Ever since the under-15,000 segment became strong, there have been hardly any noteworthy phones near the 20K mark. You can either buy an entry-level budget smartphone which would cost you not more than Rs 15,000, or you can go for the budget flagships or mid-rangers from top brands which start upwards of Rs 25,000. Recently though, we have been gifted with some of the most promising mid-range handsets which would cost you around Rs. 20,000. Huawei has launched the Nova 3i, Xiaomi announced the Mi Max 3 and HMD Global is finally bringing the Nokia X6 to global markets as the Nokia 6.1 Plus. So which of these phones is the most worthy of your money? We find out.
Huawei Nova 3i vs Mi Max 3 vs Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus): Price in India
The Huawei Nova 3i is priced at Rs. 20,990 and will go on sale as an Amazon exclusive from 7th August. There are some offers which you can avail if you pre-book the device below 31st July, including a flat cashback of Rs. 1,000 and additional 2,000 off on exchange of an older device.
The Mi Max 3 is yet to be launched in India but it’s most likely to be priced around Rs 17,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant and around Rs 20,999 for the higher spec’d 6GB RAM with 128GB storage variant.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus has also been launched in other markets and its India pricing will be very close to the Rs 20,000 mark. So in terms of pricing, all three of these phones are neck-to-neck.
Huawei Nova 3i vs Mi Max 3 vs Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus): Design, Display
When it comes to design, the Mi Max 3 features a more industrial aluminium unibody design, while the Nokia 6.1 Plus and the Nova 3i feature a premium all-glass design, and the Nova 3i further improves on that with gradient colour mirror finishing on the back, much like the Huawei P20 Pro.
Coming to the display on these, the Mi Max 3 features a mammoth 6.9-inch IPS display with FHD resolution of 1080×2160. The Nokia 6.1 Plus also features an FHD resolution LCD screen, which measures 5.8-inch diagonally. The Nova 3i sits in the middle with a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2340 IPS LCD panel. The Mi Max 3 is the only phone here which doesn’t have a notch, although both the Nokia 6.1 Plus and the Nova 3i look absolutely stunning with their almost non-existent bezels.
Huawei Nova 3i vs Mi Max 3 vs Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus): Performance, Hardware Specifications
Coming to the hardware specifications, the Mi Max 3 and the Nokia 6.1 Plus run on the Snapdragon 636 processor while the Nova 3i runs on Huawei’s own Kirin 710 chipset. The Nova 3i comes in only one configuration – 4GB RAM coupled with 128GB storage. The Nokia 6.1 Plus comes in with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The Mi Max 3 is a beast when it comes to hardware and comes in two different variants – 4GB RAM with 64GB storage or 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. All three of these phones support expandable storage via microSD card though.
Huawei Nova 3i vs Mi Max 3 vs Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus): Camera Features
Cameras are the main selling point of almost every phone out there and these phones are no different. The Nova 3i features dual cameras set up on both front and back. The rear setup consists of a 16 MP, f/2.2 shooter with a secondary 2MP depth-sensing camera. On the front is a primary 24MP camera again coupled with a 2MP depth sensor. Huawei has also included loads of AI features in the cameras like automatic scene detection and beauty modes.
The Mi Max 3 features a 12 MP, f/1.9 camera with dual pixel PDAF and a secondary 5 MP depth sensor camera. On the front, it features a modest 8MP f/2.0 shooter.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus comes with an impressive 16 MP, f/2.0 shooter at the back with PDAF, coupled with a 5 MP, f/2.4 depth sensor. On the front, it features a 16MP shooter with AI capabilities and portrait mode support.
Huawei Nova 3i vs Mi Max 3 vs Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus): Battery, Operating System
All three of these phones run on Android Oreo 8.1 and while the Mi Max 3 and Nova 3i are running on custom skins, the Nokia 6.1 Plus comes with stock Android experience as it is an Android One phone, which also means it’ll receive all the latest updates super fast.
The battery is where the Mi Max 3 pulls ahead from the competition with a massive 5500 mAh battery. The Nova 3i features a decent 3340mAh battery, while the Nokia 6.1 Plus comes with a 3060mAh cell.
Huawei Nova 3i vs Mi Max 3 vs Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus): Verdict
So that brings us to the end of this comparison. All three of these phones boast of superb features for their price points. The Nokia 6.1 Plus features a premium design, great cameras and comes with pure Android experience. The Huawei Nova 3i features loads of AI features, impressive cameras, and a stunning design. The Mi Max 3 might not be a match for the looks of its competitors but it makes up for that with that massive display and huge battery. So if multimedia consumption and battery life are your primary preferences, the Mi Max 3 should keep you happy. If you’re not a fan of custom skins, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is the perfect mid-ranger with the reliability of Nokia brand name. That being said, for today’s comparison the winner will be the Nova 3i as it does almost everything right and is priced aggressively enough.
