HMD Global may launch Nokia 6.1 Plus with notch screen in India on Aug 21

HMD Global, an official licensee of Nokia-branded phones, is hosting an event in India on August 21 where the Finnish company is expected to launch its first notch screen-based smartphone, the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The Nokia 6.1 Plus is an international version of the Nokia X6, which is currently available only in China. Though the phone would have similar design and specifications, it would also come preloaded with Google apps such as Maps, Play Store, Gmail, Google search, etc. that are not there in the Chinese version. 

In terms of specifications, the Google Android One-based smartphone would sport a 5.8-inch fullHD+ screen stretched in 19:9 aspect ratio. The screen would sport a cut-out area on the top (notch) to accommodate the front camera, earpiece and a couple of sensors. The Nokia 6.1 Plus comes in two RAM and storage configurations i.e. 4GB and 6GB of RAM, and 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively. However, the Indian model is expected to get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, paired with Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 system-on-chip (SoC). The dual-SIM phone would also feature a microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 256GB. The Nokia 6.1 Plus would boot latest version of Android Oreo out of the box. It would be powered by a 3,060 mAh battery, which would support Quick Charge 3.0 technology. 

In terms of imaging, Nokia 6.1 Plus would sport a dual camera set-up on the back. The rear camera module would feature a 16-megapixel primary sensor of f/2.0 aperture, mated with a 5MP depth-sensing lens of f/2.2 aperture and 1.2-micron pixel size. On the front, there would be a 16MP selfie camera of f/2.0 aperture. Both the rear and front cameras in Nokia 6.1 would support artificial intelligence-based algorithm selection, camera enhancements and HDR mode.

In China, the Nokia X6 costs CNY 1,299 for the base model, which translates roughly to Rs 13,300 in Indian currency. However, the current generation Nokia 6-series device (Nokia 6.1) is priced at around Rs 18,000 in India. Therefore, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is expected to get a price tag in between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 bracket.