Notebookcheck Logo

Nokia 7.1 Smartphone Review

Nokia 7.ONE. HMD's Nokia 7.1 is based on Android One, and thus free of unnecessary apps, most commonly referred to as bloatware. The result is supposed to be a minimalistic and fast system, designed to run even more demanding apps. Find out in our review whether or not this turned out to be true, and how the Nokia 7.1 did when compared to its rivals.
Nokia 7.1

We have already seen the clean and pure flavor of Android, the so-called One Edition or Android One for short, on the Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 5.1, and thus it came as no surprise to see the Nokia 7.1 running the same operating system. With Android One users get a system that is kept up to date and provided with regular security updates by Google itself. In addition, these systems lack third-party bloatware that users might never want to use, and they can thus decide for themselves what apps to install and which ones to ignore.

HMD’s Nokia 7.1 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 and a Adreno 509 GPU with access to 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. Not great, but sufficient for most apps and even a bit of headroom for more demanding applications.

Mid-range smartphones are aplenty, and the Nokia 7.1 is up against a wide variety of rivals. For this review, we have selected Android devices with a similar price-performance ratio, such as the Nokia 7 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018, the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus, the Asus Zenfone 5 (2018) ZE620KL, and the Sharp D10.

Nokia 7.1 (7 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 8 x 1.8 GHz, Kryo 260
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
5.84 inch 19:9, 2280 x 1080 pixel 432 PPI, capacitive, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 22 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm audio, Card Reader: microSD (FAT, FAT32), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity sensor, accelerometer, e-compass, gyroscope, USB Type-C
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM (850/900/1800/1,900), 3G WCDMA (B1/B2/B5/B8), LTE Cat. 6 (B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B38/B40), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8 x 149.7 x 71.2 ( = 0.31 x 5.89 x 2.8 in)
Battery
3060 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix Dual: 12MP (f/1.8, 1.28µm) + 5MP (f/2.4, 1.12µm)
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/2.0, 24mm
Additional features
Speakers: 1 speaker, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, USB power supply, USB Type-C cable, stereo headset, SIM tool, Android One, 24 Months Warranty, Head SAR: 0.26 W/kg, body SAR: 1.74 W/kg, fanless
Weight
160 g ( = 5.64 oz / 0.35 pounds), Power Supply: 77 g ( = 2.72 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
340 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Encased in the Nokia 7.1’s aluminum frame are a front and back made of glass. More precisely, the front is reinforced with Gorilla Glass 3 while the rear is not. The nicely silhouetted beveled edges not only look very classy but also make the device feel very nice to the touch. Build quality is top notch and in line with the smartphone’s elegant design. The two colors options include Blue and Steel.

Its footprint is similar to a regular 6-inch smartphone, albeit with a much shorter long side. Accordingly, it feels like a compact smartphone with maximum screen real estate. At just 160 g (~5.6 oz), its weight puts it among the lightest devices in our test group.

Nokia 7.1
Nokia 7.1
Nokia 7.1
Nokia 7.1
Nokia 7.1
Nokia 7.1

Size Comparison

158.4 mm / 6.24 inch 75.64 mm / 2.98 inch 9.55 mm / 0.376 inch 186 g0.4101 lbs159.8 mm / 6.29 inch 76.8 mm / 3.02 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 168 g0.3704 lbs157 mm / 6.18 inch 75 mm / 2.95 inch 9.6 mm / 0.378 inch 204 g0.4497 lbs153 mm / 6.02 inch 75.7 mm / 2.98 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs149.7 mm / 5.89 inch 71.2 mm / 2.8 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 160 g0.3527 lbs148.2 mm / 5.83 inch 74.2 mm / 2.92 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

Equipped with a Snapdragon 636 mid-range SoC, an Adreno 509 GPU, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage the Nokia 7.1 is sufficiently equipped for most everyday apps and games. However, many competitors in the same price range already offer 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage space for which HMD charges a premium.

