Smart Android And Trik-Commenting on Andorid indeed never endless, because smart devices this one is often updated every certain amount of time. So that the market can always be garapnya menerinya with pleasure. And it is not denied if this device has become the lifestyle of each society. To not wonder if the 6th business information and many are turning to mobail smartphone. With Android which thoroughly dominated the mobile industry, choosing the best Android smartphone is almost identical to choose the best smartphone, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is intense.
Introduction
Nowadays, most smartphones are sequels to once successful headliners and, in an unsurprising turn of events, HMD opted to continue the Nokia 6 series. It was a no-brainer decision though as the 2017 model reportedly sold in more than 10 million units so HMD is wise to make the best of this opportunity.
The new Nokia 6 (2018), also known as Nokia 6.1, has its screen bezels trimmed and employs a modern and much more powerful Snapdragon 630 chip. The main camera benefits from a new Zeiss lens and it can now do 4K videos.
The upgrade list continues with high-quality audio recording, newer Bluetooth 5.0, and the latest Android 8.1 Oreo in its stock form as the phone is now part of the Android One program.
Nokia 6 (2018) Specs
- Body: Gorilla Glass 3 front, metal frame, plastic back
- Screen: 5.5-inch, 16:9, 1080p IPS LCD; Gorilla Glass 3
- Rear Camera: 16MP, f/2.0 Zeiss lens, PDAF; 2160p@30fps video recording; dual-tone LED
- Front Camera: 8MP, autofocus, 1080p@30fps video recording;
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, quad-core Cortex-A53 @ 1.4GHz, Adreno 508 GPU
- Memory: 3/4GB RAM, 32/64GB, dedicated microSD slot for up to 256GB expansion
- OS: Android 8.1 Oreo
- Battery: 3,000mAh, Turbo Charge 18W
- Connectivity: Optional Dual SIM (4G), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU, Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, FM radio, USB Type-C port
- Misc: Fingerprint reader on the back
A few things were left untouched since the first Nokia 6 - the storage and RAM options, the 3,000 mAh battery and the camera sensors on both front and rear snappers. But the Nokia 6 (2018) has seen enough changes already and if done right - there is no reason why the new 6 shouldn't surpass the old one in sales.
Unboxing the Nokia 6 (2018)
The Nokia 6 (2018) price might be hinting for basic bundled accessories, but that's exactly what the bundle is not. Inside the paper box, we found an 18W wall plug for fast charging, a regular USB Type-C cable, and a pair of earbuds with an integrated mic. Granted, the headset is more basic than the one the Nokia 7 Plus gets, but at least, we have all bases covered with the included stuff. Okay, perhaps without a complimentary phone case, but we are really pushing it.
Some paperwork and a SIM ejection pin complete the Nokia 6 (2018) box contents.
Design
There is nothing fancy about the Nokia 6 (2018) design. HMD kept it basic, comfortable, and user-friendly. But there is beauty in simplicity and the no-nonsense design arguably gives off a stylish vibe that's nowhere to be found on the Redmis.
HMD also sneaked these cool paint accents around the frame and the camera glass that even in such small quantities make for a huge design booster.
So, the anodized aluminum body is back, almost flush at the back, and perfectly flat around the sides. The tiny chamfers are painted in copper on the black model, iron on the white, and gold on the blue version.
The Nokia 6 (2018) has the same 5.5" 1080p screen of the old 6, but HMD has trimmed the bezels by moving the fingerprint scanner on the back and thus getting rid of the whole capacitive control deck. The new Nokia 6 spreads at 148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2 mm - that's some impressive half a centimeter shorter.
The Nokia 6.1 weighs 172 g, just 3g on top of the Nokia 6.
The entire front is covered by a large piece of Gorilla Glass 3, 2.5D-finished as usual. The third edition might be a bit old, but it's the one we usually prefer - more resilient to scratches at the expense of being relatively more susceptible to shattering when dropped (compared to GG5).
Nokia 6 (2018)
It takes some time to notice the antenna strips on the back, but they are there - running along the top and bottom edges.
The camera glass now has this big ZEISS logo, and the fingerprint sensor found a new home just below the camera (last year it was on the front). The scanner is always-on, accurate and reliable.
We are fans of the flat frame and its tiny chamfers - those boost the overall grip by a mile and the Nokia 6.1 is one of the few phones we've felt absolutely secure in hand.
Nokia 6 (2018)
While the Nokia 6 (2018) has kept all popular ports intact, including the analogue audio one, the earpiece is no longer doubling as a second speaker. HMD decided to use just one speaker for the new Nokia 6 - and it's at the bottom behind a small grille.
