HMD Global seems to be very proud of last year’s Nokia 6[1] (Review[2]), calling it “an instant success”, “an icon”, and “the ultimate expression of Nokia craftsmanship and build quality”. Those statements were made at this year’s pre-MWC 2018[3] press conference, moments before the unveiling of its successor, the new Nokia 6 (2018)[4], because the company has even higher hopes for this new model. We went hands-on with the new Nokia 6 (2018) at the mega expo in Barcelona, and here are our first impressions.
The frame of the Nokia 6 (2018) is milled from a single block of aluminium and there’s a metal plate inside for added rigidity. We were able to spend some time with it just after a bunch of Nokia[5] mobiles were announced in Barcelona on Sunday[6], and our very first thought was that this phone is absolutely solid. The new Nokia 6 is thick and chunky at 8.6mm thick, with unapologetically straight lines, unlike so many other products today that try to appear organically curved and moulded. Still, it feels fine in the hand, and we didn’t feel any discomfort when playing around with it.
We saw three Nokia 6 (2018) colour options at the launch event – silver, blue, and black. All of them had a distinct copper-bronze accent on the borders and around the buttons and camera bump, and not everyone will like this because it demands attention. We would have preferred at least one neutral colour option.
Nokia 6 (2018) vs Redmi Note 5 vs Nokia 6 vs Xiaomi Mi A1[7]
Nokia could lose a few buyers because the new Nokia 6 (2018)’s 16:9 screen....