Nokia 6 full specifications and review

Nokia phones have returned. The once-iconic phone brand is back in business thanks to Finnish startup HMD signing a 10-year licensing deal to stick the Nokia name on smartphones and tablets, and the Nokia 6 is the main attraction in its trio of launch devices.

While the Nokia 6 was the most high-spec handset at its launch, it’s still firmly a budget offering, with an eye-catchingly low price tag coupled with an alluring all-metal design.

 The phone boasts a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, fingerprint scanner and a 3,000mAh battery – all of which looks rather good on paper.

For those hoping for a more flagship handset sporting the Nokia name, the rumored Nokia 8 may be just days from launch, so keep it locked to TechRadar for all the latest.

Nokia 6 price and availability

  • Launch price: £199.99 ($229, AU$399)
  • Current price: £199.99 ($229, AU$399)
  • Nokia 6 release date: August 2, 2017

The Nokia 6 costs £199.99 ($229, AU$399) SIM-free, which drops it into a rather affordable category in the market, and looking at the spec sheet it gives you a decent amount of bang for your buck.

That price puts it above both the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5, but not by much, and it’s worth considering this phone as well if you’re looking at the other two.

In the US it’s available in three colors – copper, black and silver – while in the UK you get an additional blue option.

Design and display

  • Premium all-metal unibody design looks and feels impressive
  • Flat edges means it’s not the most comfortable in the hand
  • 5.5-inch full HD screen looks good and is great for gaming

The Nokia 6 is crafted from a single block of aluminum, and the result is a phone which feels far more premium than its budget price tag.

Checkout the nokia 6 top 10 features

It doesn’t do anything particularly clever or different in terms of design, though, with elements of older Nokia smartphones recognisable here.

There’s a comforting weight to the handset, and while its 154 x 75.8 x 7.85mm body makes it a sizeable presence in the hand it’s still easy to use.

We found the flat sides and sharp corners of the Nokia 6 aren’t as comfortable on the palms as phones with rounded edges – like the Nokia 5 and 3 – and this is noticeable if you hold it in one hand for an extended period of time.

Compared to the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, two of its closest rivals, the Nokia 6 is much better looking, so if style is important to you then this is a phone you’ll want to consider.

 The power/lock and volume keys are easy to hit on the right of the phone, and Nokia has also included a 3.5mm headphone jack up top, while a micro USB port resides next to a single internal speaker on the base of the handset.
 Considering the price of the phone, it’s nice to see a fingerprint scanner (which doubles as the home key) on the front of the Nokia 6, flanked by touch-sensitive back and multi-tasking keys. The scanner is responsive and works well, although there is a momentary pause between you presenting your finger and the phone unlocking and waking.

Meanwhile, the large 5.5-inch full HD display is bright and clear with decent viewing angles, and it’s more than good enough for a handset in the bracket the Nokia 6 falls into.

It means video playback and gaming are comfortable, with plenty of space for on-screen controls.

Battery life

  • Will last you a day, just, with average usage
  • Charges slowly; 30 minutes gives you around 10%

The Nokia 6 comes with a non-removable 3,000mAh battery which can see out a day on a single charge with general usage, but don’t expect anything more than that.

Considering this handset is larger than the Nokia 5 it’s a shame that a bigger battery hasn’t been squeezed in, as you’ll find yourself running out of juice before the day is over if you spend a couple of hours streaming music and playing games.

Considering this handset is larger than the Nokia 5 it’s a shame that a bigger battery hasn’t been squeezed in, as you’ll find yourself running out of juice before the day is over if you spend a couple of hours streaming music and playing games.

 From taking the phone off charge at 7am, and spending around 90 minutes streaming Spotify while also playing games for roughly 40 minutes of that time, the Nokia 6 generally dropped about 20% of its life by 9am.

During the day, when the phone was mostly left on standby on a desk and used for just the occasional phone call and WhatsApp message, the battery drain was much reduced – but leaving the office with less than 50% was common.

We put the Nokia 6 through our standard battery test, which involves playing a 90-minute Full HD video, with screen brightness on full and accounts syncing over Wi-Fi in the background, and it lost 22% of its battery life. That’s not a bad result, putting it on a par with the Moto G5, but it’s not as good as the Moto G5 Plus, which lost just 12%.

Fast charging would soften the blow of the uninspiring battery life, but the Nokia 6 doesn’t offer that through its micro USB port. On the contrary, charging is incredibly slow, and you’re looking at up to six hours to fully charge if you plug in below 10%.

In general we found the Nokia 6 took around 30 minutes to restore 10% of battery when left on standby, with three hours of charge timing getting you to 60%. These charging speeds can be increased by switching the handset off, but then you lose all connectivity.

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