In addition to a plethora of sensors, such as the fingerprint reader on the back, the Nokia smartphone also comes with NFC, DualSIM capabilities, and a microSD card reader with support for microSD cards of up to 400 GB. However, you are going to lose the secondary nanoSIM slot by installing a microSD card. If two LTE-capable SIM cards are present both can be used for mobile data connections, and the primary SIM can be chosen in the settings menu.

A single USB Type-C port at the bottom is used for wired data transfers. Unfortunately, it is only connected via USB 2.0 but does support USB-OTG in return. The 3.5-mm headphone jack supports external speakers as well as headsets.

Right: power button, volume rocker
Right: power button, volume rocker
Top: headset
Top: headset
Left: nanoSIM / microSD slot
Left: nanoSIM / microSD slot
Bottom: USB Type-C
Bottom: USB Type-C

Software

For the Nokia 7.1, HMD has chosen the Android One flavor or Android Oreo with security patches as of October 1st, 2018. It is a pure and clean Android system free of third-party bloatware that is going to be kept up to date by Google itself. HMD is marketing the Nokia 7.1 accordingly - the users get to decide what apps they want to have installed on their smartphones.

Software Nokia 7.1
Software Nokia 7.1
Software Nokia 7.1
Software Nokia 7.1
Software Nokia 7.1
Software Nokia 7.1

Communication and GPS

The Nokia 7.1 supports mobile communication in 2G, 3G, and LTE networks. Thanks to LTE Cat. 6 it supports download and upload speeds of 300 and 50 Mbps, respectively. By and large, the bands and frequencies supported by the device are on a par with its competitors, and should suffice for the European market. In the US, it should work just fine on T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s networks. It can take two nanoSIM cards or one nanoSIM and one microSD card. Since the SoC supports even faster LTE speeds on paper the fact that the Nokia 7.1 is limited to LTE Cat. 6 means that its theoretical LTE performance is cut in half.

Other supported wireless communication standards include NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, in our Wi-Fi test it only managed average transfer speeds of 334 and 232 Mbps receiving and transmitting data. Among its competitors, it can be found somewhere in the middle of the Wi-Fi benchmark chart.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
347 MBit/s +50%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 64 GB eMMC Flash
320 (164min - 362max) MBit/s +38%
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
308 MBit/s +33%
Nokia 7.1
Adreno 509, SD 636, 32 GB eMMC Flash
232 (217min - 244max) MBit/s
Sharp D10
Adreno 508, SD 630, 64 GB eMMC Flash
163 (79min - 172max) MBit/s -30%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +13%
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
339 MBit/s +1%
Sharp D10
Adreno 508, SD 630, 64 GB eMMC Flash
336 (287min - 344max) MBit/s +1%
Nokia 7.1
Adreno 509, SD 636, 32 GB eMMC Flash
334 (311min - 342max) MBit/s
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
309 MBit/s -7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 64 GB eMMC Flash
279 (265min - 284max) MBit/s -16%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340Tooltip
Nokia 7.1; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø334 (311-342)
Nokia 7.1; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø232 (217-244)
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

We use the app “GPS Test” to evaluate a smartphone’s GPS capabilities. Outdoors, GPS accuracy was fairly decent at 3 m (~10 ft). Indoors, we were unable to obtain GPS lock due to lack of satellite connection. Supported location services include GPS and GLONASS, and we would have wished for Galileo support given the smartphone’s European heritage.

We also take each and every device out on a short biking trip around the block, and compare it to a professional Garmin Edge 500 satnav. In this test, we found the Nokia 7.1 to be fairly inaccurate as it located us next to our actual track. Sudden changes of direction are also recorded improperly while curves and bends were recorded perfectly fine.