We already mentioned the secure grip, but we also want to acknowledge the overall positive impressions from when handling the Nokia 6.1. It feels great in hand, and although it's a tad bigger than we'd prefer for a 5.5-incher, we are still fond of the overall feeling of security and sturdiness. The black model is all matte, but it still attracts some smudges. The blue and white ones don't have such issues, though.
No matter which model you get - Black/Copper, White/Iron, or Blue/Gold - we're sure you won't be disappointed by the looks, grip or handling.
Display
The new Nokia 6 (2018) has a screen identical in size and resolution to the previous model - it's a 5.5" IPS LCD panel with 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (403ppi). There is no notch, no unusual screen aspect.
We captured similar black levels, brightness, and contrast to the ones by the screen on last year's Nokia 6. The max brightness is alright for an LCD at 470 nits, but nothing extraordinary. The blacks are reasonably deep, and thus we calculated a great contrast ratio of 1278:1.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.364 | 484 | 1330 | |
| 0.367 | 469 | 1278 | |
| 0.351 | 551 | 1570 | |
| 0.401 | 532 | 1327 | |
| 0.548 | 555 | 1013 | |
| 0.357 | 546 | 1529 | |
| 0.297 | 431 | 1451 | |
| 0.257 | 476 | 1852 | |
| 0.356 | 531 | 1492 | |
| 0 | 413 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 559 | ∞ | |
One thing that received a massive boost since the previous version is the sunlight legibility. With a sunlight contrast ratio of 4.052, the LCD on Nokia 6 (2018) has one of the best scores we have measured so far, even beating most of the OLEDs!
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Apple iPhone X
5.013 - OnePlus 5T
4.789 - Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S9
4.63 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
4.537 - Motorola Moto Z2 Play
4.459 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Oppo R15 Pro
4.251 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Nokia 8
4.239 - Google Pixel 2 XL (pre-update)
4.234 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy Note8
4.148 - Meizu Pro 7 Plus
4.147 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Huawei Mate 10 Pro (normal)
4.096 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei P20 Pro
4.087 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4.052 - Google Pixel 2 (pre-update)
4.023 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.998 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
3.842 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.812 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Sony Xperia XZ1
3.765 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Huawei P20
3.683 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
3.675 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Sony Xperia XZ2
3.58 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Nokia 7 plus
3.479 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3.445 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Archos Diamond Omega
3.305 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
3.238 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
3.19 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Oppo R11s
3.153 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - HTC U11 Life
3.108 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Asus Zenfone 4 ZE554KL
3.019 - Motorola Moto X4
3.012 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - LG Q6
2.987 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
2.951 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA2
2.938 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Huawei Honor View 10
2.896 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Nokia 2
2.752 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Huawei Mate 10 (normal)
2.742 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
2.737 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Huawei Honor 7X
2.734 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - vivo V7+
2.671 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.654 - Oppo F5
2.653 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Standard)
2.616 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Huawei P Smart
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - HTC U11+
2.556 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Y1)
2.556 - Motorola Moto G 4G
2.546 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - BlackBerry Motion
2.494 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - Xiaomi Mi 4
2.424 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Auto)
2.417 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Vivo V7
2.404 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - Razer Phone
2.328 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Sony Xperia L2
2.266 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - HTC U11+ (EU)
2.253 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - vivo V5
2.059 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi 3
2.001 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Sony Xperia Z2
1.944 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - Sony Xperia L
1.351 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Finally, the color accuracy won't impress anyone. We measured an average DeltaE of 7.3 with a maximum of 13.8 for white - white is strongly shifted towards cyan. There are no display color options on the international Nokia 6.1, so you are stuck with this presentation only.
Battery life
The Nokia 6 (2018) is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery - the same as on the previous model. The phone supports fast charging and the provided charger will fills up to 38% of the depleted battery in half an hour.
HMD chose a modern Snapdragon 630 SoC (14nm) for the second-gen Nokia 6 and we've already seen some pretty good scores on other Android One phones with the same chip - the HTC U11 Life and Moto X4. Well, the Nokia 6.1 didn't disappoint - it posted good numbers on the standalone tests, and with a slightly above average standby consumption, the final endurance rating turned out 76 hours.
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Nokia 6 (2018) for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Loudspeaker
The one thing the new Nokia 6 lost in the upgrade process was the stereo speakers setup. While the first generation used the earpiece as a second speaker, the new (2018) model relies only on the bottom-firing loudspeaker.
