Nokia’s latest lineup for 2018 officially hit Kenya store shelves about two weeks ago and we have the almost-flagship Nokia 7 Plus with us. I describe the Nokia 7 Plus as an almost flagship because the device shares quite a number of features with the Nokia 8 Sirocco and even has the newer 18:9 aspect ratio, something that the flagship 8 Sirocco doesn’t.

Well, before this turns into a rant, let’s see what comes in the box of the phone:

The device

A transparent silicon case

USB Cable

Wall adapter

Earphones

User Guide

The Nokia 7 Plus packs quite an impressive spec sheet, from the 6-inch Full HD+ Display in an 18:9 aspect ratio to the 3800mAh battery that promises to deliver two-day battery life that we are yet to test. The little time that I have spent with the Nokia 7 Plus, a few things have stood out and I will address them below:

Design and Build

Truth is, the Nokia 7 Plus is a beautiful phone. The matte black back, complemented with the bronze chamfers and accents all give the device a premium look and feel. The device is on the heavier side, but this is thanks to its 6000 series aluminium that the phone is carved out of.

Admittedly, the phone has quite significant top and bottom bezels, making it feel inappropriately big. Aside from that, users will appreciate the confidence one feels while handling the 7 Plus. The only downside? one-handed usability will be quite the task.

Camera

The Nokia 7 Plus packs a dual camera with a 12MP and a 13MP lens made by Carl Zeiss. The photos produced are well above average and they will serve the purpose of sharing on social media really well. For anyone looking to get some professional smartphone photography, Nokia has included their famous Pro mode that lets you tweak ISO, White Balance, Exposure, White Balance and Manual Focus.

Here are a few sample photos taken on the Nokia 7 Plus:

Software

In the age of Android, it is rare to find a manufacturer that promises updates and delivers. For HMD, they made the extra step of partnering with Google and releasing the Nokia 7 Plus under the Android One program. Meaning that the device will be among the first to receive software updates, at least for two years. The software on the Nokia 7 Plus is as close to a nexus as it can get, for anyone who appreciates a clean Android experience, the Nokia 7 Plus is the best device to go with at this price point.

I cannot yet comment on the battery life or performance of the device since I yet to push the limits of the phone but all that will be covered in the full review. For now, here is a brief specifications list of the Nokia 7 Plus: