Nokia's finally back to India under a new leader- HMD Global- a Finnish startup company, who acquired the rights to brand Nokia smartphones, tablets, and few accessories from Microsoft. The name Nokia has a great history with Indian consumers as they always loved the brand. When Google announced the Android mobile OS, everyone wanted Nokia to partner with Google and launch an Android-powered Nokia phone.
But Nokia broke several hearts claiming they won't launch an Android smartphone. Instead, the company used the Symbian OS for almost four years after Google announced the Android. At last, Nokia figured out that Symbian OS is no more an option against the fast-growing Android and iOS platforms, and collaborated with Redmond giant Microsoft to Windows Phone smartphones.
Then there are the Nokia Lumia smartphones, which eventually did well in India, but not in other countries. Nokia did not handle the pressure created by Apple's iPhones and various Android OEM's. Apparently, they sold out themselves to Microsoft.
Microsoft's Windows Phone platform was not a go-to option for normal users, and the company stopped releasing smartphones last year. Last year, they sold out the Nokia brand license to HMD Global, who within a span of ten months have launched the first ever Android-powered Nokia smartphone- the Nokia 6.
Later on, there were a couple of other smartphones, including the Nokia 5 and Nokia 3, along with the legend Nokia 3310. HMD Global, yesterday announced the Nokia smartphones in India. All the three Android smartphones are unveiled along with the official price tags.
The Nokia 6 will retail for Rs. 14,999 via Amazon India starting next month. The Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 are offline-only models and retail for Rs. 12,899 and Rs. 9,499 respectively.
There's a speciality about the Nokia 5 and Nokia 3- they are offline-only models. That said, we can accept the higher price tag even though they have modest specifications on paper. However, that's not the case with Nokia 6 because it's an online-only model, carrying entry-level specifications.
For the unaware, the Nokia 6 comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (expandable via microSD card), 16MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing camera, and a 3000mAh battery.
The Nokia 6 stands out from the crowd with its gorgeous looking design, but that isn't alone for it to steal the thunder of other Android smartphones in the similar price range.
Having said that, there are many other options in the market right now which offers decent specs for the asking price of Rs. 14,999. Here are the five smartphones which will give the Nokia 6 run for its money.
Motorola Moto G5 Plus
The major highlight of the Nokia 6 (other Nokia phones as well) is the stockish Android. HMD also promises monthly security patch updates, which is yet to be tested. The major contender for Nokia 6 would be the Moto G5 Plus, which also boots near stock Android 7.0 Nougat with little Moto additions.
The Moto G5 Plus has better specifications- 5.2-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB/4GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of internal storage, 12MP rear camera, 5MP front-facing camera, and a 3000mAh battery. That said, if you're looking for Nokia 6 and stock Android, you should consider looking at the Moto G5 Plus.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Probably, the best budget smartphone of 2017 so far. The Redmi Note 4 starts at Rs. 9,999, just a Rs. 500 more than the Nokia 3 price, and offers incredible specifications. It has a 5.5-inch display, Snapdragon 625 SoC, 2GB/3GB/4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front-facing camera, and a massive 4100mAh battery.
The letdown with the Note 4 is the software as its runs a heavily skinned MIUI 8, which would be loved by many and at the same time hated by many. Bearing the software, the Redmi Note 4 is an excellent value for money proportion.
Lenovo P2
The Android smartphone with best battery life till date. This is what I have to say about the Lenovo P2. With its massive 5100mAh battery and Snapdragon 625 chip inside, the phone refuses to die. With a single charge, the device offers three days of battery life. And the rest of the specifications are decent too.
The Lenovo P2 has a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED screen, 3GB/4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front-facing camera, and runs Android 7.0 Nougat. Bearing little customizations, the Lenovo P2 also has a near stock Android interface.
Lenovo Z2 Plus
It's the cheapest smartphone in the market right now with Snapdragon 820 SoC. The Lenovo Z2 Plus is an affordable smartphone with flagship specifications on board. Lenovo is currently selling the phone for Rs. 14,999 and sometimes, it can be seen with a lower price tag as well (around Rs. 13,000).
The Lenovo Z2 Plus has a 5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 820 Soc, 3GB/4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing camera, and a beefy 3500mAh battery. It runs Lenovo's ZUI based on top of Android Nougat.
LeEco Le Max 2
This might sound bit weird, but one has to accept the fact that the Le Max 2 is probably the company's best smartphone till date. While there won't be any support from LeEco in future because the company is looking to make an exit from the Indian market, but the Le Max 2 is a worthy contender to the Nokia 6, and the specifications of Le Max 2 are ten times better than the former.
The phone has a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 SoC, 4GB/6GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB of internal storage, 21MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing camera, and a 3100mAh battery. The device runs EUI on top of Android Marshmallow.
