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Nokia 7 Plus Smartphone Review

Android One smartphone. Buyers of the Nokia 7 Plus will enjoy timely software updates, stock Android and up-to-date security patches thanks to the Android One Program. Whether the new mid-range smartphone with the brand-new Snapdragon 660 can also impress in terms of hardware, you can learn in our extensive review.

During this year’s Mobile World Congress (2018) in Barcelona, Nokia, which is now owned by the Finnish company HMD Global, presented the Nokia 7 Plus. The mid-range smartphone features a 6-inch, 2160x1080 IPS display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and is powered by the new mid-range processor from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 660. In addition, the Nokia smartphone has 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64 GB of expandable storage.

The rear dual-camera module, which enables optical zoom, consists of a 12 MP as well as a 13 MP sensor and is adorned with the word Zeiss (the name of the German manufacturer of optical systems).

The new mid-range dual-SIM device from Nokia is currently available for about 380 Euros (~$447). The main competitors of the Nokia 7 Plus include: The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra, the Wiko WIM, the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018), the OnePlus 5T as well as the Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL. For 50/100 Euros (~$58/117) more, you can get the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Nokia 7 Plus (7 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 8 x 2.2 GHz, Kryo 260
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
6.00 inch 2:1, 2160 x 1080 pixel 402 PPI, Capacitive, Multi-Touch, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 48 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD-cards up to 256 GB , 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity sensor, motion sensor, E-compass, Gyroscope, Hall effect sensor, USB-C, Miracast, OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GPRS / EDGE (2G): 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz; UMTS / HSPA (3G): 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz; LTE (4G): 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz - Frequenz-Bänder 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.55 x 158.4 x 75.64 ( = 0.38 x 6.24 x 2.98 in)
Battery
3800 mAh Lithium-Ion, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 19 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 720 h
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix Dual-camera 12 MP (f/1.75, 1.4 µm) + 12 MP (f/2.6, 1.0 µm)
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix f/2.0, 1.0 µm
Additional features
Speakers: Mono speaker with SMART amp, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Keyboard Light: yes, Protective cover, USB-C charger, charging/data cable, manual, SIM card ejection tool, Android One, 24 Months Warranty, SAR: 0.361 W/kg (head), 1.77 W/kg(body), fanless
Weight
186 g ( = 6.56 oz / 0.41 pounds), Power Supply: 51 g ( = 1.8 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
399 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - The smartphone from Nokia is a real looker

Color schemes...
Color schemes...
...of the Nokia 7 Plus
...of the Nokia 7 Plus

The 186-gram Nokia smartphone is available in two color schemes: “Black Copper” and “White Copper”. The front of the smartphone consists of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The slightly rounded sides are composed of metal.

Visually, the Nokia 7 Plus leaves a very positive impression. The ornamental elements as well as the glossy copper-colored sides make the device seem very noble. In addition, the build quality of the Nokia 7 Plus is just as good as those of other modern high-end smartphones.

The case, which was crafted from a 6000 series solid aluminum block, does not prove to be very ergonomic in the hand. The machined metal sides are very angular and therefore feel jarring when compared to the smooth curves of the 2.5 D glass on the front and the back. The back of the device is coated with plastic, which makes it very grippy and very resistant to fingerprints. However, because of this, the smartphone loses a little bit of value, because this coating feels quite “plasticky” to the touch. 

The IPS display has very thin bezels. However, it cannot compete with the bezel-less design of other smartphones from 2018. This is reflected in the screen-to-body ratio of “only” 77.6%. However, this result is quite normal in this price range.

The physical buttons on the right side offer a very good actuation point. In addition, both the volume rocker and the power button are set very firmly in the frame, and therefore they do not exhibit any wobbling.

Follow-up: HMD Global has confirmed that the back has a ceramic coating.

Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus

Size Comparison

163 mm / 6.42 inch 80 mm / 3.15 inch 9.5 mm / 0.374 inch 221 g0.4872 lbs158.4 mm / 6.24 inch 75.64 mm / 2.98 inch 9.55 mm / 0.376 inch 186 g0.4101 lbs156.2 mm / 6.15 inch 75.3 mm / 2.96 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 160 g0.3527 lbs156.1 mm / 6.15 inch 75 mm / 2.95 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs154 mm / 6.06 inch 74.8 mm / 2.94 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 147 g0.3241 lbs149.2 mm / 5.87 inch 70.6 mm / 2.78 inch 8.4 mm / 0.3307 inch 172 g0.3792 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 68.1 mm / 2.68 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The device offers 64 GB of internal eMMC memory. However, only 48.2 GB is available to the user. In addition, the storage space can be expanded with the help of a MicroSD card. The integrated MicroSD card reader supports SDHC as well as SDXC cards and can utilize SD cards with a capacity of up to 256 GB. However, internal and external storage cannot be linked together.

