HMD Global confirms that the Nokia 6.1 smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Android One, and $269 price point will officially launch on May 6.
Availability In The United States
The China-based manufacturer confirmed that the new smartphone will be available in the United States via Amazon and Best Buy. Users quickly noted that the company opted to go with 6.1 instead of the 2018 label to differentiate the model from its predecessor, which was offered last year.
Just like the outgoing device, the new smartphone appears to be positioned as a premium midrange product with decent hardware.
Announcement Confirmed Leaks
Last month, a reportedly accidental listing on Amazon and Walmart noted that the device would launch sometime in May. This was shortly after its appearance during the 2018 MWC wherein attendees reportedly praised its stylish design and colors.
Moreover, the confirmation that the device will be referred to as the Nokia 6.1 proves that the previously leaked name was more than just a temporary placeholder.
A Stylish Redesign
It looks like HMD Global did not really want to mess around with what made the original model look great. Now, it appears that the engineers and designers probably wanted to give it an additional touch of class than its predecessor with a minor rearrangement of its components
A quick look at the rear panel shows different approach this time, with the fingerprint sensor relocated just below the camera module. The main shooter itself sports an elongated oval that houses the lens and flash unit.
With the biometric sensor removed from the front panel, sources pointed out that the bezels were slightly reduced. Unfortunately, the manufacturer still opted to keep the single loudspeaker setup of the original instead of a stereo approach given the free space below its display.
Currently, what is being advertised is the Black/Copper color unit, but the official website also lists the availability of White/Iron and Blue/Gold color scheme. Its redesign flaunts the main color on most of its machined series 6000 aluminum body while the chamfered edges bear the secondary shade's metallic finish.
Hardware And Camera
The Nokia 6.1 is armed with a 2.2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 CPU paired with a 3 GB RAM.
It runs on Google's Android One platform which is already on Oreo. Its equipped with a 5.5-inch IPS display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution at a 16:9 aspect ratio protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 3.
Internal memory is 32 GB with an option to expand storage via a microSD card slot that supports up to 128 GB cards. It charges its 3,000 mAh battery via a USB Type-C port
Its imaging department is handled by a 16-megapixel main camera with ZEISS optics and dual-tone LED flash while the front-facing camera is listed as an 8-megapixel unit.
