Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Honor 8X vs Realme 2 Pro vs Nokia 6.1 Plus: Who's the new budget king?

Xiaomi has announced the Redmi Note 6 Pro, which is the successor to its widely successful Redmi Note 5 Pro, at an event in Delhi. One of the biggest changes to the Redmi Note 6 Pro is the adoption of the notched display to give more screen real-estate on the phone. The device has been launched at a competitive price point of Rs 13,999 and will be available for sale on 23 November.[caption id="attachment_5596841" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Redmi Note 6 Pro[/caption]Apart from the new display, Xiaomi has also made a few changes to the camera on the phone. There is now a primary sensor with a bigger aperture, presumably to allow more light in for night-time shots. The phone is also splash proof with something that Xiaomi is calling as "nano-coating", however, the company has not applied for any IP certification for the device.(Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Review: Camera and battery life are the only saving grace)The nearest competitors to the Redmi Note 6 Pro are the Redmi Note 5 Pro, Honor 8X, Realme 2 Pro and the Nokia 6.1 Plus. So how does the latest budget killer from Xiaomi stack up against the competition? Let's take a look.

Smartphone	Redmi Note 6 Pro	Redmi Note 5 Pro	Realme 2 Pro	Honor 8X	Nokia 6.1 Plus
Display Size (inch)	6.26	6	6	6.5	5.8
Resolution (pixels)	1080 x 2280	1080 x 2160	1080 x 2220	1080 x 2340	1080 x 2280
Pixel Density (PPI)	403	403	409	397	432
Display Type	IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Dimensions (mm)	157.9 x 76.4 x 8.3	158.6 x 75.4 x 8.1	156.7 x 74 x 8.5	160.4 x 76.6 x 7.8	147.2 x 71 x 8
Weight (g)	182	181	174	175	151
Dual SIM	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SIM Type	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM
Connectivity Types	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / WCDMA / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660	HiSilicon Kirin 710	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
CPU Cores	Octa-core	Octa-core	Octa-core	Octa-core	Octa-core
CPU Clock Speed (GHz)	8x Kryo 260 @ 1.8 GHz	8x Kryo 260 @ 1.8 GHz	4x Kryo 260 @ 2.2 GHz & 4x Kryo 260 @ 1.8 GHz	4x Cortex-A73 @ 2.2 GHz & 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.7 GHz	8x Kryo 260 @ 1.8 GHz
GPU	Adreno 509	Adreno 509	Adreno 512	Mali-G51 MP4	Adreno 509
RAM	3/4/6 GB	4/6 GB	4/6/8 GB	4/6 GB	4 GB
Ruggedness	Splash-proof	—	—	—	—
On-Board Memory	32/64 GB	64 GB	32/64/128 GB	32/64/128 GB	64 GB
Expandable Memory	Yes, up to 256 GB	Yes, up to 256 GB	Yes, up to 512 GB	No	Yes, up to 256 GB
Sensors	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass	Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass
Rear Camera	12 MP, f/1.9; 5 MP, f/2.2	16 MP, f/2.0; 5 MP	16 MP, f/1.7; 2 MP	20 MP, f/1.8; 2 MP	16 MP, f/2.0; 5 MP; f/2.4
Optical Image Stabilization	No	No	No	No	No
Camera Array	Dual Camera	Dual Camera	Dual Camera	Dual Camera	Dual Camera
Autofocus System	Phase detection autofocus	Phase detection autofocus	Phase detection autofocus	Phase detection autofocus	Phase detection autofocus
Front Camera	20 MP, f/2.0; 2 MP f/2.2	24 MP, f/2.0	16 MP, f/2.0	20 MP, f/2.2	16 MP, f/2.0
Video Capture	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps	2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps	1080p@30/60fps, 480fps	720p @120 fps, 1080p @ 30 fps, 2160p @ 30 fps
Flash	Dual-LED	Dual-LED	LED	LED	Dual-LED
OS Version	Android Oreo 8.1	Android Oreo 8.1	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android Oreo 8.1	Android Oreo 8.1
AI (Smart Assistant)	Google Assistant	Google Assistant	Google Assistant	Google Assistant	Google Assistant
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
Bluetooth	v5.0, A2DP, LE	v5.0, A2DP, LE	v5.0, A2DP, LE	v5.0, A2DP, LE	v5, A2DP, LE
NFC	No	No	No	No	Yes
Infrared	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Fingerprint Scanner	Yes, Rear button	Yes, Rear button	Yes, Rear button	Yes, Rear button	Yes, Rear button
3.5mm jack	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Radio	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB Type	microUSB	microUSB	microUSB	microUSB	microUSB
USB Standard	USB v2.0	USB v2.0	USB v2.0	USB v2.0	USB v2.0
Battery (mAh)	4,000	4,000	3,500	3,750	3,500
Fast charging	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Colors	Black, Blue, Rose Gold, Red	Black, Champagne Gold, Rose Gold, Lake Blue	Black, Deep Blue, Light Blue	Black, Blue, Red, Pink	Black, Deep Blue, Light Blue
Prices in India	Rs 13,999	Rs 13,999	Rs 13,990	Rs 14,999	Rs 14,999

