Nokia 7 Android Smartphone Announced In China With Nokia 8's 'Bothie' Feature

HMD Global has announced the Nokia 7, a new mid-range Android smartphone. Like the previously released Nokia 8, the Nokia 7 also comes with the same Dual-sight camera feature that HMD calls “Bothie.”

The Nokia 7 features an aluminum chassis and it carries the same design language as HMD Global’s other Nokia smartphones. The Nokia 7 is molded with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass while the aluminum frame comes with beveled edges. The Nokia 7 looks like a premium device with its build quality, but the design seems outdated when compared to other high-end smartphones with “bezel-less” designs. The handset still features thick bezels up front, but the fingerprint sensor has now been placed on the back.

The Nokia 7 features a 5.2-inch 1080p full HD display. This is still an IPS LCD panel so users should expect the same type of screen quality that’s already on the Nokia 8. Inside, the Nokia 7 is being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This version costs CNY 2,499 (around US$377), but users can also pick up the 6GB RAM model for CNY 2,699 (around US$407), according to GSM Arena. Both versions only have 64GB of storage, but the Nokia 7 supports storage expansion through its microSD card slot.

The Nokia 7 is also packing a sizable 3,000mAh battery. It doesn’t support any type of fast charging feature, which might be a bit of a disappointment for some.

What HMD global is really touting with the Nokia 7 is that it comes with the same “Bothie” camera feature that was first introduced with the Nokia 8 flagship. The Nokia 7 supports HMD’s Dual-sight camera technology that allows users to take photos with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Photos and videos taken in this mode will be split down the middle to show both views. This is made possible with the inclusion of the Zeiss imaging experience and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 SoC.

It’s clear that HMD is really pushing for “Bothie” to become a trend among smartphone users. Introducing it on a mid-range smartphone could seriously help in doing just that. That said, the Nokia 7 doesn’t feature a dual-camera setup on its back. Instead, the device comes with a single 16-megapixel camera with a f/1.8 aperture lens, while up front the device comes with 5-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 lens.

The Nokia 7 might only have a single camera on its back, but it is pretty capable. It’s able to shoot 4K videos at 30fps and it also supports Nokia OZO Audio for recording 360-degree spatial audio.

In terms of software, the Nokia 7 comes with stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat. HMD says that the Nokia 7 will be ready for Android Oreo, but didn’t say when the update will arrive for the phone. The bright side here is that HMD is promising to deliver monthly security updates.

The Nokia 7 will be available in China starting on Oct. 24. For now, the handset appears to be exclusive to China with no word yet on whether it will be released in other markets like the U.S.