GPS Nokia 7.1
GPS Nokia 7.1
GPS Nokia 7.1
GPS Nokia 7.1
GPS Nokia 7.1
GPS Nokia 7.1
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500

Telephony and Call Quality

HMD has opted for Nokia’s default telephony app with access to a dial pad, the call log, and contacts. Call quality was immaculate and maximum volume was high enough even for noisy environments. Ambient noise is filtered to a certain degree, and the Nokia smartphone is very well-suited for telephony in most situations.

The included headset worked great for making phone calls, albeit voices were slightly muffled.

Cameras

Front-facing camera
Front-facing camera

The dual-camera at the back features a 12 MP sensor with an f1.8 Zeiss lens and a 5 MP sensor with an f 2.4 Zeiss lens. The front-facing camera features a single 8 MP sensor with an f/2.0 lens and turned out to take decent photos even under less than ideal lighting conditions. It loses a bit of detail overall, which can be best seen in finely granulated patterns, but in return manages to retain its ability to delimit areas with diverging color patterns. The camera menu includes options for various AI gimmicks and beautification features as well as picture-in-picture and an auto-timer. A professional mode allows for manual adjustment of ISO, white balance, shutter speed, and exposure.

The main camera’s panorama feature turned out to be mediocre at best, with colors that were slightly too dark and edges that seemed rather blurry when zoomed in. Overall, we would consider illumination to be pretty imbalanced, which was particularly detrimental to photos with a high dynamic range. Close-up colors were much more defined and differences in brightness had a lesser impact on image quality. Fine patterns and edges were sharp and the overall image quality was very decent. In poor lighting conditions the photos remained recognizable albeit visibly blurry and underexposed. In addition to the same options as for the front-facing shooter, the rear-facing camera menu also included a bokeh mode that can be used to further highlight the foreground by blurring the background.

Video quality was consistent with the photo quality by and large. However, poor lighting conditions resulted in a much higher level of picture graininess, and there was no option to set the video resolution. Instead, the camera menu included AI stickers that could be added to the video as well as an auto-timer. It also came with support for YouTube and Facebook live streaming, time lapse, and slow motion.

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
ColorChecker Passport
ColorChecker Passport

We test every camera under normalized condition with the ColorChecker passport to determine the color accuracy. In the case of the Nokia 7.1 colors were too bright and yellows were more accurate than the rest of the color spectrum. Dark grays turned out to be too bright while blacks turned out to be too dark.

Our test chart turned out overexposed and thus too bright under these normalized conditions. While colors were too bright the camera managed to retain the patterns and fine details. Both lower corners were visibly pale.

Nokia 7.1 test chart
Nokia 7.1 test chart (zoomed in)

Accessories and Warranty

Included in the Nokia 7.1’s box are a modular USB charger, a USB Type-C cable, a stereo headset, and a SIM tool. Additional accessories specifically tailored to the Nokia 7.1 are not available.

While Europeans get a full 2 years of warranty US customers are once again deprived of that second year and limited to just 12 months. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Handling

HMD has opted for the default Google GBoard keyboard as standard keyboard for their Nokia 7.1 smartphone. The well-known keyboard application is well-suited for longer texts. The touchscreen was very responsive and sensitive. Unfortunately, it suffered from too much overall drag and made drag & drop operations more difficult than expected. The display was also very susceptible to fingerprints. The orientation sensor was a bit laggy, and rotating the screen contents took a short yet noticeable moment.

A fingerprint reader is located at the back of the device. It worked very reliably and unlocked the smartphone almost instantaneously.

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The Nokia 7.1’s 5.84-inch IPS display runs at a native resolution of 2280x1080. At 550 nits, the display was the darkest of all devices in our test group. Brightness distribution was measured at 91% and on a par with its competitors.

At brightness levels of 21% or below we found PWM flickering at a high frequency of 2,315 Hz. This frequency should be high enough to avoid eye strain and headaches even in more sensitive users.

