Nokia 8.1 price in India should be similar to that unveiled for Europe
Nokia 8.1 is all set to be launched in India today, at an event in New Delhi. To recall, HMD Global - Nokia mobile brand licensee - late last month sent invites for a New Delhi launch event scheduled for 6:15pm on Monday. Following its global unveiling in Dubai last week, the company has now revealed the Nokia 8.1 will be launched in India on December 10. The smartphone's highlights include its dual rear cameras with Zeiss optics, its 18W fast charging capabilities, its Snapdragon 710 SoC, its 6.18-inch PureDisplay with HDR10 support, and the fact that it runs Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. HMD Global will be live streaming the Nokia 8.1 launch in New Delhi today, and you can stay stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for all the updates from the event.
The Nokia 8.1 price in India can be expected to be similar to the price HMD Global unveiled for Europe and Middle East markets - EUR 399 (roughly Rs. 31,900). In China, the Nokia X7 was launched at CNY 1,699 (roughly Rs. 18,000) for the 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage model, CNY 1,999 (about Rs. 21,200) for the one with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, and then CNY 2,499 (approximately Rs. 26,500) for the top-end 6GB RAM/ 128GB inbuilt storage model.
The smartphone can be expected to go on sale in India within this month itself, with the release in the other aforementioned regions set for 'mid-December'. The Nokia 8.1 was unveiled in Blue/ Silver, Steel/ Copper, and Iron/ Steel dual-tone colour variants, options that HMD Global can be expected to be bring to India as well.
As for the Nokia 8.1 India launch live stream, HMD Global will be streaming it on the Nokia Mobile India Facebook page.
The dual-SIM (Nano) Nokia 8.1 runs stock Android 9 Pie, and as we mentioned, it is part of the Android One programme that is guaranteed to deliver timely updates. It sports a 6.18-inch full-HD+ (1080x2244 pixels) display with a 18.7:9 aspect ratio, 81.5 percent screen-to-body ratio, HDR10 support, 500 nits peak brightness, and is capable of a 96 percent colour gamut. The Nokia 8.1 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC clocked up to 2.2GHz, coupled with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM.
The Nokia 8.1 bears a dual rear camera setup with Zeiss optics, with the primary 12-megapixel camera featuring a 1/2.55-inch sensor, 1.4-micron pixels, OIS, EIS, 2PD (dual photodiode) tech, and a dual-LED flash. The secondary 13-megapixel fixed-focus lens is meant for depth sensing. At the front, the Nokia 8.1 bears a 20-megapixel fixed focus lens with 0.9-micron pixels, and 4-in-1 pixel tech for better low-light photography. The company is touting its Bothie feature, which allows both the front and rear camera to used simultaneously, as well as its Pro Camera UI, with several manual camera options. The dual rear camera setup will help create portrait shots featuring a bokeh effect, the company said.
There is 64GB of inbuilt storage on the Nokia 8.1, expandable via microSD card (up to 400GB). Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, VoWiFi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, FM radio, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C port. The Nokia 8.1 bears an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. It features a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. It features a two-tone design, and is built out of 6000-Series aluminium that has diamond cut edges and has been through two anodising processes, the company claims.
The Nokia 8.1 runs on a 3,500mAh battery that is rated to deliver up to 22 hours of talk time, 24 days of standby time, and up to 11 hours of video playback. The company is also touting the presence of 18W fast charging. It measures 154.8x75.76x7.97mm, and weighs in at 178 grams. It features a single speaker design, and also comes with a smart amp, 2 mics, and Nokia Ozo surround capture. HMD Global also points out that the Nokia 8.1 has Google ARCore support.
For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub.