Nokia 6 Unboxing And First Impressions - A Proper Return?

Under the guidance of HMD Global, Nokia was finally able to return in the world of mobile phones. Their first offering in this comeback bid is the Nokia 6, their first fully Android powered smartphone. It's a midranger that resembles the company's iconic boxy design and toughness of materials used.

Welcome back, hello Nokia 6!

Recently, Hellotronics via Lazada made this much awaited phone from the former king of mobile phones available for the Philippine market. As a result, we had a chance to take a closer look at this device. Let's begin!

Disclaimer: This Nokia 6 unit was borrowed from Hellotronics for this quick review.

Nokia 6 Specs

Display: 5.5 Inch FHD IPS 1920 x 1080 resolution w/ 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass 3 protection at 401 ppi
CPU: 1.5 GHz 64 Bit Snapdragon 430 octa core processor
GPU: Adreno 505
RAM: 4 GB
ROM: 64 GB expandable via micro SD card slot up to 128 GB
Back Camera: 16 MP f/2.0 w/ PDAF and dual tone LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8 MP f/2.0 w/ 84 degrees wide angle lens
Battery: 3,000 mAh
OS: Android 7.0 Nougat
Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, LTE, GPS, A GPS
Others: Fingerprint sensor, Dolby Atmos sound, Dual TFA9891 smart amplifier, dual speaker, Colors: white
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Dimensions: 154 x 75.8 x 7.8 mm
Weight: 169 g
Price: PHP 11,990

Unboxing / Accessories

The box

For starters, it comes with a black box showing a print of device and some basic specs and info behind.

Accessories inside

Then it'll come with a standard 2A USB wall charger, USB to micro USB charging / data cable, and earbuds with microphone. Other paper documentations such as the manual is also available inside.

Build Quality / Design

The fingerprint smudge magnet back

The Nokia 6 is built and designed in a way where it resembles some of their Lumia and Asha models in the past. It has a solid slab of unibody metal that w/ very slim chamfered edges and semi-rounded corners. This device also has the Apple iPhone 7 inspired antenna band design found on the upper and lower back part. In front, the 5.5 inch FHD 2.5D curved screen has Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

The metal construction is very tough and it doesn't feel like it'll bend or break easily.

3.5 mm headphone slot on top 

Microphone, micro USB port, and loudspeaker below

Ejectable hybrid SIM / micro SD card slot at left

Power button and volume rocker at left

Design-wise, it has a boxy type of style showing some shine in its slim chamfered edges. Its slimness and 2.5D glass also adds some flare to its look. The black border bezel on the screen isn't thick as well. Its paint finish at the back is just prone to fingerprint smudges, but that's manageable.

Ergonomics is where this handset falls short. Without a case, the chamfered edges are sharp which makes it uncomfortable to hold. We find it slippery in the hands too. Fortunately, bottons and ports are on easy to reach locations.

Initial findings

1. The 5.5 inch FHD screen w/ 2.5D glass looks great in the eyes. Colors are plenty and it has great sharpness. Brightness level could be better though.
2. Build quality is very solid as usual. RAM and ROM size are high, but the processor isn't the best for the price.
3. Nokia's first try on full Android is decent and snappy. However, there's no Google Play store installed. You may install apps manually.
4. The 16 MP main camera w/ Auto HDR is highly camera w/ great details and dynamic range so far. It is also a capable lowlight shooter. In front, the 8 MP wide angle camera is decent too. However, Lumia fans will miss the old software as this doesn't have professional camera mode.
5. Signals on both Smart and Globe are strong, OTG works, fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate, capacitive keys are lit, there are 2 microphones for nice audio recordings, and the single speaker below is very loud.

Related: Nokia 6: First Camera Samples!

As of the moment

This is a nostalgic handset that brings most of the good Nokia memories we had in the past. So far we enjoyed that it retained its Nokia-tough construction that suggest this to be a very tough device.

Immediately, we noticed several rooms for improvement. First there are sharp-edges which doesn't make this device comfortable to hold. Second, the price for the specs ratio isn't that great due to taxes and importation fees. Third, the camera looks decent, but it lacked the pro camera controls found with their old Lumia line.

However, Nokia's trusted reputation on toughness, connectivity, ease of use, might be enough to sway their army of loyal fans in getting this machine. Yes, even with the higher than expected price tag.

Where to buy this? Click Here!