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After a few months of silence, HMD Global just announced a new smartphone: Nokia 7.1, with midrange specs at a modest price. Among the latest important smartphones launched in the last period in the same price range, there are Huawei Mate 20 Lite and Huawei Honor Play, which are two of the best Chinese choices in the global market if we exclude Xiaomi devices. Here we will compare their specs and potentialities.

Nokia 7.1 vs Huawei Mate 20 Lite vs Honor Play

Nokia 7.1 Huawei Mate 20 Lite Huawei Honor Play
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 149.7 x 71.2 x 8 mm, 160 grams 158.3 x 75.3 x 7.6 mm, 172 grams  157.9 x 74.3 x 7.5 mm, 176 grams
DISPLAY 5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 432 ppi, IPS LCD 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 409 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD  6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 409 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970, octa-core 2.4 GHz
MEMORY 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot  4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM , 64 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE Android 8.1 Oreo, Android One Android 8.1 Oreo, EMUI  Android 8.1 Oreo, EMUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
8 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 20 + 2 MP f/1.8
Dual 24 + 2 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 16 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 3060 mAh, Fast Charging 9V / 2A 18W 3750 mAh, Fast Charging 9V / 2A 18W  3750 mAh, Fast Charging 18W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Hybrid Dual SIM slot  Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

I like Nokia 7.1 because besides being original, it is a very compact phone and it fits very well in a pocket. It comes with a glass back, a notch and the Gorilla Glass 3 protection and it is the most interesting when it comes to aesthetics and build quality. I put Huawei Mate 20 Lite at the second place, but it is still a very original device with elegant looks, while Honor Play is just a classic metal unibody handset.

 

Display

Nokia 7.1 has definitely the most interesting display as it supports the HDR10 technology for richer colors. However, note that this is also the smallest panel of the trio as the other two devices have a wide 6.3-inch screen which could be more comfortable for advanced users.

 

Specs & Software

Honor Play is the best smartphone in terms of hardware as it can offer flagship-level performance. Indeed, it has the Kirin 970 chipset that is the same you can find on the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 10 Pro. It is also the first phone with the GPU Turbo technology which enhances graphics performance by up to 60 percent while reducing energy consumption by up to 30 percent. Nokia 7.1 and Huawei Mate 20 Lite are more or less at the same level, with their midrange SoCs. Nokia 7.1 has Android One installed (with faster and constant updates), while Huawei phones come with the highly customized EMUI.

 

Camera

The best camera sensors are on board of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite: it features a total of four cameras, two on the front and two on the back, and both setups come with high resolutions. Both the rear and the front camera setups have a wide angle sensor to increase the field of view and they capture stunning details.

 

Battery

Huawei Mate 20 Lite and Honor Play have a 3750 mAh battery, almost 700 mAh bigger than the lithium unit of the Nokia 7.1. So, they will probably last much more than its opponent. On the other hand, Nokia 7.1 is able to charge faster due to its smaller battery. And even though it has just 3060 mAh unit, it should be optimized nicely with Android One and it should provide a good battery life due to the very efficient SoC.

 

Price

With the actual price, Nokia 7.1 does not convince me so much like other HMD Global’s devices and I believe there is something better, such as Honor Play, in this price range. You should choose it if you want the best performance, while if you care more about the cameras, then go for the Huawei Mate 20 Lite. Nokia 7.1 starts from €319 (which roughly translates into $367), Huawei Mate 20 Lite can be purchased for less than €400 or $460 (even €350 thanks to street prices) and Honor Play currently costs about €320 or $360. Before being the winner of this comparison, the Honor Play is also the most convenient device you can get in this trio. If you want to know another device with a similar level of performance, check the Xiaomi Pocophone F1.

 

Nokia 7.1 vs Huawei Mate 20 Lite vs Honor Play: PROs and CONS

Nokia 7.1

PROs

  • More compact
  • Better display
  • Good design
  • Android One

CONS

  • Smaller battery

 

Huawei Mate 20 Lite

PROs

  • Great design
  • Wide display
  • Great cameras
  • Big battery

CONS

  • Pricey

 

Huawei Honor Play

PROs

  • Better performance
  • Big battery
  • Affordable price

CONS

  • Anonymous design

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