The mid-range smartphone has a USB Type-C port on the bottom of the device. However, this port only operates at USB 2.0 speeds. You can connect peripheral devices such as external keyboards or USB drives to the smartphone with the help of an OTG adapter. Miracast can be used to wirelessly cast your screen content to an external display. The Nokia 7 Plus also features support for VoLTE and FM radio.

Left side
Left side
Top side
Top side
Right side
Right side
Bottom side
Bottom side

Software - Nokia smartphone with up-to-date Android

The Nokia 7 Plus arrives via Google’s Android One program. This implies regular security updates as well as two years of system updates. Our review device comes with Android 8.1 preinstalled and its security patches come from April 2018.

In terms of software, there is not much to say about Android One devices: They run Google’s operating system in its pure form. Whether you like this kind of Android purism or not. Settings options of, for example, the Huawei P20 Pro, are not offered to a buyer of the Nokia 7 Plus.

Communication and GPS

When it comes to the communications modules, HMD Global relies on Bluetooth 5.0 as well as NFC for short-distance communication between mobile devices. The integrated Wi-Fi module of the Nokia smartphone supports the IEEE-802.11 standards a/b/g/n/ac and operates not only in the 2.4 GHz spectral band but also in the 5 GHz band, as is usual for devices in this price range. In everyday use, the reception quality and the signal stability of the Wi-Fi module are quite good.  

In close proximity to the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V), we measured a signal attenuation of -37 dBm. In combination with our reference-grade router, the Linksys EA8500, the Nokia 7 Plus achieves good transfer rates of 307 Mbit/s (upload) and 247 Mbit/s (download).

In the mobile Internet, the Nokia 7 Plus can achieve a download speed of up to 300 Mbit/s thanks to its LTE Cat-6 module. All the LTE bands that are relevant for Germany are supported. Quad-band GSM and quad-band UMTS are also supported. All in all, the built-in LTE module provides access to 13 LTE bands. Nevertheless, this is not enough to make the Nokia 7 Plus a true “world phone”. Having said that, it misses the target by a very small margin.

The Nokia smartphone can use two nano-SIM cards at the same time. However, when this is the case, an SD card cannot be used. In dual-SIM mode, neither of the SIM cards is limited in terms of the frequency range.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12 (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
307 MBit/s
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
55.7 MBit/s -82%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
305 MBit/s -1%
Wiko WIM
Adreno 506, 626, 64 GB eMMC Flash
276 MBit/s -10%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 32 GB eMMC Flash
269 MBit/s -12%
OnePlus 5T
Adreno 540, SD 835, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
650 MBit/s +112%
Samsung Galaxy S8
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
651 MBit/s +112%
Huawei P20 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
437 MBit/s +42%
iperf3 receive AX12 (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
247 MBit/s
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
53.7 MBit/s -78%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
334 MBit/s +35%
Wiko WIM
Adreno 506, 626, 64 GB eMMC Flash
351 MBit/s +42%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 32 GB eMMC Flash
280 MBit/s +13%
OnePlus 5T
Adreno 540, SD 835, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
386 MBit/s +56%
Samsung Galaxy S8
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
329 MBit/s +33%
Huawei P20 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
635 MBit/s +157%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +52%
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

For geo-location, the Nokia 7 Plus relies on the major global positioning systems: GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou. Outdoors, your location is acquired very quickly with a margin of error of about three meters. Indoors, the Nokia smartphone takes a very short time to determine your location and has a margin of error of roughly three meters.

In order to determine how accurate our review device is when it comes to geo-location, we take it with us on a bike ride. During this ride, we are also accompanied by the professional navigator Garmin Edge 500. At the end of our nine-kilometer route, the Nokia 7 Plus and the Garmin Edge 500 deviate from each other by 90 meters. This is a good result, which means that the Nokia 7 Plus can be used for navigation with a car or a bike without any problems.

GPS Nokia 7 Plus
GPS Nokia 7 Plus
GPS Nokia 7 Plus
GPS Nokia 7 Plus
GPS Nokia 7 Plus
GPS Nokia 7 Plus
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

The call quality is on a good level. We did not observe any call drops or reception problems with the Nokia 7 Plus. The voice on the other end of the line is easy to understand. Our call partner also had no trouble understanding what was said during the call. During video calls, three built-in microphones help ensure decent call quality. Nevertheless, the voices still sound somewhat echoey when video-calling.

The telephone application has the bog-standard Android design. Besides the speed dial and call history functions, the app also allows direct access to the saved contacts.

Cameras - Mid-range dual-camera set-up

16 MP front-facing camera
16 MP front-facing camera

The Zeiss-branded 12-MP and 13-MP dual-camera module on the back has an aperture of f/1.75 as well as f/2.6. It produces 4:3 images with a resolution of 4032x3024. The main advantage of the dual-camera system is the 2x optical zoom as well as the ability to dynamically adjust the depth of field, which allows you to produce images with a Bokeh effect. Unfortunately, image stabilization is only available on a software level. Optical image stabilization is not provided. A dual-tone LED flash should be useful when you need to take a picture in poor lighting conditions.

