Last year's Nokia 6 was a great deal for everyone as it marked the return of Nokia to the smartphone business and the introduction of Android-powered Nokia smartphones. While the design and build quality was something everyone loved, it was a massive let down. The performance was not up to the par due to not that great of a hardware in its price segment. HMD Global is now set to make amends with updated internals, a refined design and a few new flagship grade features on the new Nokia 6 (2018).
The Nokia 6 (2018) has been launched in China at a starting price of around CNY 1,499 (roughly Rs 14,500). This putts the smartphone directly in the Xiaomi Mi A1's directory. We already compared it to the Nokia 6 of the previous generation and it killed it. After years of playing around with the MIUI, Xiaomi finally accepted that nothing beats the performance aspect of the Stock Android. Xiaomi also backed the device with a premium design, capable dual cameras and solid internals on the Mi A1.
Xiaomi Mi A1
Although the Nokia 6 (2018) is only China exclusive for now, it is expected to launch worldwide in the upcoming weeks. Let's see how the new Nokia 6 (2018) compares to the budget king of its time, the Xiaomi Mi A1.
Design
Both the Xiaomi Mi A1 and the Nokia 6 (2018) are metal body smartphones that look and feel quite premium and stylish. Both of the devices have chamfered edges for holding comfort and rear-mounted fingerprint sensor in the middle of the device. This is where the similarities end in terms of design. The Nokia 6 (2018) is machined from series 6000 aluminium which goes through the two-colour anodisation process. This not only makes the smartphone durable but also look good.
Nokia 6 (2018)
With the centre camera with a ring around it, the Nokia 6 (2018) has a unique link. The Mi A1, on the other hand, has a really dull and safe design. With its clean metal design and the dual camera at the top left corner, it looks a lot like the other smartphones in the market, originally the design of the iPhone 7 Plus.
Durability
Xiaomi Mi A1
The last year's Nokia 6 was built very well with high durability ratings. The 2018 iteration of the variant is expected to built like a tank. The 2017 Nokia 6 was extremely solid and durable and exhibited no creaks or rattles, even under pressure. We can't say anything about the build quality of the Nokia 6 (2018) but if it's same as the previous generation it easily trumps the Mi A1. The Xiaomi build the Mi A1 way better than it's other devices but it's nowhere near the 2017 Nokia 6 or it's competitors like the Moto G5 Plus.
Display
Nokia 6 (2018)
Both the Nokia 6 (2018) and Xiaomi Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display covered with Gorilla Glass 3 for the protection from small nicks and scratches. Both of them have a 16:9 resolution display and lose to the 2017 trend, the 18:9 display seen in few budget smartphone like the Honor 7X and Vivo V7+.
Performance
As we know, one of the biggest downfalls of the last year's Nokia 6 was its performance. The Snapdragon 425 was trumped by its competition. This time around, HMD Global realized their fault and upgraded the hardware. The Nokia 6 (2018) has a more sensible and a more powerful Snapdragon 630 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. This helps Nokia 6 (2018) get directly in sync with the ultra-reliable Snapdragon 625 on the Xiaomi Mi A1.
Xiaomi Mi A1 Red
Th rest of the hardware is almost same with minor changes. The Nokia 6 (2018) comes with 3/4GB of RAM depending on the variant, 32/64GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card and a 3,000mAh battery with fast charging support. The Mi A1 is only offered in a single variant with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card and a 3,080mAh battery. While the Mi A1 had the hardware for it, the fast charging was brought in only with Android 8.0 Oreo update.
The Nokia 6 (2018) also ditched the micro-USB port in favour of the new and advanced Type-C port for charge and sync. The Xiaomi Mi A1 also has the Type-C charging and sync port. While most connectivity options are similar (4G Volte, Wi-Fi, GPS and so on), the Nokia 6 (2018) outdoes Xiaomi's smartphone thanks to the included support for aptX and Bluetooth 5.0.
Software
At the start of 2017, a Xiaomi device with a Stock Android was something people only wished for. But it launched with the Android One project was successfully received by the people. Both smartphones run on a clean and untouched version of Android - but one is slightly more true to Google's vision than the other. The software on the Mi A1 is exactly what you will find on the Google Pixel - a move that will appeal to purists. While the software on the Nokia 6 (2018) is also almost 100 percent stock, Nokia has skinned the icons and added a few features like dual capture (Bothie) to add their own identity, which is welcomed. While the Mi A1 has already got Android 8.0 Oreo, the Nokia 8 (2018) ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat with an update to Oreo promised in the near future.
Camera
Xiaomi Mi A1
On the optics front, the Nokia 6 (2018) comes with a 16-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus, f/2.0 aperture and a dual-LED flash. For the selfies, there is an 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and an 84-degree wide-angle lens. Dual sight or Bothie feature allows users to record video or capture images from the front and rear camera both at the same time. The Xiaomi Mi A1, on the other hand, has a dual camera setup at the back with a 12-megapixel 26mm wide-angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture, paired with a 12-megapixel 50mm telephoto sensor with f/2.6 aperture. The dual camera setup not only allows for the capture of bokeh shots or the Portrait mode loved by all but also offers 2X optical zoom which is always welcomed. For the selfies, the Mi A1 has a 5-megapixel sensor. HMD Global definitely missed a lot of market by not including a dual camera setup on the Nokia 6 (2018).
