Nokia 6 (2018) vs Xiaomi Mi A1: Battle of the mid-rangers

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.

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.

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