Nokia 3.1 Plus review: Dependable budget offering with underwhelming camera

With a price tag of Rs 11,499, the Nokia 3.1 Plus, however, is on the expensive side - it costs more than its predecessor, even more than the Nokia 5.1 Plus which has a better configuration

Unlike its Chinese counterparts, Finnish mobile phone brand Nokia has not launched many new products this year. Instead, it has refreshed its existing smartphone line-up with upgrades to make them better. After upgrading the Nokia 6 and Nokia 5-branded smartphones, the company has now refreshing the Nokia 3 smartphone, with a new screen, a dual-camera module, enhanced design and a more powerful processor.

Named the Nokia 3.1 Plus, the smartphone looks nothing like its predecessor — it is bigger in size, heavier in weight, and it has an altogether new feel to it. In terms of specifications and features, the phone has taken a leap forward. However, upgrades have added to its price and the Nokia 3.1 Plus (starting price of Rs 11,499) costs higher than its predecessor.

Does the Nokia 3.1 Plus, with its new design, features and specifications justify the new price tag? Let’s find out.

Design and display

Devices with bigger screens have been in good demand, especially in the price bracket where the Nokia 3.1 Plus sits. The phone’s predecessor had a small 5.2-inch screen, which was way too small from 2018 standards. The Nokia 3.1 Plus has, therefore, got a 6-inch HD+ screen, which makes it much bigger than the predecessor, but it still a compact unit — thanks to its modern 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen is covered with a 2.5D curved glass that makes it easy to operate.

In terms of quality, the HD+ resolution looks underwhelming on a vast 6-inch screen estate. For regular use, the screen is satisfactory and shows no weakness in terms of colour rendition or viewing angles. However, using the device to consume multimedia content might not impress due to a low pixel-per-inch (PPI) that makes the content jarred.

Coming back to the design aspect, the phone has an aluminium unibody design with matte finish that looks good, if not premium. The curved sides make it easy to hold and operate. Unlike the predecessor, the phone has a dual-camera module on the back that looks similar to the one in the Nokia 6.1 Plus [read Nokia 6.1 Plus review here] , and a fingerprint sensor below it. The camera module and fingerprint rim are accentuated by a silver lining on their borders, improving the overall appeal of the otherwise regular look of the phone’s back.

Performance

This is another area where the phone has improved substantially. It is powered by MediaTek Helio P22 system-on-chip, mated with either 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of storage, respectively. Being an Android One smartphone, the Nokia 3.1 Plus boots vanilla Android Oreo with no bloatware installed. It also comes with a guarantee of timely software and security updates for a period of up to three years.

Specifications aside, the phone feels smooth across in day-to-day usage. There is no lag and the phone handles multiple apps without showing any signs of weakness. However, the scenario seems to change when the phone is used for processor or graphic-intensive tasks, such as playing graphic-rich game titles like Asphalt 9 Legends [read Asphalt 9 Legends review here]. Not that the phone cannot run such games, but the graphic settings needs to be set at the minimum. Watching multimedia content, such as 1080p videos, and streaming of online television shows using app-based services like Netflix and Amazon Play somewhat warm up the phone. However, the thermals remain under control during normal phone operations.

Though the call quality and network reception are satisfactory, the built-in loudspeaker has below-average loudness that renders it useless in high-ambience noise landscapes.

Camera

On the back, the Nokia 3.1 Plus sports a 13-megapixel primary sensor of an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12-micron pixel size, mated with 5MP depth-sensing lens of an f/2.4 aperture size and 1.12-micron pixel size. There is an 8MP camera of an f/2.2 aperture size on the front for selfies.

Photos taken from the rear camera turn out good in bright daylight conditions but show noise and loss of details when shot in low light. The front camera shows similar results. Both the rear and front cameras require steady hands for taking stable shots. The post-processing takes some time and if the camera is not kept stable, the photos are blurry.

Overall, imaging seems to be the weak area of the smartphone.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 11,499, the Nokia 3.1 Plus costs more than its predecessor. It even costs more than the recently-launched Nokia 5.1 Plus [read Nokia 5.1 review here], which has a better configuration. However, being an offline-centric device that would be sold only through retail channels, the phone is a capable budget offering with a satisfactory performance. Barring imaging, the phone is a good mix of looks and functionality.