538
cd/m²
575
cd/m²
525
cd/m²
535
cd/m²
577
cd/m²
547
cd/m²
539
cd/m²
559
cd/m²
553
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 577 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 549.8 cd/m² Minimum: 1.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 577 cd/m²
Contrast: 1603:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 10.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.29
Nokia 7.1
IPS, 2280x1080, 5.84
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
IPS, 2246x1080, 6.20
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Super AMOLED, 2220x1080, 6.00
Sharp D10
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.90
Screen
10%
30%
41%
11%
Brightness middle
577
595
3%
597
3%
570
-1%
745
29%
Brightness
550
561
2%
592
8%
565
3%
723
31%
Brightness Distribution
91
87
-4%
92
1%
93
2%
89
-2%
Black Level *
0.36
0.54
-50%
0.32
11%
0.6
-67%
Contrast
1603
1102
-31%
1866
16%
1242
-23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.4
4.2
43%
2.4
68%
1.5
80%
4.52
39%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
15
6
60%
5.3
65%
3.6
76%
9.14
39%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.2
4.7
54%
3.4
67%
1.2
88%
5.8
43%
Gamma
2.29 96%
2.12 104%
2.2 100%
2.07 106%
2.262 97%
CCT
9657 67%
7577 86%
7172 91%
6504 100%
7660 85%

* ... 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 detected 2315 Hz ≤ 21 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2315 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 21 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2315 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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.

When inspected in our lab, the display showed a decent contrast ratio of 1,603:1 at a slightly elevated black level of 0.36 nits. Overall, the Nokia 7.1 turned out to be among the top devices in our test group.

By using CalMAN for a more detailed color analysis, we discovered a very pronounced blue tint. Unfortunately, the operating system does not come with color profile presets nor does it allow for a manual adjustment of color balance or color temperature.

CalMAN - color space coverage
CalMAN - color space coverage
CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy
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
18.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 12.4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 35 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
43.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.4 ms rise
↘ 23.2 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. » 69 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Thanks to its high brightness, the Nokia 7.1 remained easily usable outdoors. That said the display coating was highly reflective, which impacted readability noticeably. Indoors, we noticed distracting reflections from artificial light sources such as ceiling lights.

Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors

The viewing angles were as wide as expected of an IPS panel, and the display remained readable without distorting regardless of angle. As long as reflections do not impede visibility, the display can be read even from the most acute angles.

Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Nokia 7.1 is equipped with a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC and an Adreno 509 GPU combined with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal eMMC storage. Accordingly, it is outclassed by some of its competitors. That said, performance should be ample for everyday applications and casual gaming. While Europeans can opt for a better equipped SKU with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, this higher-end device is the only SKU currently available in the US and Canada.

