Nokia announced its newest budget phone, the Nokia 1, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, in February 2018. The USP of the Nokia 1 is that it runs on Google’s new Android Oreo (Go Edition) platform. And the device has finally made its way to Indian shores as it officially goes on sale today. We couldn’t help but wonder how the smartphone would fare against its closest competitor, a phone that has rocked the budget segment and continues to rock it, because of its features and value for money. We’re talking about the Redmi 5A from Xiaomi, which has sold millions of units and continues to be sold out within minutes at its weekly flash sales. Let’s go ahead and compare various parameters to see how the Nokia 1 and Redmi 5A stand against each other.
Redmi 5A vs Nokia 1: Price in India
The Redmi 5A was launched in November last year and carries a price tag of Rs. 5,999 for the base version and Rs. 6,999 for the 3GB 32GB variant. The Nokia 1, as mentioned earlier, goes on sale today and will be priced at Rs. 5,499. If you buy the device from Jio however, you get a cashback of Rs. 2,200 which effectively makes the price Rs. 3,299 for the Nokia 1.
Redmi 5A vs Nokia 1: Display
The Redmi 5A sports a 5-inch IPS LCD display and offers a resolution of 720×1280 pixels. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a density of 296 pixels per inch (ppi). Comparatively, the Nokia 1 features a 4.5-inch display that has a resolution of 480×854 pixels. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and has a pixel density of 218ppi. Neither of the devices offers Gorilla Glass protection.
Redmi 5A vs Nokia 1: Performance, Battery Life
Under the hood of the Redmi 5A is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 quad-core 1.4GHz processor with an Adreno 308 graphics processing unit. Comparatively, the Nokia 1 is equipped with a MediaTek MT6737M quad-core 1.1GHz chipset. A Mali-T720 graphics processor handles all the graphics grunt work for the Nokia 1.
In terms of software, the Redmi 5A runs on MIUI 9.0, which is currently at Android Nougat (version 7.1.2). The Nokia 1, of course, runs on Android 8.0 (Oreo Go), which is designed to work on devices with low-end hardware specifications. The device comes with optimised, preloaded apps from Google like Gmail, Google Assistant, Google Files, Google Maps, YouTube, etc. Users will be able to download non-Go versions of apps as well.
The Redmi 5A offers 2GB RAM and 16GB onboard storage, with the option of an additional 256GB of storage thanks to its dedicated microSD card slot. The Nokia 1 supports expandable memory as well, letting users add up to 128GB via its hybrid slot (SIM2). As for battery life, the Redmi 5A packs a 3000mAh cell whereas the Nokia 1 has a battery with a capacity of 2150mAh.
Redmi 5A vs Nokia 1: Camera
The Redmi 5A is packed with a 13MP f/2.2 rear shooter that is surprisingly decent when you consider the price of the phone. Comparatively, the Nokia 1 is equipped with a 5MP primary camera. While the Redmi 5A can record full HD (1080p) videos at 30 frames per second, the Nokia 1 can only manage recording 480p videos.
For selfies, the Redmi 5A offers a 5MP front camera, whereas the Nokia 1 is equipped with a 2MP selfie snapper.
Redmi 5A vs Nokia 1: Verdict
Between the Redmi 5A and the brand new Nokia 1, it’s rather obvious that you should choose the Xiaomi phone. While the Nokia 1 has an interesting design and has interchangeable back covers (called Xpress-on covers), there is too much of a gap between the two phones in terms of processor, camera offerings, and display specs, among others. So the Redmi 5A is the clear winner among these two phones.
