Nokia 7 Plus was the star of HMD Global’s India launch event where it also unleashed Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 8 Sirocco. The new mid-range phone from Nokia boasts an 18:9 display coupled with some impressive hardware and software features at a fairly reasonable price of Rs. 25,999.
However, that doesn’t mean it will be an easy walk for Nokia 7 Plus in the Indian market. The internet came down heavy on Nokia pricing, citing Xiaomi as the more value for money alternative. So, how does the Nokia 7 Plus compares against Xiaomi’s analogous offering, the Redmi Note 5 Pro? We decided to pit the two devices against each other to better understand their similarities and differences that should matter.
| Model | Nokia 7 Plus | Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro |
| Display | 6-Inch, 18:9 FHD+ display | 5.9-inch (18:9), Full HD+ display |
| Processor | Snapdragon 660 octa-core | Snapdragon 636 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB/6GB |
| Internal Storage | 64GB, expandable up to 256GB | 32GB/64GB, expandable up to 128GB |
| Software | Android Oreo | Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 |
| Primary Camera | 12MP + 13MP, Zeiss Optics and 2x optical zoom, dual-LED dual-tone flash | 12MP+5MP with f/2.2 aperture lens, phase detection autofocus, dual-tone LED flash |
| Secondary Camera | 16 MP with f/2.0 aperture lens | 20MP with f/2.2 aperture lens |
| Battery | 3800 mAh | 4000mAh Battery |
| Dimension | 158.4 x 75.6 x 8 mm; Weight: NA | 158.5 x 75.4 x 8.05 mm; Weight: 181 grams |
| Others | Hybrid dual-SIM, 4G Volte, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, fingerprint sensor, USB type-C, 3.5mm audio jack | Hybrid dual-SIM, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, and GPS, micro USB Type-A |
| Price | Rs. 25,999 | Rs. 13,999/ Rs. 16,999 |
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Design and Build
HMD Global has touched the same level of craftsmanship on its Nokia 7 Plus as we have seen on other Nokia devices. The phone is carved out from 6000 series Aluminum block with ceramic paint finish on top that tastefully camouflages the antenna lines. A second color accent further embelishes the look and feel.
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The Redmi Note 5 Pro design, in comparison, feels lackluster and flimsy. It has a metal unibody design with two plastic caps both on the top and bottom of the rear panel, and primary cameras that awkwardly juts out from the frame.
The 7 Plus is true to Nokia’s own design pedigree and that adds a character to it. The Redmi Note 5 feels like a compromise when it comes to design. The iPhone X like rear camera module isn’t helping its case either.
Display
The display of both Nokia 7 Plus and Redmi 5 Pro is pretty much the same on paper and doesn’t offer much to choose from. Both phones flaunt a 5.99-inch FHD+ (1080 X 2160 p) IPS LCD display with 18:9 screen aspect ratio and visibly thin bezels. You can’t go wrong with either of the two panels.
Performance and Software
The Nokia 7 Plus and Redmi Note 5 Pro both are powered by latest mid-range Qualcomm processor. While the Nokia 7 Plus employs Snapdragon 660, its arch-rival rock Snapdragon 636 under its hood.
Talking about their performance, both mobile chipsets are equally competent to muscle through anything you throw at them, but it is Snapdragon 660 that holds an edge here. It has an advantage over the Snapdragon 636 in terms of higher maximum clock frequency, graphics, camera performance, and battery efficiency. Other than that, both chipsets are built on the 14nm FinFET manufacturing process, has 8 Kryo-260 cores, and X12 LTE Modem.
Also Read: Vivo V9 VS Oppo F7 Comparison – Selfie Phones With Notch-Display
The plus point with Redmi Note 5 Pro is that it has the option to chose from two variants to chose between 4GB RAM with 32GB ROM and 6GB RAM with 64GB storage. In the similar context, the Nokia 7 Plus has only 4GB RAM with 64GB storage variant to offer.
The software Nokia 7 Plus is a stock-Android phone running on Android Oreo out of the box whereas the Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on MIUI 9 UI on top of dated Android Nougat. The latest OS should be the pick here.
Camera and Battery
For photography, both the phones boast a dual-rear camera setup. The Nokia 7 Plus is touted with Zeiss optics 12-megapixel+13-megapixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture lens and f/2.6 aperture lens, respectively.
In the similar context, the Redmi Note 5 Pro sports dual 12-megapixel+5-megapixel sensors on the rear but with a f/2.2 aperture lens. We will have to test the cameras further to know how much of a difference there is in terms of image quality, but Nokia 7 Plus certainly has more capable camera hardware.
The Redmi Note 5 Pro front camera has 20MP sensor f/2.2 aperture lens and LED flash on the front and seems to have an upper hand to Nokia 7 Plus’ 16MP selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture lens. Of course, we will have to test the Nokia 7 Plus camera more before we can pass on a verdict.
Moving on to the battery, the Redmi Note 5 Pro houses a bigger 4,000mAh battery as compared to the Nokia 7 Plus 3,800mAh battery. But the Nokia phone has the advantage of having a fast charging support.
Verdict
Both the Nokia 7 Plus and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro are impressive in their respective price brackets. They aren’t all that different in terms of raw specifications where it matters, but still there is a world of difference between the two when you hold them in hands.
Who Should Buy the Nokia 7 Plus?
Nokia 7 Plus leads when it comes to flagship traits – It has better design and better Zeiss optics powered camera hardware. All that makes Nokia 7 a more premium option that should appeal to anyone who loves stock Android.
Who Should Buy Xaiomi Redmi Note 5 Pro?
The Redmi Note 5 Pro is still the king of affordable phones. You get practically the same performance (and even more RAM) for a significantly lesser price. The MIUI 9 software running on the phone isn’t based on the latest Android version, but it surely is stable and more feature rich than stock Android. Quotidian consumers (not enthusiasts) are likely to appreciate it more.
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