Nokia 3.1 Hands-On, First Impressions

Last MWC 2018, we got our hands on the Nokia 3, but a few months after, its reboot called the Nokia 3.1 was announced. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the HMD Global’s Android One entry-level smartphone. Let’s begin!

We didn’t expect the Nokia 3.1 to look the way it does. Compared to its sibling, the Nokia 2.1, its form factor is compact and minimalistic. Regardless of its size, it still looks solid and premium thanks to the 2.D curved glass, metal chassis, and polycarbonate back panel with a matte finish. Overall, we like how it gives us a “fresh” feeling at first glance.

Starting at the front is the glass panel with Oleophobic coating. On top is the call speaker in between the 8MP camera and the Nokia logo. The Nokia 3.1 uses on-screen navigations to minimize the bottom bezel but it’s still too thick to our liking.

Look to the left and you’ll find two trays, one for the dedicated microSD card slot and one for the dual-SIM card slots.

On the opposite side are the standard volume rocker and power button combo. We didn’t like how the buttons are slightly buried deep in the device because it made it harder for us to press them.

On top is the lone 3.5mm audio port while the micro USB port, loudspeaker, and main microphone are located at the bottom.

Flip on its back and you’ll find the 13 MP rear camera and LED flash along with the Nokia and Android One logos down below.

Nokia did a great job with the 3.1 as it reminded us of the old Nokia feature phones in terms of size. We didn’t have problems with holding the device as the grip is good and it can also easily fit our pockets. We have a slight issue with the back panel as smudges are hard to remove even with the use of a microfiber cloth. The front panel smudges, however, can be easily removed thanks to the Oleophobic coating in the glass.

The Nokia 3.1 runs on the Android One OS based on Android 8.0 Oreo and is powered by a MediaTek 6750 processor. It also comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage which is plenty for video, file, music, and game storage. We’ll take it for a full spin in the coming days to know if its performance is as good as its design and construction so stay tuned.

Nokia 3.1 specifications:

The Nokia 3.1 is priced at Php9,990USD 170INR 14,432EUR 162CNY 1,240 and is now available at authorized Nokia stores and retailers.