The good news, however, is that the sound going out of that speaker on the Nokia 6.1 is much improved. It's louder, with richer sound, and it earned a Very Good mark in our loudspeaker test - only 1dB short of Excellent.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 66.7 | 70.6 | 75.0 | Good | |
| 63.1 | 70.9 | 82.5 | Good | |
| 67.2 | 71.1 | 80.7 | Good | |
| 65.9 | 70.8 | 85.8 | Very Good | |
| 67.8 | 71.0 | 84.5 | Very Good | |
| 67.1 | 74.0 | 85.3 | Very Good | |
| 71.1 | 72.7 | 87.7 | Excellent | |
| 70.9 | 75.3 | 88.0 | Excellent | |
| 74.0 | 73.9 | 90.4 | Excellent |
Audio quality
Unfortunately, the Nokia 6 (2018) performance in the active external amplifier part of our test fell as short as that of its Nokia 7 Plus sibling. Its intermodulation distortion was too high and its signal-to-noise ratio was nowhere near what we've come to expect from modern smartphones. On the positive side, its volume was nicely high, but the overall results left a lot to be desired.
Good thing is the clarity with headphones was much better - the stereo crosstalk spike wasn't too bad and the rest of the readings were excellent. Volume went from high to just above average, but the Nokia 6 (2018) still does solidly here.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.10, -0.20 | -37.5 | 80.4 | 0.0018 | 4.735 | -93.3 | |
| +0.05, -0.03 | -94.3 | 90.2 | 0.0027 | 0.019 | -58.6 | |
| +0.02, -0.31 | -38.8 | 81.7 | 0.0013 | 4.690 | -95.9 | |
| +0.25, -0.23 | -93.3 | 90.4 | 0.0045 | 0.227 | -53.9 | |
| +0.02, -0.01 | -92.6 | 92.6 | 0.0021 | 0.012 | -94.4 | |
| +0.17, -0.03 | -92.0 | 92.1 | 0.0023 | 0.092 | -52.8 | |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -92.1 | 92.2 | 0.0038 | 0.0085 | -90.0 | |
| +0.30, -0.07 | -91.7 | 91.8 | 0.022 | 0.206 | -72.4 | |
| +0.02, -0.02 | -93.4 | 93.2 | 0.0025 | 0.012 | -90.8 | |
| +0.20, -0.37 | -93.4 | 93.0 | 0.015 | 0.320 | -55.7 | |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -94.0 | 94.0 | 0.0018 | 0.011 | -93.7 |
Nokia 6 (2018) frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Clean Android Oreo
The Nokia 6 (2018) is part of the Android One program - meaning it gets pure Android as seen on the Pixels but on the cheap. Indeed, the OS updates are timely and the unit we got for review is running Oreo 8.1 with the most recent April security patch.
Android as Google intended shows up when you wake up the phone - clock, notification cards, two shortcuts on the bottom. Ambient display will show you a clock and notifications when you pick up the phone even without waking it up but be sure to enable this feature first.
Fingerprint enrollment uses the standard Oreo interface. Unlocking works as advertised and is quick and reliable.
Past that is the standard Android 8 homescreen with a pull-up app drawer.
Lockscreen • Homescreen • Widgets • App drawer
The quick toggles and notifications shade changes color depending on the wallpaper - white for lighter ones, black for darker ones. The task switcher is the usual rolodex, and wouldn't it be great if Google put the 'clear all' button on the bottom instead of up top? Anyway, multi-window is supported natively since Nougat.
There are several gestures like double pressing the power button to launch the camera and a swiping across the fingerprint scanner to bring down the notifications.
Quick toggles • Notifications • Task switcher • Multi-window
As for multimedia, it's all in the hands of Google's default apps. Photos is in charge of gallery-related tasks and video playback, while Google Play Music is the audio player. There's a file manager with batch actions and Google Drive sync, and Google's Calendar is Nokia's calendar of choice.
Google Photos • Google Play Music • Equalizer • File manager • Calendar
Benchmarks and performance
The Nokia 6 (2018) employs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 630 chipset - the new rising star in the mid-range midst. It's a worthy upgrade over the previously widespread Snapdragon 625 with a more powerful CPU and a great graphics boost, but also a massive performance jump over the Snapdragon 430 chip powering the first Nokia 6.
The Snapdragon 630 chip offers a classic octa-core Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. The GPU in charge of graphics is Adreno 508 and noticeably improves on the average gaming performance of its predecessor.
Just like the original Nokia 6, the 6.1 comes with either 3 or 4 gigs of RAM depending on the model you get - with 32 or 64 GB storage.
