2018 will definitely be an exciting year for the smartphone world as there are far more competitors than there were, say, five years ago. And since most of them have been releasing some truly impressive devices, we’re curious to see what these manufacturers have in store for us this year. Thanks to rumours and leaks, we already know a lot about upcoming devices. Today, we’re going to compare two upcoming phones against a phone that falls in the same pricing bracket and has been around for a year. We’re talking about comparing the Nokia 6 (2018) and Xiaomi’s Mi Max 3 against the Sony Xperia XA1.
Nokia 6 (2018) vs Sony Xperia XA1 vs Mi Max 3: Price in India
The Nokia 6 (2018) was announced in January this year and is a follow up to the Nokia 6 which was released in January 2017. It is yet to get an official launch date for India but we expect the device to be launched in a week or two at a price of approximately Rs. 17,999. The XA2 was announced at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, less than a year after Sony announced the XA1. The XA1 is now just over a year old and is currently priced at Rs. 16,900. The Mi Max 3 is an upgrade to the popular Mi Max 2 and is expected to be launched sometime mid-year in 2018. The phablet is expected to carry a price tag of approximately Rs. 17,999.
Nokia 6 (2018) vs Sony Xperia XA1 vs Mi Max 3: Display
The Nokia 6 (2018) sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display that has a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels. It offers a pixel density of 403 pixels per inch (ppi) and comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The Sony Xperia XA1, in comparison, comes with a 5-inch IPS LCD screen that has a resolution of 720×1280 at 294ppi. It features Gorilla Glass protection as well. The Mi Max 3 is rumoured to be equipped with a 6.99-inch LCD display which will offer 1080×2160 pixels at 345ppi. Unlike the other two phones, the Mi Max 3 will offer an aspect ratio of 18:9.
Nokia 6 (2018) vs Sony Xperia XA1 vs Mi Max 3: Performance
The Nokia 6 (2018) is powered by the Qualcomm SDM630 Snapdragon 630 octa-core 2.2GHz processor, whereas the Sony Xperia XA1 features a Mediatek Helio P20 octa-core (4×2.3GHz + 4×1.6GHz) chipset under the hood. The Mi Max will carry the yet unreleased Qualcomm Snapdragon 635 octa-core processor. While we don’t have performance stats yet, the SD635 is said to be 20% more powerful than the Snapdragon 630.
The Nokia 6 (2018) will offer 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage (a 4GB 64GB variant is up for release soon after). The Xperia XA1 will offer the same specs: 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The Mi Max 3, on the other hand, will offer 4GB RAM paired with 64GB of onboard memory.
While the Nokia 6 (2018) and Mi Max 3 will offer Oreo, the Xperia XA1 is due for an Oreo update from its current Android Nougat OS. So the phones are tied in terms of software specs. In terms of battery life, the Mi Max 3 dominates the other two phones with its massive 5500mAh battery. The Nokia 6 (2018) and Sony Xperia XA1 offer 3000mAh and 2300mAh cells respectively.
Nokia 6 (2018) vs Sony Xperia XA1 vs Mi Max 3: Camera Specifications
The Nokia 6 (2018) is equipped with a 16MP f/2.0 rear shooter whereas the Xperia XA1 comes with a 23MP f/2.0 primary camera. The Mi Max 3 takes a lead yet again with its dual camera setup — a pair of 12MP lenses lets you shoot pics laced with bokeh effects. While the Nokia 6 and XA1 can shoot full HD videos at 30fps, the Mi Max 3 can record 4K videos at the same frame rate.
On the front, the Nokia 6 (2018) and Xperia XA1 both offer 8MP f/2.0 selfie snappers, whereas the Mi Max 3 offers a tamer 5MP f/2.0 front camera.
Nokia 6 (2018) vs Sony Xperia XA1 vs Mi Max 3: Verdict
Of the three, the Mi Max 3 is definitely the specs-heaviest. It offers a larger display, better cameras and a massive battery. But some users might find the device a bit unwieldy. If you need something a bit more compact and don’t mind compromising on features and specs a bit, you can go for the new Nokia 6 (2018).
