Nokia 6 announced: what to know about Android phone?

The first Nokia-branded smartphone under a licensing deal between Nokia and HMD Global has been launched in China this weekend.

The Nokia 6 looks like a decent device from an aesthetic perspective, but what else should you know about it?

It’s not quite a flagship, power-wise

It features 4GB of RAM and a very welcome 64GB of expandable storage, but the Nokia 6 isn’t quite cutting edge in the power department.

This is due to the fact that it has a budget-minded Snapdragon 430 processor, delivering an octacore A53 chip. By comparison, many flagships sport the Snapdragon 820 (or the upcoming Snapdragon 835) processor, featuring faster CPU cores.

Otherwise, a 5.5-inch full HD LCD screen, 3000mAh non-removable battery and a seemingly skinned version of Android 7.0 (although they claim it’s “native”) are present as well.

The camera seems solid, but don’t expect Lumia quality

Of course, Microsoft has all of the Lumia-related patents, especially the all-important camera IP. So don’t hold your breath for Rich Capture technology (dynamic HDR/flash), rich audio recording and PureView branding.

In saying so, you’ve got a 16-megapixel, f/2.0 main camera with 1.0 micron pixels and two-tone flash. Look at the front and you’ve got an 8MP, f/2.0 selfie shooter (1.12 microns). HMD Global also confirmed that they’d be using an “exclusive camera interface” with automatic scene detection.

The Nokia 6 is made out of a block of aluminium

It’s fair to say that the Nokia 6 is one decent-looking smartphone, with an aluminium design, Lumia-inspired power/volume keys and Apple-style antenna lines on the rim and back. And the front could be mistaken for a Galaxy device, I reckon.

HMD Global says it takes 55 minutes to fashion a single handset out of a block of aluminium.

“It then receives two separate anodising processes, taking over ten hours to complete, with each phone being polished no less than five times,” the company wrote on its website.

The Nokia 6 doesn’t seem bad on the audio front

Those hoping for good quality audio will be pleased with the introduction of dual amplifiers on the Nokia 6, with HMD claiming six decibels louder sound than traditional smartphone amp setups.

Additionally, the company is adding Dolby Atmos support to the handset, with Dolby claiming its tech makes for a richer experience. Other handsets with the standard include the Lenovo A7000, HTC One M9 and LG G4.

It’s relatively cheap, but only available in China for now

The Nokia 6 packs a solid amount of tech into its body, but where can you get it and for how much?

Unfortunately, the handset is exclusive to China’s JD.com for now, having a RMB1699 (R3377 as a straight conversion) price tag.

We’re awaiting word on a possible SA release for the Nokia 6

We expect a R4500-R6000 price window if it launches in South Africa, because duties, profit margins etc. After all, the entry-level Xiaomi Mi 5 had a RMB1999 price tag (R4780 as a straight conversion), but was sold for R7999 in South Africa.

The Nokia 6 won’t be the only Android device revealed in H1 2017

HMD Global is moving at quite a quick pace this year, with the Nokia 6 already out of the gate. But expect more devices to be revealed before June.

“We look forward to unveiling further products in the first half of this year,” HMD Global CEO Arto Nummela was quoted as saying.