GeekBench is the best place for CPU prowess comparison. Here, the Nokia 6 (2018) scored the same as the rest of the S630 gang - the Xperia XA2, U11 Life and Moto X4. The Redmi 5 Pro and Galaxy A8 (2018) do better in the single-core tests as those two pack much more powerful Kryo 260 and Cortex-A73 cores.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
1532 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
1327 - Nokia 6 (2018)
882 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
874 - HTC U11 Life
873 - Motorola Moto X4
866 - Sony Xperia XA2
865 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
848 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
766 - Sony Xperia L2
679 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
665
The multi-core processor performance is on par with the best in the class.
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
4696 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
4418 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
4331 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
4309 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4225 - Sony Xperia XA2
4215 - HTC U11 Life
4140 - Motorola Moto X4
4136 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
4018 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2841 - Sony Xperia L2
1932
The Snapdragon 630 has a new Adreno 508 GPU and the tests shows its perfect for the class. It shows off some great scores and the only phones to match the Nokia 6.1 are the ones with the same Adreno model as the Xperia XA2 and Moto X4.
The Redmi 5 has a 720p display and that's the reason why it tops our chart.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi 5
18 - Nokia 6 (2018)
15 - Sony Xperia XA2
15 - Motorola Moto X4
15 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
14 - HTC U11 Life
13 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
10 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
9.4 - Sony Xperia L2
8.8 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7
With comparable CPU performance and superior graphics results, it's no wonder the Nokia 6 (2018) excels in compound benchmarks. The only phones to beat the Nokia at overall performance are the ones powered by a superior chipset such as the Redmi Note 5 Pro (Snapdragon 660) or the Galaxy A8 (Exynos 7885).
AnTuTu 7
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
107737 - Nokia 6 (2018)
90918 - Sony Xperia L2
45023
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
2030 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
2007 - Sony Xperia XA2
1545 - Motorola Moto X4
1532 - Nokia 6 (2018)
1517 - HTC U11 Life
1342 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
1226 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
1222 - Sony Xperia L2
816 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
389
The Nokia 6 (2018) earned some excellent marks for the class on the benchmark tests. In real life it will never disappoint - the cle,an Android runs flawlessly, while even demanding games are handled smoothly.
The metal body of the Nokia 6 (2018) gets warm under pressure, but not unpleasantly hot. We observed no throttling or stuttering, though.
The same 16MP camera
The Nokia 6 (2018) comes with the same 16MP sensor with 1.0µm pixels we saw on the first Nokia 6. It sits behind a 27mm-equivalent lens with an f/2.0 aperture - nothing extraordinary here. Focusing is handled by phase detection, and there's a dual LED dual-tone flash to help in the dark.
The interface is simple - shutter release at the bottom, a switch to video mode next to it and a shortcut to the gallery on the other side. A tiny mode selector next to the shutter release gives you the option to choose Regular photo, Panorama, or 'Touch up' mode (another word for 'Beautification').
On the opposite end of the viewfinder there are switches for beautification, picture-in-picture, flash (on/off/auto), HDR (on/off/auto), self-timer (off/3s/10s), and front/rear camera toggle. There's a hamburger button too, for access to settings and additional modes (panorama and pro).
Camera app • Modes • Manual mode • Video • Settings
Image Quality
The 16MP samples we shot in broad daylight with the Nokia 6 (2018) turned out rich in detail, contrasty, with accurate colors and white balance. The only letdown was the grass presentation, which is mostly smudgy.
The dynamic range is average, but there is Auto HDR setting and we suggest keeping it on - the Nokia 6 recognizes successfully most of the HDR-needy occasions and triggers it.
Nokia 6 (2018) 16MP camera samples
Using the manual HDR mode will reveal more detail here and there but at the expense of blown highlights and loss of detail in the shadows.
HDR off • HDR on
The low-light images are nothing much to talk about - blurry, dark, and with lots of noise. There is serious flaring when there are light sources in the frame, which doesn't speak well of the Zeiss lens.
Nokia 6 (2018) 16MP low-light samples
The camera app has a dedicated Pro mode, which allows for shutter speed as long as 4 seconds. We snapped two 4sec photos, and while those have plenty of detail and could have been great, the luminance noise gets in the way of, well, everything.
Nokia 6 (2018) long-exposure sample
The Nokia (2018) captures some great panoramic shots with a vertical resolution around 3,100px. Stitching is flawless, and there are no issues with varying exposure. The dynamic range is decent, while the resolved detail is quite impressive for the class.