The rear camera can record 4K video at 30 FPS. The quality is similar to those of other mid-range smartphones. The picture quality of the Sony IMX362 image sensor in the Nokia 7 Plus is quite good for a device with this price tag. If you compare the photos taken with the Nokia 7 Plus to the photos taken with a high-end smartphone such as the Google Pixel 2, you will notice that the dynamic range on the Nokia smartphone appears to be somewhat lower. The images taken with the Nokia 7 Plus under dynamic lighting conditions appear to be noticeably dimmer. In addition, the images lack detail, and we are not impressed by the color reproduction and the sharpness.

The differences in picture quality between the Nokia 7 Plus and the high-end smartphones are most noticeable under poor lighting conditions. Under low-light conditions, the pictures taken with the Nokia 7 Plus appear noisy and blurry.

The 16 MP front-facing camera impresses with good image quality. However, the images are often overexposed. Moreover, the camera does not support auto-focus. The front-facing camera can shoot video at 1080p at up to 30 frames per second.

When it comes to software, the Nokia 7 Plus offers a “pro” camera mode, which allows you to manually adjust things such as the white balance, focus, ISO, shutter speed, and the exposure compensation.

HDR mode
HDR mode
HDR mode (auto)
HDR mode (auto)
Standard mode
Standard mode
Photos with...
Photos with...
...a Bokeh effect
...a Bokeh effect
2x zoom
2x zoom
Normal
Normal

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 examine the color reproduction of the Nokia smartphone under controlled lighting conditions. When compared to the actual reference colors, the colors of the Nokia 7 Plus appear to be very accurate. The shots of the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport (without any editing) that we took with the dual-camera system confirm this impression.

In order to assess the sharpness of the photos, we photograph our test chart under fixed lighting conditions. The images we took with the Nokia 7 Plus appear very sharp. However, sharpness is lower at the edges than in the center.

Accessories and Warranty

Modular 18-watt charger
Modular 18-watt charger

The box contains the 18-watt charger (12V, 1.5 A), a USB cable, and a headset. In addition, there is also a protective case. 

The smartphone comes with a 24-month manufacturer's warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling

The smartphone is controlled via on-screen buttons for “back”, “overview” and “home”. The 6-inch, 10-point multi-touch screen registers inputs accurately and without any delays. In addition, the Gorilla Glass 3 screen surface feels smooth and pleasant to the touch. Straight out of the box, the Google Keyboard is used as the default virtual keyboard.

The Nokia smartphone can be unlocked with the help of a fingerprint scanner. The capacitive fingerprint reader on the back of the Nokia 7 Plus impresses with its speed and reliability.

Display - The Nokia smartphone with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement

The Nokia 7 Plus features a 6-inch IPS screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The display has a native resolution of 2160x1080. The pixel density of 402 PPI is high enough for day-to-day use. However, QHD displays can achieve a significantly higher pixel density.  

The screen brightness peaks at 485 cd/m². With auto brightness enabled and the ambient light sensor engaged, we measured 460 cd/m² in the center of an all-white image. We measured only 406 cd/m² in the realistically oriented APL50 test, in which the screen displays a pattern that consists of evenly distributed dark and bright areas. 

485
cd/m²
471
cd/m²
445
cd/m²
479
cd/m²
458
cd/m²
448
cd/m²
484
cd/m²
450
cd/m²
447
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 485 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 463 cd/m² Minimum: 2.76 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 458 cd/m²
Contrast: 2082:1 (Black: 0.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.19
Nokia 7 Plus
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
IPS, 1920x1080, 6.00
Wiko WIM
AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
Super AMOLED, 2220x1080, 5.60
OnePlus 5T
AMOLED, 2160x1080, 6.01
Samsung Galaxy S8
Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 5.80
Huawei P20 Pro
OLED, 2240x1080, 6.10
Screen
-25%
-4%
-28%
7%
22%
24%
43%
Brightness middle
458
456
0%
659
44%
344
-25%
541
18%
425
-7%
566
24%
569
24%
Brightness
463
455
-2%
680
47%
353
-24%
538
16%
423
-9%
564
22%
578
25%
Brightness Distribution
92
85
-8%
88
-4%
90
-2%
96
4%
92
0%
94
2%
95
3%
Black Level *
0.22
0.56
-155%
Contrast
2082
1177
-43%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4
5.6
-40%
2.8
30%
5.7
-43%
5.8
-45%
2.1
47%
2.7
32%
1.3
67%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.4
11.1
-50%
6.5
12%
12.2
-65%
3.4
54%
5.4
27%
2.1
72%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.7
6.9
-47%
3
36%
5.1
-9%
2.7
43%
2.5
47%
3.1
34%
1.6
66%
Gamma
2.19 100%
2.3 96%
2.18 101%
2.73 81%
2.07 106%
2.32 95%
2.15 102%
2.31 95%
CCT
7425 88%
7883 82%
6938 94%
7407 88%
6570 99%
6455 101%
6335 103%
6401 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
81.57
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.87

* ... 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.

