Bang-For-The-Buck Mid-Range Quick Comparo: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Vs. Nokia 6 (2018)

Which is the better bang-for-the-buck midrange?

With much anticipation, Xiaomi has finally unveiled its successor to the Redmi Note 4 line with the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Our focus is on the latter, as it has one of the best specs in any Redmi phone as of this writing.

Because the Redmi Note 5 Pro uses a Snapdragon 636 processor, it’s quite challenging to find a phone that can closely match its specs and price. From our research with 2018’s releases, we figured that Nokia’s Nokia 6 (2018) is its closest competitor. Let’s take a quick look at their spec sheet:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro specs

Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor
4GB/6GB RAM
5.99-inch Full HD+ IPS display
64GB expandable storage, via microSD (up to 128GB)
12-megapixel f/2.2 Sony IMX486 and 5-megapixel f/2.0 Samsung rear cameras with LED Flash
20-megapixel front camera with LED Flash, Sony IMX376 sensor
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi, Bluetooth
GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS, Fingerprint scanner
Android Nougat with MIUI 9
4000mAh battery

Nokia 6 (2018) Specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core processor
5.5-inch full HD display, 2.5D glass, 1920 x 1080 resolution
4GB RAM
32GB/64GB internal storage expandable storage up to 128GB via microSD
16-megapixel rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, Laser AF, Dual-tone LED flash
8-megapixel front camera, f/2.0 aperture
Dual SIM (Hybrid Tray)
3G, LTE
WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner
Bothie mode, OZO audio
3000mAh battery with fast charging
Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Internals: Snapdragon 636 is Superior

While both offer a 32GB/64GB internal storage option and at least 4GB of RAM, the Redmi Note 5 Pro edges a bit over the Nokia 6 (2018) with is newer Snapdragon 636 processor. On the spec sheet, the Snapdragon 636 uses Kryo cores, which Qualcomm claims gives it up to 40% better performance over the Snapdragon 630.

Display: Bigger display on the Redmi Pro

While both offer a Full HD display, the Redmi Note 5 Pro wins here because it uses a bigger 5.99-inch display, and because it has the trendier 18:9 aspect ratio, resulting to slimmer bezels.

Camera: Mixed bag

While the Redmi Note 5 Pro has a dual rear camera setup, the Nokia 6 (2018) has a better-specced single rear camera as it has a higher megapixel count (16-megapixel vs. 13-megapixel on the Redmi Note 5 Pro) and a brighter aperture opening (f/2.0 vs f/2.2 on the Redmi Note 5 Pro). However, the Redmi Note 5 Pro uses a new Sony IMX486 sensor, and we can’t wait to try out both phones to see which produces better shots.

As for the front camera, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is the clear winner with its Sony IMX376-equipped 20-megapixel snapper.

Battery: Bigger battery on the Redmi Pro but…

When it comes to capacity, the Redmi Note 5 Pro clearly has a bigger battery with its 4000mAh unit (compared to 3000mAh on the Nokia 6 (2018)). However, the Nokia 6 (2018) has an added fast charging feature, which should juice it up faster.

As for battery life, we cannot give a definite verdict yet as we have yet got our hands on both phones.

Verdict: The Redmi Note 5 is definitely something

Early this year, we thought that the launch of the Nokia 6 (2018) was the definite value-for-money mid-range phone, until the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro came around. Aside from having a dual rear camera setup and an 18:9 display, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is one of the few phones out there that uses a Snapdragon 636 processor. Being a new processor, we can’t wait to get our hands on a unit and see how the Snapdragon 636 fares in our tests.