Nokia 7 Plus

With its chunky design and copper accents, the Nokia 7 plus breaks the design mold stereotypes of modern smartphones while still allowing for some much-needed updates to the Nokia formula. But is it good enough to justify the mid-tier price? The spec sheets suggest that it has the chops to compete with the best of the mid-tier market, but that doesn’t always mean it works out in daily use.

Much like the smaller Nokia 6 (2018), their latest release sports an all-metal aluminum unibody design with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and copper accents along the edges. The rear of the phone also includes a grippy ceramic coating that reviewers loved. It’s grippy enough to save it from accidental drops, but not enough too feel odd or collect dust and dirt. While it’s available in two colors — white and black — reviewers all preferred the look of the black model as the matte finish contrasted well with the pop of the copper edges.

Around front, you’re greeted by a 6-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD panel. This is also the first Nokia release to support the slimmer 18:9 aspect ratio found on many newer flagship phones. Reviewers found the colors slightly oversaturated and cold but otherwise loved the panel. By using a polarizing layer, Nokia also achieved inky blacks that rivaled those of other phones sporting pricier OLED panels. 

As one of the first phones to sport the octa-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 660 processor with 4GB of RAM, the Nokia 7 plus wowed reviewers with performance. It had zero problems playing the latest games, bouncing between apps, or recording 4k video. In benchmarks, few mid-tier options could go toe-to-toe with it.

With 64GB of internal storage and microSD support for cards up to 256GB, you’ll have plenty of room to put all that performance to good use. Just keep in mind, if you spring for the dual-SIM variant, you must choose between an extra line or extra storage.

The software on the phone is pure stock Android 8.1 Oreo. Reviewers found the software bland but rock solid — typical for stock Android. And as an Android One device, you’ll enjoy 2 years of updates and fast security patches — both proof that the phone should age gracefully.

The cameras on the phone were also impressive for the mid-tier market. The dual-lens rear camera includes a 12MP wide-angle lens and 13MP telephoto lens along with phase detection autofocus and a two-tone flash. Overall, reviewers felt the camera performed well in good lighting — though many noted it accented greens and blues. Also, like most of its mid-tier competitors, results varied in low light. 

The dual lens setup allows for a true optical 2x zoom and also powers the phone’s bokeh portrait mode. Apart from the occasional ear out of focus, reviewers felt the phone’s approach to this popular feature worked well. The same applies to the front-facing 16MP selfie shooter. 

The real star of most reviews is the phone’s 3,800mAh battery with USB Type-C Quick Charge 3.0 support. Good for 1.5 to 2 days of use on a single charge, you should have little worry of running out of juice at the wrong time. However, even with the beefy power cell, the phone only takes about 90 minutes to charge.

Reviewers all agreed the Nokia 7 plus is one of the most compelling releases yet from the new Nokia brand. Many even called it one of the best mid-tier phones of 2018 so far. Android Authority says, “The Nokia 7 Plus is a well-rounded mid-range smartphone with a very capable specifications sheet, no-frills Android experience, and good-looking chassis. You’d be hard-pressed to find a flaw with this device, really.”