The black value of 0.22 cd/m² and the contrast ratio of about 2000:1 are very good for a device in this price range. The Nokia 7 Plus fails to achieve a better contrast ratio in the APL50 test – in this test, we measured a contrast ratio of 1769:1 and a black value of 0.26 cd/m². Here, competing devices with OLED screens have an advantage, because OLED-based displays can achieve “true” blacks. Therefore, the contrast ratio of such displays tends towards infinity.

The photospectrometer running SpectraCal's CalMAN software turns in a DeltaE 2000 deviation of 4 for the colors and 4.7 for the grayscale in the sRGB color space. This is a relatively good result and is not very far from the ideal value (DeltaE less than 3). However, a comparison with the competition shows that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The color temperature of 7425 K is somewhat elevated when compared to the ideal value of 6500 K. Both the sRGB color space and the Adobe RGB color space are almost completely covered by the IPS panel. The LCD does not seem to suffer from a color cast.

CalMAN ColorChecker (sRGB)
CalMAN ColorChecker (sRGB)
CalMAN colorspace (sRGB)
CalMAN colorspace (sRGB)
CalMAN grayscale (sRGB)
CalMAN grayscale (sRGB)
CalMAN saturation (sRGB)
CalMAN saturation (sRGB)

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
29.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 15.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 76 % 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
43.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.4 ms rise
↘ 22.8 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. » 68 % 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 screen content can be read outdoors. However, sometimes we wished that the screen brightness was a little bit higher.

Nokia 7 Plus...
Nokia 7 Plus...
...under...
...under...
...the open sky
...the open sky

As is usual for IPS screens, the viewing angles are good. However, we did observe a slight drop in brightness at acute angles.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Nokia smartphone with a Snapdragon 660 SoC

The Nokia 7 Plus relies on a Qualcomm chip from the 600 series. The Snapdragon 660 has eight Kryo 260 cores. Four of these cores run at 2.2 GHz (high-performance cores) and the other four (energy-efficient cores) at 1.8 GHz. Thanks to a 14-nanometer manufacturing process, the energy efficiency has been significantly improved when compared to the predecessor, the Snapdragon 625. The Adreno 512 serves as the GPU. 

Thanks to 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, the mid-range device leaves a very good impression when it comes to system performance. The loading times of the applications are relatively short. However, we did occasionally experience stutters and freezes when multitasking or using demanding applications.

In our benchmark suite, the Nokia 7 Plus takes a spot at the very top, which puts it way ahead of the competitors with the Snapdragon 625, Snapdragon 630 and the Samsung Exynos 7885 SoCs. In AnTuTu and Geekbench, the Snapdragon 660 in the Nokia 7 Plus beats its predecessor by a wide margin. The Snapdragon 660 performs almost as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro/Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996.

The Nokia smartphone also performs very well in the system benchmarks. It does significantly better in PCMark than the competitors with the Snapdragon 625/630. The GPU performance has also been increased significantly. However, in graphically demanding benchmarks, the Snapdragon 660 in the Nokia 7 Plus cannot keep up with the Snapdragon 835 in the OnePlus 5T or the Samsung Exynos 8895 in the Galaxy S8.

AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
141701 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
81789 Points -42%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
89349 Points -37%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
116746 Points -18%
OnePlus 5T
214815 Points +52%
Huawei P20 Pro
207959 Points +47%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (116346 - 143551, n=10)
137699 Points -3%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
6825 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
7846 Points +15%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5083 Points -26%
Wiko WIM
5621 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
5916 Points -13%
OnePlus 5T
7739 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6035 Points -12%
Huawei P20 Pro
8115 Points +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (6274 - 7026, n=11)
6676 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +121%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
6077 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
5558 Points -9%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5051 Points -17%
Wiko WIM
4660 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
5214 Points -14%
OnePlus 5T
6595 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy S8
5370 Points -12%
Huawei P20 Pro
6982 Points +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (5789 - 6426, n=13)
6050 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +79%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
2369 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
1323 Points -44%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1560 Points -34%
Wiko WIM
1339 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1993 Points -16%
OnePlus 5T
3678 Points +55%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3277 Points +38%
Huawei P20 Pro
3271 Points +38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1905 - 2428, n=12)
2307 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +141%
System (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
4976 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
3261 Points -34%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3287 Points -34%
Wiko WIM
3549 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
4358 Points -12%
OnePlus 5T
5872 Points +18%
Samsung Galaxy S8
5386 Points +8%
Huawei P20 Pro
5965 Points +20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (3745 - 5282, n=11)
4927 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +93%
Memory (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
2503 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
1108 Points -56%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1325 Points -47%
Wiko WIM
1007 Points -60%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
2275 Points -9%
OnePlus 5T
3845 Points +54%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3039 Points +21%
Huawei P20 Pro
4050 Points +62%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1737 - 2799, n=11)
2349 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +149%
Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
2298 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
1026 Points -55%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1492 Points -35%
Wiko WIM
965 Points -58%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1331 Points -42%
OnePlus 5T
6100 Points +165%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6096 Points +165%
Huawei P20 Pro
3725 Points +62%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1970 - 2332, n=11)
2241 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +505%
Web (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
1101 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
828 Points -25%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
912 Points -17%
Wiko WIM
933 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1195 Points +9%
OnePlus 5T
1329 Points +21%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1156 Points +5%
Huawei P20 Pro
1273 Points +16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1027 - 1334, n=11)
1114 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +35%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
1646 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
875 Points -47%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
865 Points -47%
Wiko WIM
939 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1526 Points -7%
OnePlus 5T
1962 Points +19%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1997 Points +21%
Huawei P20 Pro
1922 Points +17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1431 - 1646, n=11)
1598 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +208%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
5867 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
4320 Points -26%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
4234 Points -28%
Wiko WIM
4562 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
4431 Points -24%
OnePlus 5T
6670 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6711 Points +14%
Huawei P20 Pro
6756 Points +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (4895 - 5913, n=11)
5694 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +131%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
26610 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
14003 Points -47%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
16949 Points -36%
Wiko WIM
14074 Points -47%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
14779 Points -44%
OnePlus 5T
42022 Points +58%
Samsung Galaxy S8
31532 Points +18%
Huawei P20 Pro
30176 Points +13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (22145 - 26731, n=12)
25633 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
29333 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
13491 Points -54%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
18528 Points -37%
Wiko WIM
13241 Points -55%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
15262 Points -48%
OnePlus 5T
58097 Points +98%
Samsung Galaxy S8
36347 Points +24%
Huawei P20 Pro
33472 Points +14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (25561 - 29496, n=12)
28454 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
20085 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
16146 Points -20%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
13054 Points -35%
Wiko WIM
16939 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
13306 Points -34%
OnePlus 5T
21348 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S8
21543 Points +7%
Huawei P20 Pro
22441 Points +12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (15088 - 21016, n=12)
19093 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
2035 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
870 Points -57%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1333 Points -34%
Wiko WIM
868 Points -57%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1001 Points -51%
OnePlus 5T
4816 Points +137%
Samsung Galaxy S8
4015 Points +97%
Huawei P20 Pro
3223 Points +58%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1825 - 2104, n=13)
2021 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +72%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
1895 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
743 Points -61%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1256 Points -34%
Wiko WIM
742 Points -61%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
879 Points -54%
OnePlus 5T
5791 Points +206%
Samsung Galaxy S8
4923 Points +160%
Huawei P20 Pro
3335 Points +76%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1711 - 1986, n=13)
1893 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +103%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
2734 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
2157 Points -21%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1698 Points -38%
Wiko WIM
2140 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1946 Points -29%
OnePlus 5T
3031 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy S8
2440 Points -11%
Huawei P20 Pro
2885 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (2383 - 2834, n=13)
2672 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +9%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
1332 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
467 Points -65%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
833 Points -37%
Wiko WIM
466 Points -65%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
729 Points -45%
OnePlus 5T
3758 Points +182%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3194 Points +140%
Huawei P20 Pro
2996 Points +125%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1124 - 1374, n=15)
1328 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +100%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
1161 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
381 Points -67%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
727 Points -37%
Wiko WIM
381 Points -67%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
618 Points -47%
OnePlus 5T
4016 Points +246%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3472 Points +199%
Huawei P20 Pro
3017 Points +160%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1061 - 1206, n=14)
1172 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +129%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
2749 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
2177 Points -21%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1706 Points -38%
Wiko WIM
2106 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
1950 Points -29%
OnePlus 5T
3068 Points +12%
Samsung Galaxy S8
2494 Points -9%
Huawei P20 Pro
2926 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1883 - 2759, n=14)
2587 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +13%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
48 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
22 fps -54%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
31 fps -35%
Wiko WIM
23 fps -52%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
31 fps -35%
OnePlus 5T
60 fps +25%
Samsung Galaxy S8
60 fps +25%
Huawei P20 Pro
60 fps +25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (42 - 59, n=14)
48.1 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +73%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
50 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
23 fps -54%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
29 fps -42%
Wiko WIM
23 fps -54%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
34 fps -32%
OnePlus 5T
113 fps +126%
Samsung Galaxy S8
121 fps +142%
Huawei P20 Pro
121 fps +142%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (43 - 51, n=14)
48.4 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +388%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
22 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
9.5 fps -57%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
15 fps -32%
Wiko WIM
10 fps -55%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
15 fps -32%
OnePlus 5T
53 fps +141%
Samsung Galaxy S8
41 fps +86%
Huawei P20 Pro
54 fps +145%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (19 - 40, n=14)
22.6 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +223%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
23 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
9.9 fps -57%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
14 fps -39%
Wiko WIM
10 fps -57%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
16 fps -30%
OnePlus 5T
60 fps +161%
Samsung Galaxy S8
62 fps +170%
Huawei P20 Pro
61 fps +165%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (20 - 23, n=14)
22.1 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +500%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
15 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
6.5 fps -57%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
11 fps -27%
Wiko WIM
6.4 fps -57%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
9.6 fps -36%
OnePlus 5T
37 fps +147%
Samsung Galaxy S8
23 fps +53%
Huawei P20 Pro
36 fps +140%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (12 - 30, n=15)
14.7 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +299%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
14 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
6.4 fps -54%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5.2 fps -63%
Wiko WIM
6.4 fps -54%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
9.9 fps -29%
OnePlus 5T
41 fps +193%
Samsung Galaxy S8
24 fps +71%
Huawei P20 Pro
39 fps +179%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8.2 - 15, n=14)
13.6 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +591%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
9.1 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
3.5 fps -62%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
6 fps -34%
Wiko WIM
3.5 fps -62%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
5.8 fps -36%
OnePlus 5T
23 fps +153%
Samsung Galaxy S8
13 fps +43%
Huawei P20 Pro
22 fps +142%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (7.5 - 18, n=15)
9.13 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +371%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia 7 Plus
8.3 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
3.5 fps -58%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5.5 fps -34%
Wiko WIM
3.8 fps -54%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
6 fps -28%
OnePlus 5T
25 fps +201%
Samsung Galaxy S8
25 fps +201%
Huawei P20 Pro
23 fps +177%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8 - 9.1, n=14)
8.84 fps +7%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +606%

Legend

 
Nokia 7 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Qualcomm Adreno 512, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Wiko WIM Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 Samsung Exynos 7885, ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus 5T Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, ARM Mali-G71 MP20, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Huawei P20 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 970, ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

The performance with the preinstalled Google Chrome browser is absolutely satisfactory. Web content loads quickly and scrolling is smooth and hitch-free. However, the Nokia smartphone is beaten by the Samsung Galaxy S8 by a considerable margin in our browser benchmarks.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +262%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
66.5 Points +23%
Samsung Galaxy S8 (Samsung Browser 5.2)
65.8 Points +22%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
58.3 Points +8%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
53.9 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (45.3 - 55.5, n=12)
52 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Chrome 64.0.3282.137)
49.07 Points -9%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
28.11 Points -48%
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL (Chrome 64)
27.56 Points -49%
Wiko WIM (Chrome Version 59)
26.97 Points -50%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +206%
Samsung Galaxy S8 (Samsung Browser 5.2)
12941 Points +18%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
12509 Points +14%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
11584 Points +6%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
10945 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8463 - 10945, n=14)
9973 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Chrome 64.0.3282.137)
9350 Points -15%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
5052 Points -54%
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL (Chrome 64)
4786 Points -56%
Wiko WIM (Chrome Version 59)
4625 Points -58%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
9823 ms * -150%
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL (Chrome 64)
9564 ms * -143%
Wiko WIM (Chrome Version 59)
8781 ms * -123%
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Chrome 64.0.3282.137)
4275 ms * -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (3796 - 4769, n=13)
4115 ms * -5%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
3937 ms *
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
3852 ms * +2%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
3096 ms * +21%
Samsung Galaxy S8 (Samsung Browser 5.2)
1887 ms * +52%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +58%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Samsung Galaxy S8 (Samsung Browser 5.2)
194 Points +15%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
182 Points +8%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
181 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (159 - 182, n=8)
170.9 Points +2%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
168 Points
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 (Chrome 64.0.3282.137)
156 Points -7%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
110 Points -35%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=119, last 2 years)
131.8 Points +109%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
69 Points +10%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
63 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (47 - 63, n=9)
57.1 Points -9%

* ... smaller is better

The performance of the internal eMMC memory is similar to those of other mid-range devices. However, in view of the asking price of the Nokia 7 Plus, the 2018 device could have well featured modern UFS memory. The transfer rates are quite good for this kind of device, especially when it comes to the write rates. However, when compared to the Samsung Galaxy S8, the transfer speeds do not look so good, especially in terms of the read speeds.

