Nokia 6.1 Plus (X6) review

Competition

The Nokia 6.1 Plus lands in a very competitive market, and there is no shortage of alternatives available.

The closest rivals are the two Xiaomi twins, the Mi A2 and the Mi A2 Lite, both of which are also Android One devices. The Nokia bests the A2 Lite by having a better chipset and better camera, but the A2 Lite has a larger battery. Meanwhile, the A2 has an even more powerful chipset, a better camera but a smaller battery for a higher price. This puts the Nokia 6.1 Plus somewhere between the two both regarding price and performance.

Then there is also the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, which packs the same chipset but a larger battery. While Android purists might not be impressed, most people seem to prefer the expanded feature set on custom Android ROMs such as MIUI so that might be a consideration for some.

Also, worth mentioning is the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1, a phone that has the same chipset as the Nokia 6.1 Plus and a similar feature set, including a close to stock but not quite Android One experience. What it does add is a humongous 5000mAh battery, which can easily last two days for most people.

There is no clear winner here, and every phone seems to have some advantage going for it, making it a strictly personal decision as to which phone to go for.

Conclusion

The Nokia 6.1 Plus lands in a market that cannot possibly be bursting more at the seams with good options, but manages to make a place for itself. Is it perfect? No, not quite. The build quality somehow does not feel as premium or substantial as some of the other devices. The display is very poorly calibrated with a cool blue tint and oversaturated colors from 2012. The stock Android experience is a bit of a hit or miss, with some lack of optimization and missing features. And the battery life, although not bad, isn't as impressive as some of the other phones in this segment.

But what is undeniable is that the phone is still a good package overall. One of the highlights is the design, which is refreshingly compact (relatively speaking), making it a good option to those averse to big phones that seem to be taking over the market. Secondly, the camera is one of the best we have seen in this segment and takes some good-looking shots and even good-looking videos. And the Android One experience is there for those who seek it.

Overall, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is a very compelling device and one that deserves consideration. It won't singlehandedly put Nokia back on the map, but if they keep making such phones, then they'll get back up there soon.