Introduction
We're back at checking out one of the most hyped phones this year - the Nokia 6. This time around though, it's repackaged for worldwide action and, hopefully, not a déjà vu all over again. We'll obviously revisit the old review of the China-bound variant, only here we'll focus on the bits that are different. And those are by no means insignificant, who knew.
We'll start the list of changes with the small stuff, tiny actually. For some odd reason the global version lacks a notification LED, while the Chinese one does light up next to the earpiece when charging or upon missed calls and incoming stuff.
The global version also has a more prominent, shinier outline around the camera module. Some regulatory markings sprinkled on the back spoil the global version's looks, while Chinese regulator TENAA has been more laid-back about it, but that hardly passes for a change.
Other than that, we basically copy-pasted the following from our original Nokia 6 review - it is the same phone, after all, for the most part. Until it isn't, but more on than in the camera chapter.
Nokia 6 key features
- Body: Aluminum body, 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 front.
- Display: 5.5" IPS LCD, 1,920x1,080px resolution, 403ppi.
- Rear camera: 16MP, 1.0µm pixel size, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus; dual-tone dual-LED flash; 1080p video recording.
- Front camera: 8MP, 1.12µm pixel size, f/2.0 aperture, autofocus; 1080p video recording.
- OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430; octa-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Adreno 505 GPU.
- Memory: 3GB/4GB of RAM; 32GB/64GB storage.
- Battery: 3,000mAh, sealed.
- Connectivity: Dual-SIM; Cat.4 LTE (150/50Mbps); microUSB 2.0; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS; Bluetooth 4.1; FM Radio; NFC.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader; hybrid microSD/second SIM slot; dual speakers; 3.5mm jack.
Main shortcomings
- Smallish battery capacity
- Awkwardly placed fingerprint sensor (but that's nitpicking)
- Basic CPU for the price segment
- One would expect a USB-C port in 2017
Of course, the global Nokia 6 comes with a fully functional Google package right out of the box. The Chinese variant only got those with a recent update, but at this point it's not really a decider anymore.
During the course of the review we discovered a couple more differences, ones that a casual observer could easily miss. But before we get to those, let's quickly go over the hardware once again.
Hardware overview
It took one paragraph to describe the differences between the two Nokia 6 versions, but that's just because we're a chatty bunch - lack of notification LED, spiced up camera bump, and some text on the back, there.
We can't, however, fail to mention that the Nokia 6, China-specific or otherwise, is one solid smartphone. The aluminum unibody is super tough, as proven by online torture testing (check out Zack's excellent JerryRigEverything channel on YouTube). We prefer to refrain from such experiments for the sake of having phones to review afterwards. But bend tests or no bend tests, it's clear that the Nokia 6 was built to last.
Durability could have been a consideration when fitting the global version with a beefier frame around the camera module. From a design standpoint, it draws more attention to the not particularly handsome bump, but the outline is raised above the glass by a fraction of a millimeter, potentially protecting the glass.
While the smooth matte aluminum isn't the grippiest material there is, the Nokia 6's flat sides help immensely with handling. The metal buttons have a positive click to them too, but the power button could have been a little larger and further from the volume rocker. Next time.
Another thing that could have been larger is the home key/fingerprint reader, plus its position close to the edge takes some getting used to. Now, we were already used to it from the Chinese version, but how many people will be replacing one with the other?
A prominent feature of the Nokia 6, the earpiece moonlights as second speaker - it's not all that hard, it seems... Samsung. The other one is on the bottom, along with the mic and the microUSB port - there is no USB-C on this one - for better or worse.
Display
The Nokia 6 has a 5.5-inch FullHD display, but you already knew that from the old review. We tested the new one anyway and found some differences, albeit subtle.