The integrated MicroSD card reader also works very well. We use our reference grade SD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 (maximum read speed: 270 MB/s; maximum write speed: 150 MB/s) to test the SD card reader. Here, the Nokia 7 Plus achieves a read rate of 82 MB/s and a write rate of 62 MB/s. These rates are typical for mid-range smartphones.

Nokia 7 PlusAsus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KLSony Xperia XA2 UltraWiko WIMSamsung Galaxy A8 2018OnePlus 5TSamsung Galaxy S8Huawei P20 ProAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-16%
-7%
-17%
-4%
74%
41%
267%
6%
605%
Sequential Read 256KB
283.1
269.3
-5%
273.7
-3%
272.1
-4%
299.9
6%
699
147%
793
180%
832
194%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-4%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
418%
Sequential Write 256KB
211.6
139.5
-34%
138.8
-34%
136.7
-35%
104.2
-51%
203.4
-4%
193.2
-9%
196.7
-7%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
-16%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
409%
Random Read 4KB
54.7
36.8
-33%
76
39%
38.1
-30%
82.6
51%
138.1
152%
127.2
133%
144.3
164%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
8%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
341%
Random Write 4KB
19.62
12
-39%
10.1
-49%
13.34
-32%
14.69
-25%
20
2%
15.25
-22%
160.5
718%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
62%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1251%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
82.2
83.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
85.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
83.8
2%
77.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
63.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-22%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-6%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.3
72.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
16%
63.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
61.4
-1%
62.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
53.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-14%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-6%

Gaming

The Qualcomm Adreno 512 supports all the latest APIs such as Vulkan, OpenGL, and Direct3D 12. This relatively powerful graphics unit is capable of running even demanding 3D games from the Google Play Store at decent frame rates. Current titles such as the racing game Asphalt 8: Airborne and the first-person shooter Dead Trigger 2 run most of the time at 29 to 30 FPS on the high settings. However, we encountered a few small frame drops here and there.

Both the touchscreen and the motion sensor work very well during gaming.

Asphalt 8 Airborne
Asphalt 8 Airborne
Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high29 fps
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
World of Tanks Blitz
 SettingsValue
 high, 0xAA, 0xAF30 fps

Emissions

Temperature

Both the back and the front of the Nokia 7 Plus become relatively hot under load. During the stress test, the temperatures at the front of the device reach almost 40 °C (104 °F), while the temperatures at the back are slightly lower, peaking at about 39 °C (102.2 °F). However, the Nokia smartphone should not get this hot during normal use. Even during long gaming sessions, the smartphone never becomes uncomfortably hot.  

We check to see how well the SoC does under sustained load with the help of the GFXBench ES3.1 battery test. Here, the same sequence is run 30 times in a row and the results of each sequence run are recorded. The results of the Nokia 7 Plus reveal a slightly fluctuating frame rate. The fluctuations lie within 1% of each other. This is why drops in performance under load are highly unlikely.

Max. Load
 39.6 °C
103 F
39.2 °C
103 F
35.6 °C
96 F
 
 38.3 °C
101 F
37.1 °C
99 F
38.2 °C
101 F
 
 36.9 °C
98 F
37 °C
99 F
35.4 °C
96 F
 
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 37.5 °C = 100 F
34.4 °C
94 F
37.3 °C
99 F
38.7 °C
102 F
35.6 °C
96 F
36.3 °C
97 F
38.3 °C
101 F
35.5 °C
96 F
37 °C
99 F
37.4 °C
99 F
Maximum: 38.7 °C = 102 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.8 °C = 86 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.5 °C / 100 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 39.6 °C / 103 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 38.7 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Speaker test: Pink Noise
Speaker test: Pink Noise

The Nokia 7 Plus has one (mono) speaker on the bottom. With 85 dB(A), it is sufficiently loud and sounds good enough for short video calls. Bass is almost completely missing, but the mids and the highs are reproduced quite faithfully.

Music enthusiasts will be happy to learn that Nokia still provides a 3.5-mm audio jack, which is located at the top of the device. The sound quality is about average and mostly noise-free.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.244.42532.941.73137.232.54031.737.35039.641.86328.335.88027.335.910026.934.112526.7361602439.920020.944.825020.952.231519.550.140018.554.150017.564.863017.561.880015.769.2100015.873.8125016.675.1160015.874.1200015.474.1250015.574.731501675.9400015.87450001672.2630016.374.3800016.371.91000016.268.21250016.456.41600016.452.1SPL28.685.3N1.161.3median 16.4median 68.2Delta2.21135.245.132.940.337.238.231.741.739.642.728.327.327.32926.92726.730.32437.620.942.820.951.919.555.518.560.717.564.617.567.915.769.515.872.316.670.115.872.215.470.815.573.11674.615.876.81670.216.373.716.376.616.273.716.465.716.454.328.6851.162.6median 16.4median 69.52.29.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseNokia 7 PlusSamsung Galaxy A8 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Nokia 7 Plus audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 39% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 26% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Energy Consumption