In our tests, the Nokia 7.1 did comparatively well and landed somewhere in the top half in most benchmarks. The 3D performance was even better, and every now and then the device outperformed the entire competition.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1333 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1506 Points +13%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
858 Points -36%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1525 Points +14%
Sharp D10
875 Points -34%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1323 - 1506, n=11)
1351 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +280%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
4902 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
5426 Points +11%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
4152 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
4429 Points -10%
Sharp D10
4203 Points -14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (4781 - 5426, n=11)
4960 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +176%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
4560 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
5041 Points +11%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
3621 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
4026 Points -12%
Sharp D10
3728 Points -18%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (4278 - 5041, n=11)
4505 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +132%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
6343 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
6999 Points +10%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
5659 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
5625 Points -11%
Sharp D10
5796 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (6040 - 7618, n=11)
6624 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +138%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
5663 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
6068 Points +7%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
4953 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
5387 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (5611 - 6277, n=11)
5833 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +92%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
19762 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
20404 Points +3%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
16972 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
15167 Points -23%
Sharp D10
17032 Points -14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (19525 - 20404, n=11)
19846 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
20610 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
20722 Points +1%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
18472 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
15567 Points -24%
Sharp D10
18635 Points -10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (20610 - 21067, n=11)
20839 Points +1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
17274 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
19365 Points +12%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
13217 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
13914 Points -19%
Sharp D10
13090 Points -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (15766 - 19365, n=11)
17020 Points -1%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1462 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1493 Points +2%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1334 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
960 Points -34%
Sharp D10
1351 Points -8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1458 - 1493, n=11)
1475 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +139%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1323 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1329 Points 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1248 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
845 Points -36%
Sharp D10
1269 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1313 - 1353, n=11)
1331 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +191%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
2316 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2626 Points +13%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1757 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1829 Points -21%
Sharp D10
1743 Points -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1349 - 2626, n=11)
2280 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +29%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1534 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1525 Points -1%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1381 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1071 Points -30%
Sharp D10
1395 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1525 - 1568, n=11)
1541 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9014 Points +488%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1396 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1358 Points -3%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1303 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
954 Points -32%
Sharp D10
1325 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1358 - 1406, n=11)
1395 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15728 Points +1027%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
2347 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2683 Points +14%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1744 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1871 Points -20%
Sharp D10
1711 Points -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (2288 - 2683, n=11)
2386 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4327 Points +84%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
945 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
962 Points +2%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
824 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
741 Points -22%
Sharp D10
832 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (934 - 962, n=11)
950 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +182%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
811 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
814 Points 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
718 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
634 Points -22%
Sharp D10
723 Points -11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (797 - 818, n=11)
812 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +227%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
2251 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2634 Points +17%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1712 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1821 Points -19%
Sharp D10
1755 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (2251 - 2634, n=11)
2358 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +39%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1009 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
972 Points -4%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
903 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
737 Points -27%
Sharp D10
912 Points -10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (765 - 1016, n=11)
980 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 20131, n=175, last 2 years)
6514 Points +546%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
869 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
823 Points -5%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
793 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
629 Points -28%
Sharp D10
806 Points -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (645 - 872, n=11)
841 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 33376, n=174, last 2 years)
9281 Points +968%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
2310 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2644 Points +14%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1756 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1845 Points -20%
Sharp D10
1697 Points -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (2258 - 2644, n=11)
2372 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone (938 - 8480, n=174, last 2 years)
4150 Points +80%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
34 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
34 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
28 fps -18%
Sharp D10
29 fps -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (30 - 40, n=12)
34.3 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +144%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
35 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
36 fps +3%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
30 fps -14%
Sharp D10
30 fps -14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (35 - 36, n=12)
35.6 fps +2%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +597%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
15 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
15 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
13 fps -13%
Sharp D10
14 fps -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (13 - 18, n=12)
15 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +373%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
16 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
16 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
14 fps -12%
Sharp D10
13 fps -19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (16 - 16, n=12)
16 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +763%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
9.6 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
9.8 fps +2%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
9.3 fps -3%
Sharp D10
9.6 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (5.7 - 12, n=12)
9.47 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +524%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
10 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
10 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
9.8 fps -2%
Sharp D10
9.8 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (6.3 - 10, n=12)
9.68 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +867%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
5.9 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
6 fps +2%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
5.3 fps -10%
Sharp D10
5.4 fps -8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (5.1 - 7.4, n=12)
5.96 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +627%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
6.3 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
6.3 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
5.6 fps -11%
Sharp D10
5.5 fps -13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (6.3 - 6.3, n=12)
6.3 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +830%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
5.5 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
5.3 fps -4%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
5.4 fps -2%
Sharp D10
5.4 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (4.9 - 6.9, n=9)
5.59 fps +2%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=219, last 2 years)
43.2 fps +685%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
6 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
6 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
5.6 fps -7%
Sharp D10
5.6 fps -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (5.4 - 6.1, n=9)
5.93 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 229, n=219, last 2 years)
63 fps +950%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
3.5 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
3.4 fps -3%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
3.1 fps -11%
Sharp D10
3.2 fps -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (2 - 4.4, n=9)
3.27 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 105, n=219, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +820%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
2.2 fps
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2.2 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1.9 fps -14%
Sharp D10
1.9 fps -14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (2.2 - 3.5, n=9)
2.36 fps +7%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 94, n=219, last 2 years)
25.1 fps +1041%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
116496 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
138661 Points +19%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
89006 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
122826 Points +5%
Sharp D10
90099 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (115565 - 138661, n=11)
118863 Points +2%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
95013 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
125213 Points +32%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
70346 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
87728 Points -8%
Sharp D10
72035 Points -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (92015 - 125213, n=10)
98051 Points +3%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1941 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2156 Points +11%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1570 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
2009 Points +4%
Sharp D10
1539 Points -21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1734 - 2156, n=10)
1957 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +194%
System (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
4457 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
5348 Points +20%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
3284 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
4506 Points +1%
Sharp D10
3298 Points -26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (4320 - 5348, n=10)
4559 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +116%
Memory (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1917 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
2314 Points +21%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1334 Points -30%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
2445 Points +28%
Sharp D10
1235 Points -36%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1236 - 2492, n=10)
1958 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +225%
Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1590 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1605 Points +1%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
1480 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1356 Points -15%
Sharp D10
1495 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (1590 - 1632, n=10)
1608 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +774%
Web (sort by value)
Nokia 7.1
1046 Points
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
1088 Points +4%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
936 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1090 Points +4%
Sharp D10
921 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (876 - 1088, n=10)
1037 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +42%