For instance, the maximum brightness of the global version's display is thirty-something nits lower than the Chinese one's - still perfectly acceptable at 484nits. Contrast is marginally lower too, but quite good nonetheless - no complaints there either.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.69 | 632 | 916 | |
| 0.43 | 587 | 1365 | |
| 0.571 | 531 | 930 | |
| 0.377 | 522 | 1385 | |
| 0.322 | 484 | 1503 | |
| 0.364 | 484 | 1330 | |
| 0 | 482 | ∞ | |
| 0.33 | 478 | 1448 | |
| 0.353 | 477 | 1351 | |
| 0.614 | 463 | 754 | |
| 0.47 | 450 | 957 | |
| 0.364 | 449 | 1234 | |
| 0 | 348 | ∞ | |
In our sunlight legibility test the global Nokia 6 posted a virtually identical contrast ratio to the one we got from the Chinese version - that is, very good for an LCD panel. The Galaxy J7 (2017), having a Super AMOLED panel, is slightly better in this respect, but it's not one of the highest scoring AMOLEDs, so the difference isn't spectacular. The Redmi Note 4, in turn, doesn't fare as good in this test.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - 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 - Apple iPhone 6
3.838 - 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 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
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 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - 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 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - 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 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Xiaomi Mi 5
3.24 - 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 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - 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 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - 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 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - 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 - 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 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - 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 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - 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 - 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 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - Meizu m2 note
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 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Color accuracy is another area where the Chinese version performs slightly better. The global variant doesn't have any display modes or color temperature sliders, and in its single pre-defined setting manages an average DeltaE of 7.2 with a maximum of 11.7 for white - white is strongly shifted towards cyan. The Chinese version has three modes, and, when set to Warm, can reproduce the sRGB color space with a DeltaE of 3.3 and reasonably accurate whites, which is something we appreciate.
Nokia 6 battery life
The Nokia 6 draws power from a 3,000mAh battery - not exactly headline material. Couple that with a not particularly efficient 28nm chip and you shouldn't expect record breaking endurance. Furthermore, specifics in modem configuration and software optimization could lead to different battery life between the two Nokia 6 versions, we speculated.
Our tests confirmed these variables have affected video playback endurance the most, of all things. The global Nokia 6 can't make it to the 8-hour mark in continuous video playback, while the Chinese one could last 10 hours, though admittedly that's before the update, which added support for Google services. The two phones are pretty much tied at nine and a half hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi.
The global Nokia 6 outlasts the Chinese one in call time, lasting a full day and then some, but posts slightly lower standby endurance - a number we measure and include in the overall score, but omit in the scorecard.
In the end, the global Nokia 6's overall Endurance rating of 62 hours is rather modest by recent standards. It's still a reasonably balanced performer, but it can't compete with the likes of the Redmi Note 4 (119h) or the Galaxy J7 2017 (108h) or even the Galaxy J7 2016 (101h).
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Nokia 6 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.
Software
It's the software where the global Nokia 6 differs from the Chinese version in readily observable ways, while also being virtually identical to the other international Nokias, the 3 and 5. They all run Android 7.1.1. Nougat - the global ones from the get go, the Chinese Nokia 6 since a couple of updates ago.
Perhaps one of the best bits about the Nokias is that they come with a promise for timely monthly software updates. So far it's not an empty promise either - we received the review unit on August 7, the July update was there waiting, and once we installed that a notification popped up for the August patch.
Updates aside, it is the Chinese one that runs the most custom UI of the bunch, but even so, it's personalized with a very light touch. Compared to it, the global Nokia 6 delivers a stock look and feel not unlike a Pixel - a Pixel with a certain degree of blue accents in the interface that is. It's a Nokia after all, and the reborn brand needs a few UI elements to make it distinct enough and boost brand awareness.
There's little of that on the lockscreen, though - it displays the standard Nougat notification cards, complete with grouping, expanded view and direct reply. There is a clock as well, but it lacks the weather widget among other customizations exclusive to the Chinese version.
There's a camera shortcut in the bottom right, while the bottom left shows the fingerprint icon - if you have fingerprint recognition enabled, that is. These cannot be changed either. While we're at it, the camera can be launched with a double press of the power button on any of the two phones (but you have to enable that in the settings).
Lockscreen
The homescreen is where the Nokia looks like no other. All of the system icons and pre-installed apps are painted in Nokia blue, and they're all circles. It is the Nokia way, clearly, as it's more or less the same on all of the company's phones. We often found ourselves scrambling to find the icon we're looking for, because we couldn't tell them apart by shape or color. Of course, once you get used to what's where, it gets easier. There is no extended theme support - the blue color scheme is the one you get and that's that.
On the other hand, all third-party apps retain their original icons - the launcher doesn't apply any changes to them. That makes them recognizable, but then they look nothing like the bundled ones. You might want to consider having the stock apps on one screen, third-party ones on another, just for style's sake.
Anyway, the Pixel-like app drawer that you pull up from the dock is your only option - you can't tap on an Apps icon to go to a separate app drawer interface with screens that you swipe side to side.