When it comes to energy consumption, there is some potential for improvement. The Nokia 7 Plus is quite energy-inefficient, especially under load. Here, the power draw of the Nokia smartphone is much higher than those of the competing devices with an inefficient Snapdragon SoC.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.13 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.65 / 1.76 / 1.78 Watt
Load midlight 4.47 / 9.13 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 Plus
3800 mAh
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
3000 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3580 mAh
Wiko WIM
3200 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
3000 mAh
OnePlus 5T
3300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S8
3000 mAh
Huawei P20 Pro
4000 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
36%
-6%
21%
25%
16%
21%
23%
-37%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
0.65
0.58
11%
0.77
-18%
0.93
-43%
0.67
-3%
0.58
11%
0.78
-20%
0.84
-29%
1.052 ?(0.56 - 2.9, n=14)
-62%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-37%
Idle Average *
1.76
1.31
26%
2.12
-20%
1.28
27%
1.02
42%
1.44
18%
1.1
37%
1.54
12%
2.62 ?(1.4 - 8.6, n=14)
-49%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
18%
Idle Maximum *
1.78
1.33
25%
2.17
-22%
1.37
23%
1.1
38%
1.53
14%
1.16
35%
1.57
12%
2.88 ?(1.54 - 8.9, n=14)
-62%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
8%
Load Average *
4.47
1.88
58%
4.3
4%
2.39
47%
3.86
14%
3.17
29%
4.15
7%
2.47
45%
5.1 ?(3.47 - 9.4, n=14)
-14%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-25%
Load Maximum *
9.13
3.8
58%
6.73
26%
4.25
53%
5.97
35%
8.54
6%
5.12
44%
2.49
73%
9.08 ?(5.93 - 18.5, n=14)
1%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
9%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The poor energy management is reflected in the battery runtimes. Under load, the Nokia 7 Plus dies after two-and-a-half hours. However, in our Wi-Fi test with the brightness set to 150 cd/m², the 3800-mAh battery lasts for about 11 hours. Nevertheless, there is still some room for improvement when it comes to battery life, especially when compared to other competing devices with high-capacity batteries.

Thanks to the Quick Charge technology, the battery takes only about two hours to fully charge with the included 18-watt charger. The Nokia 7 Plus takes about 30 minutes to charge from 0 to 50%.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
28h 23min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 12min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 46min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 38min
Nokia 7 Plus
3800 mAh
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ZD552KL
3000 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3580 mAh
Wiko WIM
3200 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A8 2018
3000 mAh
OnePlus 5T
3300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S8
3000 mAh
Huawei P20 Pro
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
-3%
27%
-27%
20%
22%
20%
35%
Reader / Idle
1703
1788
5%
1546
-9%
1754
3%
1667
-2%
1727
1%
H.264
706
876
24%
908
29%
799
13%
771
9%
784
11%
WiFi v1.3
672
654
-3%
849
26%
492
-27%
646
-4%
718
7%
719
7%
744
11%
Load
158
238
51%
260
65%
257
63%
264
67%
345
118%

Pros

+ build quality
+ display
+ Android One
+ performance
+ battery life

Cons

- speaker
- ergonomics
- eMMC memory
- only LTE Cat. 6

Verdict - Nokia 7 Plus “master of the mid-range”

In review: Nokia 7 Plus. Review device provided courtesy of: HMD Global Germany.
In review: Nokia 7 Plus. Review device provided courtesy of: HMD Global Germany.

With the Nokia 7 Plus, the Finnish manufacturer HMD Global offers a very interesting overall package in the 360-400 Euro (~$424-471) price range (at the time of writing). Especially, because the smartphone comes via the Android One Program and is, therefore, guaranteed to receive security and software updates for a long time to come.

The Nokia 7 Plus looks and feels very good. That being said, we did not find the choice of materials on the back of the device to be 100% impressive. Plus, the sides of the smartphone feel angular and clumsy in the hand.

The display, the camera, and the SoC are quite competitive for a 400 Euro (~$471) device. However, if you are willing to spend about 50/100 Euros (~$58-117) more then you are going to be able to get the Samsung Galaxy S8, which has a much better display and a faster SoC. The battery life is very good at launch time, but there is still some room for improvement.

Provided that the usual post-launch price drops take place, the Nokia 7 Plus offers a very interesting mix of hardware and software. Potential buyers looking for a mid-range smartphone should give the Nokia 7 Plus a closer look.         

Nokia 7 Plus - 11/04/2019 v7
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
69 / 75 → 92%
Pointing Device
93%
Connectivity
49 / 70 → 70%
Weight
89%
Battery
89%
Display
86%
Games Performance
16 / 64 → 24%
Application Performance
55 / 86 → 64%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 90 → 85%
Camera
54%
Average
74%
79%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2018-05-18 (Update: 2020-05-19)