Nokia 5 or Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: Legacy Versus ‘The Game Changer’

We have a quick comparison between the Nokia 5 and the Redmi Note 4. These are two hot phones under 15k.

If we were doing this shoot a couple of years ago, you would have already picked the Nokia phone as a winner. That’s the reputation Nokia ‘had’.

This is 2017 and now, even Nokia has to battle it out with companies that didn’t even exist in India 4 to 5 years ago. That’s what it has come down to for Nokia.

But, despite loosing out on a bit of sheen, the HMD Global, the real brain behind the new Nokia phones, is really backing the new portfolio of Nokia Android smartphones. And since the Nokia 5 is the current hot property in India, we’ll tout it against one of the best in the market, the Redmi Note 4.

Design & Display

Nokia is taking a more traditional route in its ergonomic structure with a full metal design and a rectangular body with curved edges. It definitely looks quite elegant. The Redmi 4, although not a looker, isn’t one of the ‘ugly ducklings’ of the smartphone world either. Though, the bulk is pretty prominent.

Nokia 5 loses a lot of points in the display department, considering it just sports a 5.2-inch HD display. The Note 4 comes with a bigger 5.5-inch full HD display at 1920x1080. More pixels more points.

Performance & Storage

The Redmi Note 4 is one of the best performers in the market today (hence so many people buy it). The Note 4 packs a Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor coupled with RAM options of 2,3 and 4GB.

It also comes with an expandable memory which is a boon. The Nokia 5, on the other hand, might not be as mighty on paper, but is surely a capable device. It’s running on a mid-tier Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor coupled with 2GB RAM.

Even though the phone comes with an expandable memory, it only has a single variant available in India.

The biggest advantage with the Nokia 5 is that it comes with the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The company has promised regular updates to both the OS and the security features.

Camera & Battery

It’s hard to forget the 40-megapixel phone that Nokia introduced, the Nokia 1020 back in 2013. That defines that Nokia has tried to get the best of cameras to the consumers. Now with the Nokia 5, they are offering a 13-megapixel rear snapper and an 8-megapixel front camera. High hopes from that one!

The Redmi Note 4 camera hasn’t been rated to be the best out there, and therefore, it will be a bit premature to call which sports a better camera unit. A photo shoot maybe? We’ll try getting that for you.

The Redmi 4 is a beast in terms of its battery back-up with a 4100mAh battery pack and the Nokia 5 comes with a 3000mAh. No comparison here.

Which is a Better Bet?

Even though the Nokia 5 lacks an impressive portfolio on paper, it makes up for it with the richness of the Android and brand value. It might not be the most powerful phone in the market under 15k, but surely, it is one of the best phones for the ones looking for safety and durability.

But, you have to understand this is not the old Nokia that we all grew up loving. HMD Global, the main architect behind Nokia, is a new player in India, because of which we believe it’s still testing the waters.

The Redmi Note 4 is a proven winner and is a power house in itself (one of India’s best selling phones).

You don’t need a reason to buy a Xiaomi phone since it’s a great value for money device. I won’t say it outrightly beats the pants off the Nokia 5, but it definitely has that extra meat the consumers are looking for.