → 66%
Application Performance
44 / 70 → 63%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
69 / 91 → 76%
Camera
70%
Average
75%
85%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Nokia 5.1 Plus (Nokia 5X) Smartphone Review
Florian Schaar, 2019-01-10 (Update: 2019-02-23)