Looking at the specs above, we can infer the following:Performance: Honor 8XIn terms of raw strength, it looks like the Realme 2 Pro and Honor 8X will be taking the cake here with their Snapdragon 660 and Kirin 710 chipsets respectively. While the Snapdragon 636, found in the other three smartphones, is a capable chipset, the better GPU on the Snapdragon 660 gives it an edge in gaming and other intensive tasks. The 12 nm manufacturing process on the Kirin 710 as compared to 14 nm on the Snapdragon 636 means that the Honor 8X could run slightly cooler and more efficiently. When reviewing the phone, we found that the Redmi Note 6 Pro struggled with games like PUBG, but day-to-day usage was fine. The Realme 2 Pro and Honor 8X both handily beat the Note 6 Pro in gaming tests, making either of these phones a more viable option for gamers. All things considered, the Honor 8X takes the performance crown.Design: Honor 8XHere again, we see that the Redmi Note 6 Pro has not really changed much in the way of design. The only thing new is that notched display. The Redmi Note 5 Pro was not much of looker, and by extension, neither is the Note 6 Pro. The Realme 2 Pro is a dull block of a device since Realme ditched the diamond design we saw in other phones in the series. The Honor 8X, however, with its dual-tone colour shift, and the Nokia 6.1 Plus, with its glossy back, are far more appealing. The Honor 8X does edge out the Nokia 6.1 Plus in the design department.Camera: Redmi Note 6 ProFrom our testing, we can say for sure that the Redmi Note 6 Pro does indeed have a great camera which can take some excellent low-light photos along with amazing day-time shots. The likes of Honor 8X and Nokia 6.1 Plus look to be distant seconds while the Realme 2 Pro doesn't even feature in the list. On paper, the only difference Redmi Note 6 Pro has over the Note 5 Pro is the wider aperture on its lenses, and it seems that it has made a significant improvement in the photo taking capabilities of the smartphone.Battery: Redmi Note 6 ProIn terms of battery life, the Redmi Note 6 Pro does have a slight edge over the Honor 8X, Realme 2 Pro and Nokia 6.1 Plus. In our review, we have found that the Note 6 Pro easily lasted about two days on light to moderate usage and up to one full day on heavy usage. Our review of the Honor 8X and Realme 2 Pro revealed that both smartphones lacked slightly behind in the battery department and hence the winner is the Note 6 Pro.ConclusionThe Redmi Note 6 Pro is a great device in this price range and is perfect for those looking for great battery life and camera. Gaming performance is lacking, and if you're a gamer, the Honor 8X is certainly a better option. The bigger question, however, is whether the Redmi Note 6 Pro is a worthy upgrade over the Redmi Note 5 Pro. And to be honest, we don't believe it is.