Of course, since there is folder support on the homescreen as well, you can organize everything there and simply forget the Pixel-like swipe up to open the drawer.
Home screen • Folder view • App drawer
Speaking of gestures, a long press on the home screen toggles edit mode on. You also get access to widgets and wallpapers. The latter can be sourced from the pre-loaded and a little bit obscure Google Wallpapers app, which has the handy option for daily wallpapers. The homescreen setting menu only has a couple of options, but both are interesting.
Homescreen editing • Homescreen settings • Google Now panel • Google Wallpapers app
App suggestions is the nifty first row in the app drawer, which is automatically populated with recently used apps. As for the Google App toggle, it is used to enable or disable the Google Now interface, accessible via a right swipe on the homescreen. There's Google Assistant too - the customary long press on the Home button calls it up.
The Nokia 6's notification shade is about as stock as they get, and that's one way it differs from the Chinese 6, which had some customization. A single pull down gets you six small toggles, pull a second time and you get a total of 9 large ones per pane, with multiple panes supported. There's also a brightness slider, but Auto brightness is only accessible through the settings menu.
Notification shade
The task switcher is business as usual - the Android rolodex is present here. The 'clear all' button only appears when you scroll all the way to the top - a bit of a nuisance. There is multi-window multitasking (thanks, Nougat), but the screen is always split 50/50 - you can't resize the windows.
Task switcher • Multi-window
There are a few gestures you can enable on the Nokia 6 but just basic stuff really. There are magnification gestures, pick up to mute and turn to reject call, and the double press of the power button to launch the camera counts as a gesture.
Gestures
Loudspeaker
The Nokia 6 reuses the earpiece as a second loudspeaker - the left channel in a stereo setup. The bottom firing driver is more powerful, but the two work well together to create the stereo effect.
When it comes to loudness, the Nokia 6 falls in the Good category in our test and sounds clear even with the volume dialed all the way up. There is hardly any difference between the Global and Chinese version in terms of loudness.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 65.8 | 65.1 | 64.6 | Below Average | |
| 60.6 | 69.5 | 70.3 | Below Average | |
| 63.1 | 68.7 | 70.4 | Average | |
| 61.7 | 69.7 | 71.8 | Average | |
| 63.2 | 69.5 | 71.0 | Average | |
| 64.5 | 71.0 | 68.9 | Average | |
| 68.1 | 71.8 | 69.4 | Good | |
| 66.4 | 66.2 | 78.0 | Good | |
| 63.9 | 70.0 | 81.7 | Good | |
| 63.1 | 70.9 | 82.5 | Good | |
| 63.0 | 70.2 | 85.2 | Good | |
| 67.3 | 70.3 | 81.5 | Very Good | |
| 67.8 | 71.2 | 83.1 | Very Good | |
| 65.1 | 70.7 | 86.8 | Very Good | |
| 73.4 | 72.1 | 84.1 | Excellent | |
| 83.1 | 74.5 | 85.0 | Excellent |
Synthetic benchmarks
The Nokia 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 430 chip - a common solution in the lower midrange, and it's the same chipset found in both the global and Chinese versions. An octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU ticks inside, clocked at up to 1.4GHz. Our review unit comes with 3GB of RAM but a 4GB version is also in existence - the two paired with 32GB or 64GB of storage, respectively.
We ran the usual set of benchmarks and looking at the results, we debated whether we should bother publishing them at all - they're mostly identical to the ones from the Chinese version. A slightly more pronounced difference in the all-important (not really!) Antutu benchmark tipped the scales.
So we decided to compare the global Nokia 6 performance to a bunch of competitors which weren't out yet at the time of publishing of the old review back in April.
Let's kick off with Antutu then. The Nokia 6 for the rest of the world manages to outperform the Chinese version and the Moto G5 (itself equipped with a Snapdragon 430) and is on par with the Galaxy J7 (2017) and the Meizu M5 Note.
From then on in ascending order we have the Moto M (Helio P10), the Galaxy J7 Max (Helio P20), the Redmi Note 4 (Snapdragon 625), and the Moto G5 Plus (again, S625).
