Nokia 5.1 Review

Welcome to the 2018 Nokia 5.1 smartphone review. We are after a new dual-SIM phone and the latest updated to the Nokia 5 model caught our attention. We liked the original Nokia 5 but at release the price was uncompetitive and not a particularly fast phone to use, great for basic stuff but not for running multiple apps at the same time or switching between them. The new Nokia 5.1 attempted to fix that problem some to have worked. The mid year 2018 Nokia 5.1 is priced around the 200 Euros as a dual SIM version and currently not available worldwide and estimated $400 is Australia if it gets released. In other parts of the world only the single SIM version will be available.

In terms of construction the Nokia 5.1 is very good. That is expected since it does has a metal back and high end looking front screen. While the materials are top end the design it’s self is not. The design is looking a little old in comparison to the latest smartphones, yet in terms of it’s low to mid range class it’s competitive.

In terms of hardware the Nokia 5.1 is specifications there’s a 2.0Ghz Mediatek CPU and 2Gigs of RAM and 16Gigs of memory with a decent 5.5 inch screen and 16 MP camera and wide 9 MP selfie camera. In the end the speciations are not particularly impressive of competitive with other phones int he same price range. The microSD memory card slot is critical if you buy a Nokia 5.1 as is only has tiny 16Gig storage and less than half of is is usable.

In terms of use the Nokia 5.1 is not bad considering the hardware specifications. However it’s not particularly smooth or fast. However it will run everything except for demanding games. The Nokia 5.1 uses Android One which means that it is comparable with the Pixel phones in functionality and does not have any additional bloatware which means it’s running as efficiently as possible to the way Android was supposed to run. It’s not bad but the occasional sluggish it’s probably due to it’s low memory at a mere 16G and much less usable – even Apple doesn’t do this any more and Nokia needs to follow suite to be remotely competitive. Sure it’s expandable memory is nice but based on our experience 2Gig RAM and 16Gig storage is certainly not enough. Basic Android OS needs around 1 Gig or RAM and up to 8 Gig of storage space is used the system means not much space for anything extra.

In conclusion the Nokia 5.1 is a decent phone and will work well for those in need of basic communication like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Gmail, videos and other messengers. The expandable memory card will help with the storage. However that is all that it will be able to impressively. The faster CPU simply isn’t enough to compensate for the low memory specs. For the price there are a few notable options like the Sony Xperia, Samsung Galaxy and other Chinese brands. Note that we didn’t include Motorola phones as since we discovered that they no longer offer Android software updates requiring you to buy a new phone if you want the latest Android OS.

Specifications

  • Nokia 5.1
  • Network
    Quad-band GSM
    All 3G frequencies(dependent on country)
    All 4G frequencies (dependent on country)
    Dual SIM available
  • Design
    Touch screen
  • L151.1 x W70.7 x D8.3 mm
  • Weight 165 grams
  • Display
    5.5 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
  • Camera
    16MP auto-focus
    LED Flash
    8MP 2nd forward facing still/video call camera
  • Video Camera
    1080 HD 30FPS main video camera
  • Connectivity
    Wi-Fi
    Bluetooth V4.2
  • CPU
    Octa-core 2.0 Ghz (Mediatek MT67555)
  • Memory
    2Gig RAM
    Up to 16 Gig for user
    Up to 128Gig microSD expansion
  • Features
    Fast charging capable
    A-GPS, GLANOSS, Ambient light, Accelerometer,
    G sensor, Gyroscope, fingerprint scanner
    Li-Po 2970 mAh battery
    Up to 24 Days standby for average use.
  • Price history
    Approx 200E uros August 2018 but Approx $400 AUD (Outright)