Nokia 3.1 review

Design

The Nokia 3.1 may not be excelling in design, but ruggedly handsome it is. Sure, not as rugged as the legendary 3310, which could stop a train, a ship, and an asteroid, but it's on the right path.

The metal frame with the tapered edges makes for a secure enough grip, but the thick plastic back is responsible for the feeling of sturdiness all around the the Nokia 3.1. The matte polycarbonate is not prone to smudges and will keep the industrial looks fresh as opposed to glossy metal or glass.

The Nokia 3.1 might be packing a larger display, but the footprint has been kept relatively the same by trimming some bezels. The phone spreads at 146.3 x 68.7 x 8.7 mm - just 3mm taller than the Nokia 3, but also 3mm narrower. In fact, the Nokia 3.1 is one of the slenderest phones we've handed in a while.

The 5.5" 720p display occupies most of the front and there is a layer of Gorilla Glass for the whole estate. HMD hasn't shared which version of the popular glass it's chosen, but we appreciate the shatter-proof protection.

There is nothing below the screen - the Nokia 3 had three touch-enabled keys are, but the Nokia 3.1 has moved on to onscreen Android navigation thanks to the extra rows of pixels.

Above the display is the earpiece grille, a couple of sensors, and the 8MP selfie camera. Unfortunately, there is no autofocus for the selfie snapper - it's gone on the new phone. HMD did the same with the Nokia 6 and 6.1 - the newer device came without autofocus for its front snapper. It's odd to have a feature on the older phone, but drop it for the sequel, but not unheard of.

On the back is the main 13MP camera coupled with a LED flash. It sits on a round piece of glass, that's a notch below the plastic panel and thus - tough to scratch. The camera itself is nothing special, but we hoped it takes some good photos. But more on that - later.

The Nokia 3.1 has all the necessary ports even though the connection one is of the old kind - microUSB. There is an audio jack available, and if you opt for the dual-SIM Nokia 3.1, you won't have to choose between a second SIM and a microSD card - there are trays for all of them.

Nokia 3.1

Handling the Nokia 3.1 felt just right - HMD managed to create the feeling of sturdiness we've experienced with the old Nokia bunch. But it's not a false feeling - the mixture of thick plastic, metal frame, and Gorilla Glass should provide enough protection for this otherwise budget smartphone.

The 3.1 model is also one of the most compact smartphones we've handled since the latest Xperia Compact and it's a nice change from the bigger and bigger phablets we've reviewed recently. And while it may feel small, we never had an issue with the 5.2" screen - no finger stretching, but no eye squinting either.