Nokia X7 Review

Overview

Nokia X7 is the latest higher-mid-range smartphone from HMD Global for the Chinese market. Its international version breaks the naming nomenclature pattern and is dubbed Nokia 8.1. Before we commence our in-depth review of Nokia X7, let's check whether it differs from Nokia 8.1 in any way. For starters, both models are almost identical with the biggest difference between them being the software. Nokia X7 runs on customized Android 8.1 Oreo that will be upgraded to Android 9 Pie on a later stage, while Nokia 8.1 runs on vanilla Android 9 Pie (Android One) with free two-year upgrades and free Google Photos storage. There are other minor differences between the two devices, which you can check out in the table below.

Nokia X7 and Nokia 8.1 differences

	Nokia X7	Nokia 8.1
Display protective glass	Dinorex by NEG (Nippon Electronic Glass)	Dinorex by NEG (Nippon Electronic Glass)
Colours	Blue/Silver, Steel/Copper, Iron/Steel, Black/Steel	Blue/Silver, Steel/Copper, Iron/Steel
NFC	No	Yes
Supported network bands	2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 2.5G CDMA 800 MHz, 3G TD-SCDMA (1880-1920, 2010-2025 MHz), 3G UMTS (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), 4G FDD-LTE (850, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz) and 4G TDD-LTE (1900, 2000. 2300, 2500, 2600 MHz)	2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G UMTS (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), 4G FDD-LTE (850, 1700/2100, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHz) and 4G TDD-LTE (1900, 2300, 2500, 2600 MHz)
Software	Custom Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradable to Android 9 Pie	Android One (Android 9 Pie)
Box contents	Nokia X7, 18W charger, USB Type-C cable, Quick Guide, SIM tray pin, TPU case	Nokia 8.1, 18W charger, USB Type-C cable, Quick Guide, SIM tray pin, Headphones

Specifications

Nokia X7 is equipped with a 6.18-inch IPS PureDisplay with a notch that has an FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2246) and an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The front of the device is protected by a 2.5D curved NEG glass. The back is made of glass as well while the frame is made of dual-tone anodized 6000 series aluminium alloy. The camera department includes a 20MP Samsung S5K3T1 selfie shooter with an f/2.0 lens and 4-in-1 pixel binning for improved light capturing. On the back, there's 12MP Sony IMX364 main camera paired with an f/1.8 lens Phase detection with Dual Pixel and OIS. It is aided by a 13MP Samsung S5K3L6 secondary camera with an f/2.2 lens and a dual High CRI LED flash. All three cameras are equipped with Carl Zeiss optics and are aided by AI. Performance-wise, Nokia X7 relies on a 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 system-on-chip. It houses an octa-core CPU with 2x Kryo 360 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and 6x Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.7GHz. The graphics are managed by an Adreno 616 GPU ticking at 500MHz. The model arrives with 4GB or 6GB of double-channel LPDDR4X RAM, clocked at 1866MHz and 64GB or 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage, expandable with up to 400GB. Power is supplied by a 3500 mAh battery combined with a 5V/3A~9V/2A~12V/1.5A fast charger. Nokia X7 supports LTE Cat. 6 speeds with 2CA, L+L, dual VoLTE and VoWiFi. It works with the following network bands: 2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), CDMA 800 MHz, TD-SCDMA (1880-1920, 2010-2025 MHz), UMTS (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), 4G FDD-LTE (850, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz) and 4G TDD-LTE (1900, 2000. 2300, 2500, 2600 MHz). The wireless connectivity options of the model include Bluetooth 5, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Display, Wi-Fi Direct, and Wi-Fi Hotspot. The handset is equipped with a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG support and a 3.5 mm jack. It also works with GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou, and arrives with a customized Android 8.1 Oreo that's upgradable to Android 9 Pie.

Complete Nokia X7 specifications.

What's in the box

Nokia X7 is placed in a typical simple Nokia box - it is flat and rectangular, placed inside a cardboard sleeve with the usual photo of a smartphone, the brand and model names on top. On the back, there's information about the main specifications and certifications along with another render of the handset. Inside, the device is on the left-hand side of the box. Under it, the SIM tray pin, documents and TPU case are placed. The Type-C charger and data cable are in a separate compartment to the left. Here's the full list of the box contents:

• 5V/3A~9V/2A~12V/1.5A charger (US plug)
• USB Type-C data cable
• Transparent silicone case for the back
• SIM-tray pin
• Quick start guide in Chinese
• Compliance regulation booklet in Chinese