Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, cameras with Zeiss optics and redesigned design Nokia 6 (2018)
Now Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro ,review) And Moto G5S Plus ,review) will challenge smartphones like. At first glance, we were quite impressed with this handset. Now we have come with its detailed review.
Nokia 6 (2018) design
The body of last year’s Nokia 6 was highly praised. In such a situation, HMD Global has decided to stick to the old strategy. This time too there has been no compromise with the build quality. The Nokia 6 2018 is built from a single block of Series 6000 aluminum and feels extremely sturdy in the hand.
During the review, this phone fell from our hands several times. But it did not suffer any damage. We also tried and tested Nokia’s durability claims. Tried to bend the smartphone for this. And we failed every time. Like the older variants, Nokia 6 (2018) is also ahead in the race for the most powerful smartphone of the year.
Due to its strong structure, many things will have to be compromised. With a thickness of 8.5 mm, this smartphone is not the thinnest option. At the same time, the wide borders at the top and bottom of the display also give the phone a bulky look. It was not convenient to use the phone with one hand for a long time. Because the phone is a bit wide.
The Nokia 6 (2018) comes with three different two-tone finishes. The rear camera and the accents on the edge of the frame serve to enhance the design.
The power and volume buttons are easy to access. They have got a place on the right bank. There is space for a hybrid dual SIM slot on the left edge. Sadly, users will have to choose between a second SIM card and a microSD card.
The rear camera and dual LED flash are lined up in the middle of the phone. This is where the Zeiss branding is. The fingerprint sensor has been placed below the camera setup. It is a bit slow and unresponsive at times. It is also not easy to reach it. During the review, we were touching the LED flash instead of the fingerprint sensor several times.
Nokia 6 (2018) specifications
Last year, Nokia 6 suffered a lot due to the slightly weak Snapdragon 430 processor. This time HMD Global has decided to provide more powerful Snapdragon 630 processor whose highest clock speed is 2.2 GHz.
There are many more upgrades in hardware. The Micro-USB port has been replaced by a USB Type-C port. Nokia has joined Android One. This means, guaranteed regular software updates. Bothie Mode and Ozo Audio of last year’s flagship smartphone Nokia 8 have been made a part of this midrange handset.
Where Xiaomi provides many variants of its smartphones. This time Nokia has not experimented much. Currently, only one variant of Nokia 6 (2018) has been introduced. It is equipped with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage. It will also be possible to use a microSD card if needed. By the way, a new variant of this phone will also come in the coming time.
This time the company has decided to offer Zeiss optics in midrange smartphones. Talking about camera setup, Nokia 6 (2018) has a 16-megapixel rear camera with Zeiss optics which comes with dual-tone LED flash and F/2.0 aperture. At the same time, an 8-megapixel sensor with fixed focus is provided on the front panel. It is equipped with F/2.0 aperture.
There is no change in battery capacity. However, the 3000 mAh battery now supports fast charging. Connectivity features include 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, FM radio, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Nokia 6 (2018) performance, cameras and battery life
Nokia 6 is a sleek and beautiful looking smartphone, but its power did not go with the looks. But after the arrival of Snapdragon 630 processor, Nokia 6 (2018) has become something else. During the review, we found that the phone performed every task very easily.
Nokia 6 (2018) did not face much problem even while playing powerful games. Even powerful games like Asphalt 8 run without any problem on the phone. The good thing is that the Nokia 6 (2018) does not get too hot even while playing powerful games or recording full-HD videos. We’ve done some benchmark testing on the Nokia 6 (2018) and it got respectable scores.
Colors look punchy on the 5.5-inch LCD screen and the brightness is also high. However, the viewing angles could have been better.
Call quality was also good in our experience. 4G connectivity was strong even in areas with weak networks. We were disappointed to see only one speaker at the bottom. Stereo speakers were provided in last year’s Nokia 6. The sound quality is average and sometimes the speakers fall under the palms while using the phone in landscape mode. The earphones provided along with it are of very average quality.
Last year, HMD Global tried to give stock Android to its smartphones to give a different identity to its phones. Now the company has joined Google’s Android One program. Because of this, there are no unwanted apps in Nokia 6 (2018). You will get a feature called Glance Screen which shows notifications of missed calls, alarms and mail or messages in the lock screen. HMD Global has promised that Nokia 6 will get Android P update this year and Android Q update next year.
Nokia 6 (2018) comes with built in face recognition. Face unlock works fine in adequate lighting. But it faces problems in low light and sunlight.
The Nokia 6 (2018)’s battery lasted 11 hours and 45 minutes in our HD video loop test. This should be appreciated. The battery lasted for more than a day in daily use. In our test, the battery of Nokia 6 (2018) phone gets charged 40 percent in 30 minutes.
Nokia 6 (2018) cameras
The camera performance of Nokia 6 (2018) is like ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’. Despite having Zeiss optics, performance in low light is not much better. In low light, there is noise in the pictures taken with the 16 megapixel rear camera and the lack of detail is also clearly visible. Is. Autofocus also becomes weak in adverse lightning conditions.
The camera delivers strong performance in adequate lighting. Most of the times it manages to get the exposure right and captures photos with detail. Even indoors, when there was sufficient light, the pictures came out with crisp and detail. Dual-LED flash helps in capturing photos. Color reproduction is not this phone’s strongest aspect.
The good thing is that it has a powerful professional mode. With its help you will be able to control exposure, ISO, shutter speed, white balance and autofocus. By changing the settings we were able to get accurate colors. We hope Nokia will improve the auto mode through software updates.
The 8-megapixel front camera delivers strong performance when there is adequate lighting. If seen, it is much better than the selfie sensor of last year’s Nokia 6. When the light is low, the quality of the pictures also decreases. And there is no front flash.
In Nokia 6 (2018) you will be able to capture photos or videos from rear and front cameras simultaneously. Bothie mode is a useful feature. Sadly, in this mode the quality of pictures taken from the front and rear cameras is weak.
our decision
The build quality of Nokia 6 (2018) is excellent. The performance is solid and the battery life is good. At the same time, Android One OS comes with guaranteed software updates. The Nokia brand has always been known for making sturdy phones. Nokia 6 (2018) is also no exception. It may not be the prettiest looking phone, but it is extremely capable.
This does not mean that everything is good about Nokia 6 (2018). You won’t get an 18:9 display, which is in trend these days. The performance of the rear camera in low light is not very good and the color reproduction in auto mode is also not accurate. The biggest challenge to this phone is Redmi Note 5 Pro whose price starts from Rs 14,999. It is equipped with 18:9 display and better hardware. However, the Redmi Note 5 Pro does not run stock Android and is not as robust as the Nokia 6 (2018).