Nokia 6 (2017) vs Nokia 6 (2018): What’s Different?

HMD Global’s Nokia has recently unveiled the Nokia 6 (2018), an update to the Nokia 6 Android smartphone released in 2017. So, what are the differences between the two? Let’s find out.

New design

The Nokia 6 (2018) sports a newer, more modern look compared to the previous model, but retains the same 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, HD screen, and 6000 series aluminum unibody. One of the most noticeable changes is the colored chamfers surrounding the frame. The camera module also looks different with the LED flash placed farther away from the camera.

The top and bottom bezels are also slimmer with a better screen-to-body ratio of 73.2%, compared to the older Nokia 6’s 70.7%. The fingerprint scanner, on the other hand, is now placed at the rear, and the capacitive buttons are removed in favor of on-screen navigation keys. Lastly, it’s shorter but slightly thicker and heavier than the Nokia 6 (2017) and only comes in two colors.

More powerful chipset

The old Nokia 6 is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset and Adreno 505 GPU which makes it a lower-tier device. The Nokia 6 (2018), on the other hand, uses a Snapdragon 630 chipset with an Adreno 508 GPU, which automatically puts it in the mid-range segment like the Moto X4 and ASUS Zenfone 4 (SD630).

Larger base RAM

When the Nokia 6 came out, it had 3GB and 4GB RAM models. Customers in the Philippines were lucky to get the latter. With the Nokia 6 (2018), you will be sure to get a 4GB LPDDR4 model with 32GB or 64GB of storage.

Bluetooth 5.0

The Nokia 6 (2018) still has the same data capabilities as the old Nokia 6 like LTE Cat.4 with support for up to 150 Mbps DL and 50 Mbps UL, and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n. With the Snapdragon 630 chipset, the new Nokia 6 now supports Bluetooth 5.0 which is faster and has better range and data capacity than the previous Bluetooth standard.

USB Type-C

The old Nokia 6 uses a micro USB port, which is acceptable for 2017, but feels outdated in 2018. It’s a good thing that the Nokia 6 (2018) uses a USB Type-C port with support for fast charging, giving the device 50% power in just 30 minutes.

Nokia 6 (2018) specs:
5.5-inch 16:9 Full HD IPS display @ 1080×1920 pixels
2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core CPU
Adreno 508 GPU
4GB LPDDR4 RAM
32/ 64GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD card up to 128GB
16MP f/2.0 PDAF rear camera, dual-tone LED flash
8MP f/2.0 84-degree wide-angle lens front camera
4G LTE Cat.4
Dual SIM (nano)
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS/ A-GPS
USB Type-C port
FM radio
Fingerprint scanner
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
3000mAh battery w/ Fast Charging
148.8×75.8×8.6 mm
172 g
Black, Silver

The Nokia 6 (2018) will go on sale in China on January 10, but it is currently up for pre-order at Suning, with a starting price of CNY1,499PHP 12,083USD 206INR 17,453EUR 196 (~Php11,466.75USD 195INR 16,565EUR 186CNY 1,423) for the 32 GB version, while the 64GB version will cost CNY1,699PHP 13,695USD 233INR 19,781EUR 222 (~Php12,996.67USD 221INR 18,775EUR 211CNY 1,613). Global availability and pricing are yet to be announced.