I have a confession to make. My first smart phone was a Nokia. That's not the confession. The confession is; I really loved that phone.

In those days, Nokia was using a Windows O.S. which actually worked really well, but made Android and iOS users laugh at me because there was very little content available in terms of apps.

A shame really, because the phone was solid, reliable and had a fantastic camera.

Things have changed. Nokia is back...

 

The moment I picked the Nokia 6.1 up out of its box, I was reminded of that first smart phone experience all over again. As usual, Nokia has constructed a handset that feels durable - tough even - yet looks modern and elegant.

The brushed aluminium unibody is a welcome relief from the fingerprint-fest of some of the other all-glass devices around at the moment, while the contrasting copper edges are just... styley as.

Yes, I really like the look and feel of this phone. The question is, can Nokia still come up with a device that performs as well as the other big brands in this price range?

The Nokia 6.1 boasts the latest in processing technology and 3GB of ram seems plenty to keep it ticking along nicely.

While it's essentially just another Android phone, the 6.1 comes with Android 8.1.0 straight out of the box, which is pretty much unheard of for a device in this price bracket.

The U.I. itself is called androidone, and the Nokia 6.1 is the first phone to offer it in New Zealand.

Essentially, androidone is about the most stripped-down interface you could ask for, with nothing but the basic suite of Google apps pre-installed. The phone is a veritable blank slate, waiting for you to set it up the way that suits you best, almost an anti-iPhone in a way.

For example, the default home screen, which is basically a new version of Google's Now Launcher, offers 6 different choices of icon shape alone. Obviously I chose squircles, because squircle is just the coolest word ever.

This simple but effective U.I. works smoothly and quickly - apps won't fire up with quite the lightning speed you'll experience on those $1000+ flagship phones, but the Nokia 6.1 certainly isn't far behind, and features like multi-window are only one long press away. While the 5.5" display isn't huge, it's plenty big enough to make the most of two apps at once.

There's a couple of big advantages with the Nokia 6.1 running androidone. The update policy, (Google guarantees at least two years of updates) and unlimited high quality photo storage on Google Photos - something pretty useful given there is only 32GB of built-in storage. (Although this can be expanded via micro SD)

So far I've found battery life to be good, without being great - despite Google's claims androidone works hard to keep prevent apps draining power in the background. The good news is a fast charger is included in the box and it connects via USB Type-C - more flagship features at the Nokia 6.1's midrange price.

I've also been impressed by the bluetooth connectivity - speakers, cars, watches, earbuds, everything paired easily and stayed connected reliably.

The fingerprint sensor is not as accurate or as fast as I would like, but at least it's in the right place - in the middle on the back.

The camera setup seems to be the major compromise on this handset. I really struggled to take consistently high-quality shots, with either the rear or front facing cameras. Ironically, the camera interface is perhaps too stripped back and I found I was missing easily accessible settings like selective focus and brightness controls. I was surprised because the cameras are Carl Zeiss designed and admittedly, some photos were crisp and clear, but it was a bit hit and miss.

However...

There were two photo features I hadn't encountered before - you can take "bothies" with the Nokia 6.1, a side-by side shot that uses both cameras at once. This feature is available for both stills and video, so you can capture your reaction while you capture someone else's.

The other unusual photographic trick really took me by surprise, literally as I was writing this review. I just got a notification from Google Photos telling me it had created a "Stylized Photo" for me. Apparently, the Google Photos Assistant wasn't satisfied with this photo...

 

So it created this one for me instead...

 

Definitely more Instagrammable. Thanks again Google. You're amazing... and a bit scary.

In spite of those pictorial surprises, if a high quality camera is your main priority, this is not the phone for you. On the other hand, if you're on a bit of a budget but you're looking for a handset with the processing power to run your favourite apps, that looks pretty stylish as well, Nokia is the old name in phones with a new-look Android device. The Nokia 6.1 is only $499, incredible value for what's under the hood. What's more, Spark has interest-free and complimentary headphone deals to really launch this device with a bang.

Still not convinced? The Nokia 7 plus is on the way - with a bigger screen, bigger battery, more processing power and yes, an extra camera lens. I'll be reviewing that one for you in a couple of weeks' time.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Nokia 6.1