HMD Global Event London
HMD Global hosted an event in London today, October 4th. Our own news writer and editor Adam Conway attended the event on behalf of XDA-Developers. Here, HMD Global announced the immediate release of their new phone, the widely anticipated Nokia 7.1. There have been several leaks in relation to this new Android stock phone, detailing its specifications and its release date and locations. Following the conference and other relations, here is what has actually been confirmed as fact.
Release of the Nokia 7.1
The Nokia 7.1 will be released equipped with Android Pie, the latest instalment of the Android operating system. Pie was released in August of this year. The Nokia 7.1 will also be part of the Android One Program. Not only will the Nokia 7.1 be the company’s flagship mid-range mobile, but they have already shown an update roadmap for the Nokia 8 and Nokia 8 Sirocco by the end of 2018.
In mid-2016, Microsoft sold its Nokia branded phone to HMD Global, a company founded by the former Nokia executive Jean-Francois Baril and a factory in Vietnam associated with Foxconn’s FIH Mobile branch. The company is less than 2 years old now, yet it has successfully revived the Nokia brand and brought it to new heights; selling over 1.5 million Nokia smartphones in the first 6 months of 2017.
HMD Global has said that the new Nokia 7.1 has been crafted with the standard 3 key factors of a modern Nokia phone in mind: design, performance, and getting the most out of Google features. The Nokia 7.1 follows the Nokia 7, released last October, and succeeds it as the company’s flagship mid-end smartphone. This makes it the second generation released as a global product.
Design and Dimensions
The Nokia 7.1 will have a glass front and back, with modest 2.5D curved edges. The screen dimensions are as follows: 5.84-inch FHD+ 19:9 aspect ratio. Not too much bigger than the 5.5-inch screen of the previous models, the Nokia 6 and 6.1, or the 5.56-inch screen of the Nokia 7. The colours available, however, are very different from earlier versions. It will come in two colours: gloss midnight blue and gloss steel. The Nokia 7 was the first in this series to use gloss colours, and the 7.1 continues this trend.
Camera Specifications
The phone’s camera is a key part of the performance of this device. It will have dual cameras, a ZEISS 1.28 micron pixel f/1.8 as its primary, and a 5 megapixel one as its secondary. The camera features, however, are what differentiate it from other mid-tier phones. HMD Global has utilised a dual phase autofocus and HDR10 display and photo support, something that is highly unusual in a mid-tier phone. The phone also uses Live Bokeh to ensure maximum control over blur at minimum system strain. It is claimed that this is done through the utilisation of AI.
The camera has also been revealed to use Nokia’s new Dual Sight Bothie Mode, meaning that you can use both front and back cameras at the same time. Nokia’s interpretation of the feature is customisable. Users will be able to adjust the ratio of front to back camera, so it doesn’t have to be split half and half. There will also be a feature that enables the freezing of one of the frames, while the other camera continues to show updated frames.
Naturally, masks and stickers, ie. “Filters” will be available. The display has been called the “Pure Display”, natively supporting HDR10 as mentioned previously and possesses the ability to turn anything displayed on the screen to HDR, including games.
Storage and Different Variants
Two variant models of the Nokia 7.1 will be released: 32GB and 64GB, both with expandable storage of up to 400GB. Currently, the 64GB edition will only be available in the US.
The Nokia 7.1’s battery will be 3060 mAh. It will charge via USB C and will support Quick Charge.
Chipset and More
The Nokia 7.1 will be loaded with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636. This chipset is a highly power-efficient system-on-chip which doesn’t compromise on performance. It boasts a 40% performance increase over its predecessor – the Snapdragon 630. It will also come with a separate piece of hardware, to allow the support of HDR. This is done through a chip created in tandem with Pixel Works.
Software and Android One
As previously mentioned, the Nokia 7.1 will run Android Pie, the latest Android instalment. However, out of the box it will run Android Oreo, until the end of November/start of December, when the Pie update hits.
A key selling point of this device will be Android One. Android One is software installed on a series of smartphones that will run a close-to-stock Android operating system, with reduced pre-installed software. This means that the software is, for the most part, stock Android – very few bloatware apps pre-installed. It gives the user more control over what they want on their device. Boasting features such as auto-adjusting to your needs and wants, via more efficient battery power distribution and the latest Google AI-powered innovations, Android Pie is certainly something to be excited about.
Availability
The Nokia 7.1 will be available from several big retailers for pre-sale tomorrow, October 5th, in Europe and the US. It will launch with Irish carriers and hit stores and carriers such as the Carphone Warehouse and Vodafone in early November. The price will range from €299 to €350.