An even higher tier of chipsets is to be found on top of this chart with the Redmis packing a Snapdragon 650 and two Helio X20s - you could find these Xiaomi smartphones for the Nokia 6's money, so it's worth pointing them out.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
85162 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
77442 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
76186 - Moto G5 Plus
63390 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
61616 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
57996 - Huawei Honor 6X
57012 - Oppo F3
53008 - Lenovo Moto M
51831 - Meizu M5 Note
47806 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
47495 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
46822 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
44062 - Moto G5
43755
The Nokia 6 refused to post meaningful scores in Basemark OS II 2.0, so we resorted to the older version of the benchmark for another comparative numerical representation of overall performance. Well, it's nothing special, really, marginally better than the Meizu M5 Note, but trailing most other competitors.
Basemark OS II
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
1914 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
1648 - Huawei Honor 6X
1307 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
1290 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1171 - Lenovo Moto M
1127 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
1041 - Oppo F3
1018 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
978 - Meizu M5 Note
944
Looking at the Latest GeekBench 4.1 for some CPU performance numbers, the global Nokia 6 posts practically the same scores as its Chinese counterpart in both single-core and multi-core tests, well within the fluctuations between separate runs.
The Moto G5 again fares worse, but both the Moto G5 Plus and the Galaxy J7 (2017) consistently outperform the Nokia 6 in single-core and multi-core scenarios.
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Moto G5 Plus
4255 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3779 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
3509 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
2879 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2841 - Oppo F3
2798 - Moto G5
2580
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
888 - Moto G5 Plus
847 - Oppo F3
764 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
734 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
669 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
665 - Moto G5
618
Heavy 3D mobile gaming is not the Nokia 6 forte, global or Chinese. Examining the GFXBench scores, you can clearly see that the Nokia only produces modest frame rates, with the top performers capable of double the numbers.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
15 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
15 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
9.9 - Moto G5 Plus
9.7 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
9 - Huawei Honor 6X
8.4 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
7.2 - Lenovo Moto M
7.1 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7.1 - Moto G5
7.1 - Oppo F3
6.8 - Meizu M5 Note
5.5 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5.1
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
15 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
15 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
9.7 - Moto G5 Plus
9.7 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
8.9 - Huawei Honor 6X
7.9 - Lenovo Moto M
7.6 - Moto G5
7.1 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
7 - Oppo F3
6.8 - Meizu M5 Note
5.5 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5.1
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
9.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
9.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
9 - Moto G5 Plus
6.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
6.2 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
5.8 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.8 - Lenovo Moto M
4.7 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
4.6 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
4.6 - Moto G5
4.6 - Oppo F3
4.5 - Meizu M5 Note
3.6 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.3
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Pro
9.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
9.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
9 - Moto G5 Plus
6.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
6.2 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
6.2 - Lenovo Moto M
5.2 - Moto G5
4.6 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
4.6 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.6 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
4.5 - Oppo F3
4.5 - Meizu M5 Note
3.6 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.3
GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
5.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
5.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
5.3 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.6 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
4 - Moto G5 Plus
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
3.4 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
2.5 - Lenovo Moto M
2.5 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2.5 - Moto G5
2.5 - Oppo F3
2.4 - Meizu M5 Note
1.9 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1.9
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
5.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Helio X20)
5.4 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
5.4 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.8 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
4 - Moto G5 Plus
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
3.4 - Lenovo Moto M
2.7 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
2.5 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2.5 - Moto G5
2.5 - Oppo F3
2.4 - Meizu M5 Note
1.9 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1.9
The Nokia 6 can only do so much with its Snapdragon 430 chip - it's a decent performer, but nothing more. We can't help but think that the Snapdragon 625 SoC would have been much better suited to the 6, to set the 5 and 6 in a more meaningful way and make the 6 altogether more competitive.
Now, that's better
We're reviewers - or otherwise, chronic complainers. We look for perfection and expose mediocrity. Our biggest disappointment with the China-bound Nokia 6 was the camera quality and its overly flat output with muted colors and low contrast. Well, the global version gets it right this time much to our delight. But let's go over the specs and interface first.
The Nokia 6 comes with a 16MP sensor with 1.0µm pixels behind a 27mm-equivalent lens with an f/2.0 aperture - nothing extraordinary. Focus is handled by phase detection, and there's a dual LED flash to help out in the dark.
The camera app is familiar from the rest of the new Nokias and the same one we saw on the Chinese version a while back. The interface is dead simple - shutter release at the bottom, a switch to video mode next to it (yet, the viewfinder doesn't change to 16:9, what's that about?!), 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 (others call it 'beautification').
