Before you buy: Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless is a different device from the global Nokia 3.1 Plus
|HMD Global yesterday announced that it is bringing the new Nokia 3.1 Plus to United States as an exclusive to carrier Cricket Wireless. After some suggestions from readers and taking a better look at the device and the specs sheet, we can say that the Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless differs a lot from the global version of Nokia 3.1 Plus. To make things easier, we prepared a side by side table to compare the devices, but before that, let’s just take a look at the device.
Comparing the two phones on pictures, one can clearly see visual differences between devices. First off, Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless has a polycarbonate body, while the global 3.1 Plus is metal. Also, the Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless is a bigger device with a worse screen-to-body ratio, while both devices feature the same 6-inch screen. The things in which Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless beats the regular 3.1 Plus are in the spec sheet, and that follows down below.
Category | Cricket Wireless | Global |
Size: | 161.98 x 76.98 x 8.78 mm, 190g | 156.88 x 76.44 x 8.19 mm, 180g |
SoC: | Snapdragon 439 | Helio P22 |
Bluetooth: | BT4.2 | BT4.1 |
Port: | USB Type C | MicroUSB |
OS: | Android 9 Pie (no mention of Android One) | Android 8 Oreo (Android One) |
Other specs like the 13MP+5MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM or 3500mAh battery are the same, but the significant differences are the Snapdragon 439 on the Cricket version and USB Type C, which are both great additions. Also, there is no mention of Android One program on the Cricket version, so we can assume that the 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless isn’t an Android One phone.
Maybe HMD should have named the Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket Wireless different? Just like the 2.1 for Verizon turned out to be Nokia 2V, maybe calling the device Nokia 3.1 Plus C (it sounds awful, I know) would (more) clearly indicate the differences between the operator version and the global version.
If you’re from US and considering buying a Nokia 3.1 Plus at Cricket Wireless, do check the reviews of the particular Cricket Wireless version and judge the device by the specs for the Cricket Wireless version. Good job at presenting the specs does Cricket official webstore, that you can check here.