Nokia 7.1 vs Xiaomi Poco F1: Price, specifications, features compared

HMD Global on Thursday launched a new mid-range phone Nokia 7.1. Here’s how the new Nokia phone compares with Xiaomi’s Snapdragon 845-powered Poco F1.

Poco F1 is the cheapest smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. (HT Photo)

Nokia 7.1 is the new mid-range smartphone from HMD Global. Nokia 7.1 which starts at 319 Euros will be available in select markets starting this month.

A new variant of the Nokia 7 series, the Nokia 7.1 sits between the Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 7 Plus. The smartphone is packed with decent mid-range specifications along with ZEISS optics for photography. Here's how the Nokia 7.1 compares against one of the top mid-range smartphones, Poco F1.

Design
Nokia smartphones are known for their beautiful design. Nokia 7.1 is no less featuring an aluminium body wrapped in 2.5D glass. The smartphone has a compact form factor and a slim body. It has a 5.84-inch Full HD+ display with a notch. The display is further protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Nokia 7.1 also features 'PureDisplay' which enhances HDR viewing experience for content platforms like YouTube and Netflix.

Nokia 7.1 in gloss midnight blue. (HT Photo)

Nokia 7.1 in gloss midnight blue. (HT Photo)

Poco F1 has a decent design and look. The smartphone has a polycarbonate unibody with three colour options of graphite black, steel blue, and rosso red. Poco F1 also comes in a special 'Armoured' edition which uses a sturdy Kevlar material and a textured back. Like the Nokia 7.1, Poco F1 is also handy but design isn't its highlight. Poco F1 has a bigger 6.18-inch Full HD+ display with 18.9:7 aspect ratio.

Performance
Nokia 7.1 is powered by Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 636 processor. The same processor is found in Xiaomi's Redmi Note 5 Pro which is a tested performer. Nokia 7.1 uses a 3,060mAh battery along with support for fast charging via a USB Type-C port.

Poco F1 beats Nokia 7.1 in terms of performance, at least on paper. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor backed by a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. Snapdragon 845 is Qualcomm's best processor, and Xiaomi phones have a reputation for long battery life.

Camera
In the photography department, Nokia 7.1 sports ZEISS-powered 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel dual cameras. For selfies, there's an 8-megapixel camera up front. Nokia 7.1 features Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) for video recording. The smartphone also lets users adjust the blur effect on photos. Nokia 7.1 does have an upper with ZEISS lens on its cameras, but a thorough review will give a better idea.

Poco F1 also has a dual-camera setup of 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel AI cameras at the rear. Up front, it houses a 20-megapixel camera for selfies. Poco F1 comes with camera features like portrait mode, EIS, AI scene detection and more.

Software
Nokia 7.1 runs on Google's Android One programme. It has a pure Android 8.1 Oreo OS, and will receive regular security and OS updates. The smartphone will receive Android 9 Pie update next month.

Poco F1 also runs Android Oreo but with a custom UI layered on top. Poco F1's MIUI has another customisation of Poco Launcher for users.