As if HMD Global's number-and-decimal model hierarchy wasn't confusing enough, there has been a course correction with the Nokia 8.1. This phone is not in any way meant to be superior to last year's flagship Nokia 8 or the Nokia 8 Sirocco — from now on, flagship models will almost certainly make up a new 9-series tier. Instead, the new Nokia 8.1 is a premium model for those who don't want to spend flagship-level money. Sure enough, there is a fairly wide gap in the market right now because thanks to relentless price wars, we now have a lot of sub-Rs. 20,000 phones with features that were considered impossible to find at that level just about a year ago.
The Nokia 8.1 isn't a successor to the Nokia 8 or Nokia 8 Sirocco flagships. Instead, it's a premium model for those who want an upgrade from the usual low-cost fare. It's based on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor, and boasts of an HDR10 display. The metal-and-glass body feels extremely sturdy and well-constructed, but the styling of this phone might not be everyone's cup of tea. General performance is very smooth and we had no complaints even when playing heavy games. Battery life was a little underwhelming. The cameras are one of this phone's highlights, and there's even a Zeiss lens for the primary rear camera. Photo quality in the daytime was excellent, but it took a sharp dip at night. This is a good phone if you want a step up from budget models, but you can get similar performance at lower prices.
Product Name | Price in India |
---|---|
Nokia 8.1 (4GB RAM, 64GB) - Iron | ₹ 15,990 |
Nokia 8.1 (6GB RAM, 128GB) - Iron | ₹ 19,999 |
Nokia 8.1 (4GB RAM, 64GB) - Blue | ₹ 23,990 |
Nokia 8.1 (6GB RAM, 128GB) - Blue | ₹ 25,990 |
Nokia 8.1 price in India starts from ₹ 15,990. The lowest price of Nokia 8.1 is ₹ 15,990 at Amazon on 2nd April 2025. This Phone is available in 1 other variant like 6GB RAM + 128GB Storage with colour options like Blue, Brown, and Iron.
Brand | Nokia |
Model | 8.1 |
Price in India | ₹15,990 |
Release date | December 2018 |
Form factor | Touchscreen |
Dimensions (mm) | 154.80 x 75.76 x 7.97 |
Weight (g) | 178.00 |
Battery capacity (mAh) | 3500 |
Removable battery | No |
Colours | Blue, Brown, Iron |
Screen size (inches) | 6.18 |
Touchscreen | Yes |
Resolution | 1080x2244 pixels |
Aspect ratio | 18.7:9 |
Processor | 2.2GHz octa-core |
Processor make | Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 |
RAM | 4GB |
Internal storage | 64GB |
Expandable storage | Yes |
Expandable storage type | microSD |
Expandable storage up to (GB) | 400 |
Rear camera | 12-megapixel (f/1.8, 1.4-micron) + 13-megapixel |
Rear autofocus | Yes |
Rear flash | Dual LED |
Front camera | 20-megapixel (0.9-micron) |
Operating system | Android 9.0 Pie |
Wi-Fi | Yes |
Wi-Fi standards supported | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
GPS | Yes |
Bluetooth | Yes, v 5.00 |
USB Type-C | Yes |
Headphones | 3.5mm |
FM | Yes |
Number of SIMs | 2 |
SIM 1 | |
SIM Type | Nano-SIM |
GSM/CDMA | GSM |
3G | Yes |
4G/ LTE | Yes |
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) | Yes |
SIM 2 | |
SIM Type | Nano-SIM |
GSM/CDMA | GSM |
3G | Yes |
4G/ LTE | Yes |
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) | Yes |
Face unlock | Yes |
Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
Compass/ Magnetometer | Yes |
Proximity sensor | Yes |
Accelerometer | Yes |
Ambient light sensor | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes |