Nokia N1 review: the Android iPad [hands-on]

Nokia N1 release date and price

The price of the Nokia N1 tablet will be 249 € when it arrives in Europe sometime during 2015, according to a Nokia spokesman I spoke with during my review.

Nokia N1 design and build quality

The design of the Nokia N1 is based on a unibody aluminum shell, which clearly emulates the iPad Mini. Nokia was totally open about this point during my review. The fact is that the construction of the N1 is impeccable. The device's edges encase the screen, with which it is level. The N1 is simple yet very elegant.

On the bottom, there are stereo speakers and USB 3.0 port, type C. This is a standard which allows users to plug a USB connector in both directions.

The top has the 3.5mm headphone jack and power button. The back of the tablet is completely devoid of sharp edges or corners. The camera's sensor does not protrude and only a discreet Nokia logo is visible.

From the beginning of my test of the Nokia N1, I found the design attractive. The Nokia tablet is ergonomic and comes in two finishes; gray aluminum and graphite.

Nokia N1 display

The Nokia spokesman told me that, on paper, the Nokia N1 screen is identical to that of the iPad Mini 3. Its 7.9-inch IPS panel has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, giving it a pixel density of about 324 ppi.

The first test of the Nokia N1 shows that it has a quality screen. The display is good, with  natural color rendering, plus nice saturation and contrast. The brightness is not the highest I've seen, but it seems sufficient for everyday use.

The viewing angles looked good to me, though this is probably related to the fact that the slab is rolled and uses zero-gap technology (zero space).

Nokia N1 software

The Nokia N1 tablet runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Nokia launcher, Z Launcher, is pre-installed on the N1, but you can replace it with any other.

Z Launcher is a free download from the Google Play Store on all Android smartphones, but is compatible with N1. Beyond the specific features of Lollipop, Z Launcher is transforming the way we use and search for applications on Android. From the main screen, you can draw a letter, all applications that begin with that letter, or include it in their name are displayed.

In practise, it was surprisingly effective and I found myself using it instinctively in this first review of the Nokia N1. The application drawer is displayed as a list and icons are categorized.

Nokia N1 performance

During this short review of the Nokia N1, the tablet was very fluid and showed no signs of lag or bugginess. Of course, I'll wait for a full review to tell you more, but my first impression is very positive.

The version presented at MWC 2015 uses an Intel Atom 64-bit Z3580 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz. The version that will arrive in Europe will be equipped with a more powerful processor. A Nokia manager told me that Qualcomm was interested in a partnership, but this did not progress because the Finns do not want to damage their excellent relations with Intel. We'll have to wait and see, then. The N1 also packs 2GB of DDR3 RAM.

A quick AnTuTu benchmark confirmed our inklings. It achieved a score of 47,050, just below the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Nokia N1 battery

Nokia claims battery life of 12 hours for the N1. This seems realistic, as the battery capacity is 5300 mAh. In comparison, the Nexus 7 (2013) - not exactly a model for the device category - has a battery capacity of 3750 mAh.