Legend

 
Nokia 7.1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 Samsung Exynos 7885, ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sharp D10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 64 GB eMMC Flash

In our browser benchmarks the device once again performed well enough to secure its place in the top half. The web browser launched quickly and loaded web sites without noticeable lag. Media contents loaded within an acceptably short period of time and ran smoothly once loaded.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +332%
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL (Chrome 67)
51.5 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
47.99 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (44.2 - 51.5, n=11)
45.3 Points 0%
Nokia 7.1 (Chrome 70)
45.08 Points
Sharp D10 (Chrome 70)
27.85 Points -38%
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus (Chrome 67)
27.61 Points -39%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +289%
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL (Chrome 67)
9746 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
9165 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (8163 - 9746, n=12)
8665 Points 0%
Nokia 7.1 (Chrome 70)
8627 Points
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus (Chrome 67)
5017 Points -42%
Sharp D10 (Chrome 70)
5004 Points -42%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus (Chrome 67)
10086 ms * -121%
Sharp D10 (Chrome 70)
9807 ms * -115%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (4105 - 5066, n=12)
4688 ms * -3%
Nokia 7.1 (Chrome 70)
4562 ms *
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
4123 ms * +10%
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL (Chrome 67)
4105 ms * +10%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +64%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=119, last 2 years)
131.8 Points +144%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
57 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (46 - 61, n=9)
54.4 Points +1%
Nokia 7.1 (Chrome 70)
54 Points
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus (Chrome 67)
37 Points -31%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
168 Points +14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (147 - 184, n=8)
158 Points +7%
Nokia 7.1 (Chrome 70)
147 Points
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus (Chrome 67)
106 Points -28%

* ... smaller is better

Out of the box around 22 GB of the smartphone’s internal 32 GB storage space were accessible. The storage chips based on eMMC technology offered average performance that was slightly slower than its competitors.

The microSD card reader supports microSD cards with up to 400 GB. Unfortunately, microSD cards cannot be formatted as internal storage and are thus unavailable for storing applications. Performance was average, yet decent when benchmarked with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference card. Keep in mind that the Nokia 7.1 does not support exFAT, and is thus limited to files of up to 4 GB in size.

Please also bear in mind that by installing a microSD card you will lose access to the secondary nanoSIM slot.

