Alongside the Nokia 6.1 Plus, which we reviewed yesterday, the company also introduced the Nokia 5.1 Plus. A device that builds on the same principles as the more premium phones but distills it down to a lower price point. We spent a bit of time with it at the launch, here’s what we think about the Nokia 5.1 Plus.
Nokia 5.1 Plus specifications
- 5.86-inch ( 720×1520 pixels) HD+ 2.5D curved glass 19:9 aspect ratio display
- Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 12nm processor (Quad 2GHz Cortex A73 + Quad 2GHz Cortex A53 CPUs) with 800MHz ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
- 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 400GB with microSD
- Android 8.1 (Oreo) OS, upgradable to Android P
- Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
- 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, secondary 5-megapixel rear camera
- 8MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture, 80.4-degree wide-angle lens
- 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
- Fingerprint sensor
- Dimensions: 149.51 x 71.98 x 8.096 mm; Weight: 160g
- Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, USB Type-C
- 3060mAh (typical) / 3000mAh (minimum) battery
The Nokia 5.1 Plus is a very interesting device so to speak. The phone takes some obvious, on paper, steps to cut down costs but there’s very little degradation in the real world experience. Starting off with the display. A step down from the Full HD+ screen on the Nokia 6.1 Plus, the phone makes use of a 5.86 inch HD+ LCD with a 19:9 aspect ratio. We’ll reserve judgement till we review the phone but the screen is reasonably good and seemed to exhibit above average viewing angles. Yes, there’s a notch and you can switch it off as well. The chin at the bottom of the phone seemed to be ever so slightly more prominent.
Like the Nokia 6.1, the ergonomics are what really stand out. It is amazing how good the phone feels in the hand. While the phone continues to be a glass sandwich, the frame connecting the two glass panels is made of polycarbonate. This gives the phone a very distinct iPhone 5c like appearance but even better. The polycarbonate material is fused to the internal metal frame and feels premium enough.
The right side sports the volume button as well as the power key. The buttons felt quite tactile and had sufficient give. Along the bottom edge is a Type C port with the speaker grille and at the top is the 3.5mm audio jack. Powering the phone is a MediaTek Helio P60 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Part of the Android One initiative, the stock build of Android helps keep things flying, but we’ll find out more when we test it out in our review. The camera modules at the back include a 13MP primary sensor paired to a 5MP depth sensing module.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus feels like a really premium device and if the 6.1 Plus is anything to go by, Nokia is going to be very aggressive with the pricing. If the device ends up being around Rs. 10,000-12,000 price point, the Nokia 5.1 Plus is going to give tough competition to Redmi Note 5 series. The phone will be available starting early September.