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Software and UI
- Pure Android experience
- Three years of updates guaranteed
All of Nokia's phones are now registered under Android One, which basically guarantees that all their handsets will get Google's next two major dessert updates as well as three years of security updates. Essentially this means that the Nokia 7 Plus has a solid lifespan ahead of it.
This also means you get the stock version of Android, as Google intended it, giving you a clean and fuss-free interface without any skin or annoying pre-installed apps getting in the way.
We found apps opened quickly and general navigation was smooth when moving around the Android 8 Oreo interface.
When we received the phone it had a few issues like freezing and lags, but they were fixed soon after it received the Android Oreo 8.1.0 update. The new update also brings stability, and apps seem to run better with the new software.
Performance
- Snapdragon 660 is impressive
- 64GB inbuilt storage, expandable up to 256GB
Sitting at the heart of the Nokia 7 Plus is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC with 4GB RAM. It is an upgrade over the Nokia 6 (2018) hardware, and outlines it as a mid-range smartphone.
Individually, the Nokia 7 Plus, with its well optimised software is a powerful option. But the competition is tough as you get closer to the Rs 30,000 price mark. For instance, HMD Global’s own Nokia 8 from last year with a Snapdragon 835 SoC is now selling for Rs 28,000, only Rs 2000 more than the Nokia 7 Plus.
In our day to day usage, we found the phone capable of completing all basic tasks with ease.
The graphic performance is also impressive on the Nokia 7 Plus. We have been playing PUBG mobile on the handset for minimum of 2 hours everyday and it manages to handle the game quite well except for minor hiccups here and there. We also tried playing Need For Speed No Limits, another graphic intensive game, which ran effortlessly.
The phone can get a little warm after prolonged gaming sessions, but it didn’t get unbearably hot at any point of time.
Verdict
The Nokia 7 Plus has an identity of its own. There are some solid reasons to buy this phone including a decent looking display, promising performance, great battery life and most importantly, bloat-free version of Android.
At its price, the Nokia 7 Plus has all the greats of a solid mid-range phone. It’s just the camera that leaves us asking for more. Else, it has almost everything you want from a modern smartphone.