Nokia 7.1Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KLSony Xperia XA2 PlusSamsung Galaxy A7 2018 Sharp D10Average 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
124%
17%
20%
22%
5%
950%
Sequential Read 256KB
250.9
286.6
14%
281.1
12%
295.8
18%
280.7
12%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=247)
-4%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
485%
Sequential Write 256KB
126
201.8
60%
146.2
16%
104.9
-17%
211.5
68%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
-20%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
755%
Random Read 4KB
44.9
71.2
59%
77.4
72%
84
87%
47.2
5%
43.2 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=247)
-4%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
437%
Random Write 4KB
11.93
83.5
600%
10.5
-12%
15.45
30%
16.79
41%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
88%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
2121%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
85.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
86 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
78.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
83.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-14%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
61.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
65.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
7%
67 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
9%
64.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
63.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
4%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-14%

Gaming

Graphics are handled by an Adreno 509 GPU, which performed sufficiently well to run games with average demands smoothly by and large. We were able to run both, "Arena of Valor" and "Asphalt 9: Legends" very well on high details. The touchscreen was very precise and responsive, and so was the orientation sensor. Unfortunately, the display’s aforementioned increased resistance and drag turned out to be a killjoy after a while as it led to untimely signs of fatigue in our fingers.

Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor

Asphalt 9: Legends

051015202530Tooltip
Nokia 7.1; High Quality: Ø29.4 (23-31)
Nokia 7.1; Standard / low: Ø29.7 (27-31)

Arena of Valor

051015202530Tooltip
Nokia 7.1; min: Ø30.9 (29-32)
Nokia 7.1; high HD: Ø30.4 (29-31)

Emissions

Temperature

Manhatten 3.1
Manhatten 3.1
ES 2.0
ES 2.0

Surface temperatures remained inconspicuous and never exceeded 35 °C (~95 °F) when idle and 38 °C (~100 °F) under load. The smartphone felt warm to the touch, but never uncomfortably so.

GFXBench’s demanding sustained load benchmarks ES 2.0 and Manhattan 3.1 showed a consistent performance regardless of core temperatures. Thus, we do not expect any thermal throttling to occur during normal everyday use.

Max. Load
 34.4 °C
94 F
34.2 °C
94 F
38.2 °C
101 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
32.4 °C
90 F
34.2 °C
94 F
 
 31.8 °C
89 F
33.2 °C
92 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 38.2 °C = 101 F
Average: 33.8 °C = 93 F
33.3 °C
92 F
33.3 °C
92 F
35.5 °C
96 F
33.3 °C
92 F
33.1 °C
92 F
35.3 °C
96 F
32.4 °C
90 F
33.1 °C
92 F
33 °C
91 F
Maximum: 35.5 °C = 96 F
Average: 33.6 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  26.4 °C = 80 F | Room Temperature 21.1 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.8 °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 38.2 °C / 101 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 35.5 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heatmap top
Heatmap top
Heatmap bottom
Heatmap bottom

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The Nokia 7.1’s speaker was fairly loud and geared noticeably towards high frequencies. Bass is massively under represented, and the result is a rather feebly sounding soundscape. However, the speaker is good enough for occasional media consumption. The included stereo headset did a much better job, but was too bass-heavy in return, which made it hard to understand voices clearly.

Headsets and external speakers can be connected via the 3.5-mm headphone jack. It was very tight and had no negative impact on sound quality.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.734.92525293126.823.64026.322.35029.832.96327.432.180212210019.528.412518.835.316019.243.920017.646.525016.952.231515.857.84001561.3500156763014.770.380014.866.4100014.672.8125014.373160013.472.3200014.473.6250014.473.5315014.876.340001580.3500014.883.2630014.783.780001580.11000014.971.61250015.272.11600015.760SPL26.889.9N0.977.4median 15median 72.1Delta0.69.230.733.82528.726.828.426.328.729.838.227.424.72123.219.525.818.825.719.240.417.641.316.947.415.855.51556.71562.814.766.914.86814.666.514.369.213.471.814.472.514.473.214.876.61577.714.875.314.774.31575.314.972.815.264.515.755.126.885.50.961.4median 15median 66.90.610.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseNokia 7.1Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Nokia 7.1 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 40% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 60% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Overall, the Nokia 7.1 turned out to be a pretty efficient device. A minimum of just 1.01 W when idle and a maximum of 5.56 W under load were comparatively low. However, it was still slightly more power hungry than the average of its class.

The included 18-W charger is amply dimensioned to charge the phone at all times and regardless of load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.01 / 2.2 / 2.25 Watt
Load midlight 3.76 / 5.56 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 7.1
3060 mAh
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
3300 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
3580 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
3300 mAh
Sharp D10
2900 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-107%
25%
5%
26%
-12%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
1.01
1.75
-73%
0.35
65%
0.71
30%
0.7
31%
0.944 ?(0.6 - 1.75, n=12)
7%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Average *
2.2
4.48
-104%
1.81
18%
1.36
38%
1
55%
2.22 ?(1.4 - 4.48, n=12)
-1%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
34%
Idle Maximum *
2.25
4.5
-100%
1.83
19%
1.47
35%
1.4
38%
2.54 ?(2 - 4.5, n=12)
-13%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
28%
Load Average *
3.76
7.92
-111%
3.31
12%
5.13
-36%
3.7
2%
4.51 ?(3.65 - 7.92, n=12)
-20%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-48%
Load Maximum *
5.56
13.62
-145%
4.97
11%
7.89
-42%
5.2
6%
7.37 ?(5.1 - 13.6, n=12)
-33%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-49%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our Wi-Fi test, the Nokia 7.1 ran out of power after just 5:46 hours. Comparable devices, such as the Sharp D10, will outlast today’s review unit by at least two hours despite their even smaller batteries.

Charging the 3,060 mAh battery from near empty to full with the included charger took around two hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
16h 23min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 46min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 27min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 36min
Nokia 7.1
3060 mAh
Asus Zenfone 5 ZE620KL
3300 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
3580 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
3300 mAh
Sharp D10
2900 mAh
Battery Runtime
44%
208%
66%
86%
Reader / Idle
983
4682
376%
1467
49%
H.264
507
893
76%
836
65%
WiFi v1.3
346
497
44%
837
142%
605
75%
644
86%
Load
156
529
239%
273
75%

Pros

+ security updates for at least 3 years
+ no third-party apps
+ solid performance
+ appealing design

Cons

- low on memory
- average battery life
- display suffered from severe blue tint

Verdict

In review: Nokia 7.1. Review unit courtesy of HMD Global Germany.
In review: Nokia 7.1. Review unit courtesy of HMD Global Germany.

After putting the Nokia 7.1 through its paces we feel confident to say that it is a solid mid-range smartphone that excels primarily through its design. Connectivity is not its strong suit, and many a competitor can be had with better connectivity for less money. However, it makes up for it by running the pure and clean Android One flavor of Oreo. Thus, the user remains in charge over the installed applications and security updates are provided for three years thanks to Google.

The Nokia 7.1 is a good-looking device offering solid performance. However, neither battery life nor connectivity are on a par with its competitors.

The system performance is sufficient for most everyday tasks, and it is even capable of running more demanding apps. At just 32 GB, the internal storage is somewhat limited, and microSD cards cannot be used as internal storage but media files only. In addition, battery life is pretty poor. The main camera turned out to be halfway decent, and a better equipped SKU with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage is available if so desired.

Nokia 7.1 - 11/26/2018 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
86%
Keyboard
66 / 75 → 88%
Pointing Device
85%
Connectivity
44 / 60 → 73%
Weight
91%
Battery
88%
Display
83%
Games Performance
45 / 63 → 71%
Application Performance
58 / 70 → 82%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
72 / 91 → 79%
Camera
70%
Average
75%
84%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 4 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
Mike Wobker, 2018-11-27 (Update: 2019-02-26)