Nokia 6 (2018) panorama
Feel free to pixel peep in our Photo compare tool - we've pre-selected a couple of phones we found relevant, but those can easily be replaced in the drop-down menus.
Nokia 6 (2018) against the HTC U11 Life and the Xiaomi Mi A1 in our Photo compare tool
Selfies
The Nokia 6 (2018), just like the international version of the old model, has an 8MP selfie camera with autofocus. That should get you sharp focus regardless how far your face is from the camera. There is no LED flash but we didn't expect one.
The images turned out excellent - sharp, with lots of detail, good colors and great contrast.
Nokia 6 (2018) 8MP selfies
Video recording
One notable upgrade over the first Nokia 6 is the addition of 4K video capturing. The Nokia 6 (2018) can record 4K and Full HD clips at 30 fps. The 4K footage is captured at 42.2 Mbps bitrate, while 1080p is about half that - 20 Mbps. Audio is always recorded stereo at 256 Kbps.
The video quality on both 2160p and 1080p clips is great - the image is detailed and sharp, even the foliage looks nice, and the noise levels are kept low. The dynamic range is decent, colors are spot on, and the contrast is great.
As usual, we've provided unedited samples straight out of the camera for you to download - 2160p@30fps (9s, 50MB), and 1080@30fps (9s, 24MB).
You can also head over to our Video compare tool and see how the Nokia 6 (2018) stacks up against the competition.
Nokia 6 (2018) against the HTC U11 Life and the Xiaomi Mi A1 in our Video compare tool
Competition
The Nokia 6 (2018) ticks many checkboxes, but the competition has some tricks left in the bag, too. While HMD has a broader market reach, the second-gen Nokia 6 will be a tough sell next to a recent Xiaomi.
The Mi A1, for example, is also part of the Android One program and as such is available in lots of markets. The A1 has a slightly inferior chipset, but its dual-camera on the back offers telephoto snaps and portraits with bokeh - some of the trendiest features lately.
The Redmi 5 Plus, also known as Redmi Note 5, is pretty much the Mi A1 on steroids - it comes with a taller 6" display, a larger 4,000 mAh battery, but it has just one camera on the back and runs on MIUI, for better or worse. Both Xiaomi phones are about €80 cheaper than the Nokia 6.1, so they are worth a consideration.
The Moto X4 costs as much as the Nokia 6.1, and it's also a part of the Android One program in some markets. It even runs on the same Snapdragon 630 chip. The X4 has a smaller screen but makes up for that with a beautiful glass body and a very capable dual-camera on the back. Oh, and it's water-tight!
HTC U11 Life is another Snapdragon 630 device that's part of Android One. It has a 5.2" 1080p display and packs a similar 16MP camera on the back but it has two notable features the Nokia 6.1 lacks - water resistance and Edge Sense (squeezable frame and various gestures). The U11 Life price equals Nokia 6's, so it's up to the brand loyalty we guess. If it were up to us, well, we'd choose water resistance any time.
Finally, we want to mention the all-metal Huawei Mate 10 Lite, also priced around the €260 that the Nokia goes for. The chipset is inferior, yes, but its tall 5.9" screen and four cameras (two at the back, two at the front) are quite tempting, especially if you fancy those bokeh shots.
Xiaomi Mi A1 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) • Motorola Moto X4 • HTC U11 Life • Huawei Mate 10 Lite
The Verdict
The Nokia 6 (2018) is a worthy improvement over its predecessor with a much better chipset and smaller body. Its 5.5" screen turned out great, and so did the performance, while the camera impressed us most of the time with image and video quality. The selfie shooter has autofocus, a rarity these days even within the flagship midst.
Being part of the Android One initiative guarantees a lightweight Android OS, the latest edition at that, with on-time updates for the next 24 months.
Pros
- Stylish all metal design
- Modern and snappy Snapdragon 630 chipset
- Latest Android OS with on-time updates thanks to Android One
- Very good 16MP snaps in daylight, impressive 4K videos
- The autofocus on the selfie camera is much appreciated
Cons
- No waterproofing
- No dual-camera on the back
- Launch price is not that competitive
So, yes, we liked every part of the new Nokia 6. Except for the price, we guess. Its hard to argue in favor of the Nokia when Xiaomi sells its phones at these bargain prices. But even the competitors from the same bracket as the Nokia 6.1 offer more - increased ingress protection or a dual-camera. Then again, most of those got a price cut since launch, so it's not all that bad.
The Nokia 6 (2018) is a great smartphone for its class, and we are sure the Nokia fans will appreciate it.
0 Response to "Nokia 6 (2018) review"
Post a Comment