HMD has seen a massive surge in momentum in India over the course of 2018, and the Finnish manufacturer is looking to build on that with the launch of the Nokia 8.1. The phone made its global debut just a few days here, and the fact that it's launching in India so soon highlights the country's importance to HMD's global ambitions.
The Nokia 8.1 is set to take after the Nokia 7 Plus in the mid-range segment. The phone retains a similar design aesthetic, but there's a glass back and a gorgeous new burgundy color option that makes the phone stand out. There's also a cutout at the top of the 6.18-inch display, and the phone offers HMD's PureDisplay tech that lets you customize the color profile of the screen.
Under the hood, the Nokia 8.1 is running Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 chipset. It is one of the first phones to do so, offering sizable performance gains over the outgoing Snapdragon 660. HMD is retaining the 4GB/64GB base variant, but is also launching an option with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Nokia 8.1 review: Elegant design meets impressive hardware
The camera has also received an upgrade. The 12MP primary sensor now offers OIS, and the secondary 13MP sensor provides depth information for portrait shots. Up front there's a new 20MP module that's also offers portrait mode.
The Nokia 8.1 comes with a 3500mAh battery with 18W fast charging, and there's the usual set of connectivity features on offer: Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, AptX, FM radio tuner, and a 3.5mm jack.
The Nokia 8.1 will go up for sale from December 21 for ₹26,999 ($380). That's for the option with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage; the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will be available at a later date. Looking for more on HMD's latest mid-range phone? Read our detailed review for all the details.
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