On the opposite end of the viewfinder there are switches for flash mode (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.
Camera interface
In there, you'll find handy features like a level and a compass, gridlines (rule of thirds) plus a watermarking tool. Who'd have thought that under Capture settings, a Manual mode would be hiding? 'Manual' might be a bit of an overstatement, though - there's exposure compensation (-2/+2EV in full stop increments), white balance presets, a rudimentary focus selector (auto/infinity/macro), and a metering mode selector.
Manual mode
Image quality
The photos that come out of the global Nokia 6 are way better than the ones we got out of the Chinese version. The level of detail is higher and sharpness is superior, all the way to the corners, which were visibly soft on the Chinese version.
Camera samples
Contrast is also much improved, though that wasn't all that difficult - the other phone had it really bad. Colors have a lot more punch too - an appropriate amount now, if you will, and red is now proper red. All of that leads us to suspect that a different lens is used in the global version of the smartphone - or why not, an entirely different camera module.
You don't have to take our word for it, though - we shot with the two sixes side by side. Compare away.
6 vs. 6 samples: Global version • Chinese version
The Nokia 6 has a pretty dramatic HDR mode, which brings out the lower midtones, and also rescues some of the highlights. On top of that, and a little unusual, it boosts color saturation, and all of this combined, can make for rather otherworldly images on occasion - look at the fire truck, for instance.
In landscape scenarios, while still pronounced, the effect isn't as striking. HDR photos take a while to process though, and you can't take another shot in the meantime so they come with a penalty.
HDR: Off • On • Off • On • Off • On
The Panorama mode of the global Nokia 6 takes some pretty great pano shots. They're not the full resolution of the sensor like we saw on the Chinese version, but at 3,100+ pixels tall, there's still a lot of detail. Stitching shows no visible issues and there is no exposure variation banding.
Panorama sample
As usual, the pixel peeping can continue into our Photo compare tool. We've pre-selected the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017), but you can choose your phones to compare against from the countless cameraphones we've tested.
Nokia 6 against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in our Photo compare tool
8MP selfie cam, now with autofocus
Another difference that emerged between the otherwise seemingly identical pair of Nokia 6s is the autofocus of the front-facing cam - as in, the global version has it, but not the Chinese one. That gets you sharp focus at any distance, as opposed to the single, less than ideally placed, focus plane of the Chinese variant.
That's not all though. You're also treated to better, more pleasing colors, and a bump in contrast.
Selfie samples
Video recording
The Nokia 6 records video at up to 1080p/30fps, nothing particularly exceptional but the videos themselves turned out quite good. You can get higher frame rates, though you need to sacrifice resolution for those - 720p/60fps and 480p/90fps (that last one is also 4:3).
FullHD videos are encoded at a generous bitrate of 20Mbps, while the de facto standard is around 17Mbps. Audio is recorded in stereo at 96kbps.
We were already quite pleased with the Chinese Nokia 6's video quality and what we got out of the global one turned out even better. It's sharper in the corners, but also throughout the frame, further convincing us it's a different, superior lens (or sensor). The improved contrast and more vivid colors make the global Nokia 6's footage one of the better ones we've seen.
There's of course a shorter 10-second clip for you to download. This one is straight from the camera, so it hasn't been crunched by the YouTube compression.
And in the end, we'll refer you again to our Video compare tool, where we've pitted the Nokia against the Redmi 4 and Galaxy J7 (2017). Naturally, you can change those to any other two phones we've tested.
Nokia 6 against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in our Video compare tool
Final words
The China-specific Nokia 6 was our first encounter with HMD's revived Nokia and it left us with mixed feelings. There was enough to like about the 6: the superb build quality and the all-round great display, but then the camera was beyond meh, and the chipset felt a little underpowered.
In came the global version of the handset and we expected little more than a few software changes. While those did end up being there, we were in for a few hardware surprises.
Getting the bad stuff off our chest first - what did the notification LED ever do to you, HMD Global? The global Nokia 6 is missing the tiny status diode that the Chinese version of the handset. Why?
Now, let's dial down the drama and move on. We won't go so far as to call these downgrades, but the display of the Nokia 6 for the rest of the world is slightly dimmer at maximum setting and lacks color temperature adjustments. On top of that, the battery life is a little worse - a result of Google services taking their toll, a different modem, software optimization, or a subset of those. Or none of them, but either way, the global Nokia 6 trails its Chinese counterpart in terms of battery endurance.
