OnePlus 5 Vs Mi MIX 2 Vs Nokia 8: Affordable Flagships Compared!

The smartphone segment around Rs. 35,000/- has become quite competitive, post Mi Mix 2’s launch. The ruling star performer, OnePlus 5 and the upcoming Nokia 8 already have a tough competition between themselves. Now with the release of the Mi MIX 2, all the three phones have stolen the limelight away from the premium and more expensive flagship smartphones.

While Mi MIX 2 is ahead of Nokia 8 and OnePlus 5, when it comes to display, OnePlus 5 is a proven performer when it comes to performance. In the camera department, Nokia 8 holds an edge over OnePlus 5 and Mi MIX 2. How do these three stand against each other when it comes to overall performance and specifications?

Let’s find out.

Affordable Flagships: Design and Display

The newly launched Mi MIX 2 sports a bezel-less 5.99 inch, Full HD+ display with a full metal unibody made out of 7 series aluminium alloy. There’s also a ceramic version, but it is not available outside of China yet. The OnePlus 5 sports a 5.5 inch Full HD display with a unibody metal build. The Nokia 8 also sports a unibody metal design and comes with a 5.3 inch Quad-HD IPS display sandwiched between thick top and bottom bezels. The Mi MIX 2 has a near edge-less display with sharp contrast, vivid colors and a practical design.

Winner – Mi MIX 2

Hardware

Incidentally, all three smartphones sport Qualcomm’s most powerful flagship chipset yet, the Snapdragon 835. Mi MIX 2 packs in 6GB of RAM, OnePlus 5 has options for 6GB or 8GB of RAM and Nokia 8 comes with “only” 4GB of RAM. Here, more RAM gives OnePlus 5 and Mi MIX 2 the edge over Nokia 8.

Winners – OnePlus 5 and Mi MIX 2

Storage

Mi Mix 2 offers a single 128GB storage option. OnePlus 5 is available with two storage options of 64GB or 128GB. Nokia 8 also offers only one storage option of 64GB. Though Mi MIX 2 and OnePlus 5 offer more storage out of the box, the storage is not expandable on both of these.  And though Nokia offfers the lowest built-in storage, it gives the option to expand storage with a memory card.

Winners – 3-way tie between Mi MIX 2, OnePlus 5 and Nokia 8

Performance

In spite of using the same processor, Mi MIX 2 has scores higher in performance tests. On the other hand, OnePlus 5 has a proven performance track record. Though Nokia 8 offers a pure stock Android experience, the 4GB RAM hurts its performance, which gives OnePlus 5 and Mi MIX 2 the edge over Nokia 8.

Winners – Mi MIX 2 and OnePlus 5

Software

Xiaomi’s Mi MIX 2 runs the latest MIUI 9 interface on top of Android 7 Nougat. The Nokia 8 too runs Android Nougat, but in its purest form. The company has confirmed that it will receive Android Oreo and Android P updates as and when they are available. OnePlus 5 runs the latest version of their own OxygenOS based on Android Nougat. Unlike OnePlus 5 and Mi Mix 2, Nokia 8 offers a stock Android experience. Which means faster and near-instant updates. OnePlus 5 and Mi MIX 2 are also slated to eventually receive Android 8.0 Oreo updates. But that will happen much later than Nokia 8. With confirmed update to the next two versions of Android and faster updates, Nokia holds the clear edge with more future-proof software.

Winner – Nokia 8

Camera

This is where the Mi MIX 2 falls behind with its single sensor, as compared to the dual-camera setups in OnePlus 5 and Nokia 8. Mi MIX 2 sports a 12MP rear camera with 4-axis OIS and 5MP front camera. OnePlus 5 sports a dual rear setup two 12MP and 20MP telephoto and wide sensors and a 16MP front camera. Nokia 8 features Zeiss-clad dual 13MP rear sensors (RGB and Monochrome) and a 13MP front snapper.

Winners – OnePlus 5 and Nokia 8

Battery

The Mi Mix 2 houses a 3400mAh battery, OnePlus 5 packs a 3,300mAh battery and the Nokia 8 is powered by a 3,090mAh battery. All three offer great batttery performance and can last a day easily. OnePlus 5 ships with a Dash Charger for faster charging, which could be a deciding factor for some people.

Winner – Tie

Spec Comparison: Oneplus 5 vs Nokia 8 vs Mi MIX 2

Verdict

Nokia 8 offers pure Android experience and OnePlus 5 offers blazing-fast performance. If you want a well-designed, futuristic-looking phone with some top-notch hardware, then Mi MIX 2 is the phone for you.

Whichever one you choose to buy, rest assured that you will be getting some of the best-performing, affordable smartphones available in the market right now.