Nokia 6 review: Performance is a mixed bag

There's a lot resting on Nokia's shoulders. Brand owners HMD Global know the kind of respect the brand still demands. Their comeback was mainly spoken in terms of the iconic 3310 (which we reviewed in June this year). However, Android smartphones are also very much on the radar. You may have seen the recent global unveiling of the Nokia 8 (their flagship). Here, we're talking about a device that looks and feels somewhat similar but is priced at an enticing Rs 15k.

So what do you get for this mid-range price? If you've seen some the Windows powered Nokia Lumia phones, there is a lot of similarity in the design. There's an unmistakable sense of solidity and craftsmanship. This one is all-metal, with flat sides, a lightly curved back, 2.5 D glass and chamfered edges that glint in the light.The solid feel is mostly thanks to the fact that the phone body is milled from a single piece of aluminium. It's a lot more premium than we're used to seeing at this price.

The screen is a full HD IPS LCD with high contrast and excellent viewing angles. We wouldn't expect anything less at this price -the display lends itself well to all kinds of use and works well outdoors too. Looking around the phone, we see the 3.5mm headphone jack on top, volumepower buttons on the right, micro USB port on the bottom and a single speaker grill. They didn't go with the newer USB Type-C port -whether that's good or bad depends on your point of view. On the back, the camera module protrudes slightly but not enough to be an eyesore. You'll also see the antenna bands neatly integrated into the aluminium.

Performance is a mixed bag. We liked the stock Android experience (only the icons are rounded) and the smoothness it delivers as a result. However, there are many things that give away the entry-level nature of the processor -and we're not talking about the benchmark scores. Heavy apps and games take a lot longer to start up and some apps take a fair bit of time to install. This shouldn't be an issue for day-to-day use but performance hungry folk will reach the phone's limits very quickly . Battery life is good but not exceptional: we got a full day of use on most days with 4GVoLTE.

The camera results are excellent for the price. The camera focuses fast between near and far objects and turns up with some great looking photos. It is possible to fool the AF system at times but nothing too serious.Keep expectations in check for low light, because that's when the entry-level nature comes through. There's a manual mode that lets you choose metering, white balance, focus and exposure val ue (but no ISO or shutter speed control). And finally , video recording is good but resolution is capped at 1080p. Remember to hold the phone really steady because there's no optical or electronic stabilisation.

So if not Nokia, what else? There's the very capable Moto G5 Plus at around the same price. LG's new Q6 with the Full Vision display is also the same price. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 4 can't be missed either and is priced lower (the 3GB32GB is substantially lower at `10,999). So there's intense competition here. HMD is relying on the device's premium build quality and the power of brand Nokia to reel in the customers. And that will possibly work, given the legions of loyal fans that are still around.

Source: Nokia 6 review: Performance is a mixed bag