But the Chinese variant can't hold a candle to the international Nokia 6 when it comes to image quality. There's no sign of the low contrast, muted colors and blurry corners - the Nokia 6 that you can buy internationally takes pleasing photos with plenty of detail, vivid colors and great contrast. The front-facing cam is also a big step up - not in small part thanks to the addition of the autofocus which the Chinese version lacks.
Nokia 6 key test findings
- Build quality alone could claim a higher price tag - it's as premium as it is durable. Now, the niggles: small and low-standing fingerprint reader, tiny power button, no notification LED when we know it could have been there.
- The display has no unforgivable flaws - more accurate whites would have been appreciated, but brightness and contrast are good, and it's comfortably readable in the sun.
- An average video playback endurance spoils an otherwise decent battery life - our rating is 62 hours.
- Purists will enjoy the mostly stock Android, fans of customization should look for third-party launchers. It's the latest 7.1.1 Nougat with updates coming in monthly (at least for the time being) and that's always good.
- The weak link of it all - the 28nm Snapdragon chip is capable of little more than decent day-to-day performance. It's okay, but after getting used to faster smartphones, we saw the Nokia 6 had a slight delay pretty much every time we attempted a task or started an app. Based on where you're coming from, you might not even notice it.
- The stereo speakers are a nice touch for a phone in this price bracket - they do make a difference in sound stage. Loudness is also above average - or as our ratings go, it's a Good showing.
- A superior camera to the one in the Chinese version, the global Nokia 6's primary shooter pleasantly surprises with image quality.
- Video quality is even better than the already commendable output of the Chinese Nokia 6 - this one's footage is even sharper, with livelier colors and improved contrast.
- The autofocus-enabled selfie cam makes a difference too - you'll get sharper selfies across more varied scenarios. Color rendering is on-point and contrast has seen a boost too.
If you've been reading carefully, you would have seen that we're inclined to recommend the Nokia 6 to the right set of prospective buyers.
It's always worth to check out the alternatives, so our first question to you would be - are you sure you don't want the Nokia 5 instead? It's slightly more compact, and cheaper, while also having a similar-quality aluminum build and the same chipset inside. The display is lower-res at 720p, but that's actually a good thing in this case as it goes easier on the graphics chip. Battery life is also superior on the 5. If only there were a 3GB/32GB Nokia 5 that would have been an easy recommendation, but we're wary of 2GB/16GB smartphones these days.
Nokia 5
The Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) is itself made of aluminum, unlike older J7s. It packs an AMOLED display and a more powerful chipset, plus it lasts much longer on a single charge. Typically, it only comes with 16GB of storage too, unfortunately, though some regions do get a more reasonable 32GB version, which is the standard Nokia 6 storage. The 6's cameras are superior too, and the Nokia is, in fact, slightly more affordable.
Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
A host of Moto G5 models can be seen as Nokia 6 competitors. The G5 proper and the G5S come with the same 1080p display/Snapdragon 430 combo, so you'd be better off looking at the Pluses. The Moto G5S Plus is a bit more expensive, but packs a dual 13MP camera and a frugal yet more powerful Snapdragon 625 chip, plus it can shoot 4K video. If you don't care about the second camera, the Moto G5 Plus (minus the 'S') comes at the Nokia 6's price with a S625 chip and 4K video.
Motorola Moto G5S Plus • Motorola Moto G5 Plus
Or just go right ahead and pick up a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, ideally in its Snapdragon 625 trim as opposed to Mediatek Helio X20. You won't be getting as good a camera though - the Nokia 6 comfortably leads in this department. But the Redmi Note 4 has near double the battery life and is cheaper. Plus MIUI is a lot more feature-rich than the vanilla Nougat of the Nokia 6, though we can see how some folks will be on the other side of this argument.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
The Nokia 6, the global one, addresses one of the two major issues we had with its Chinese counterpart, camera image quality. And if a vastly improved camera output comes at the price of a status LED, a notch down in max brightness, and a slight toll on battery life at video playback - well, let's just say it looks like a reasonable trade-off in our book. As for the other source of complaints, the underpowered chipset is up to a Nokia 7 or whatever comes next to fix. We wouldn't hold our breath just yet though, so right now HMD's Nokia 6 is the most sensible Nokia smartphone you can get.
0 Response to "Nokia 6 review: International flavor"
Post a Comment