Nokia 2: Is 2-day battery life enough to beat Xiaomi's Redmi 4 & Redmi 4A?

HMD Global unveiled the Nokia 2 in its first global launch in India. The Android set, launched at a Gurgaon Rapid Metro station, will sell at 99 euros (about Rs 7,500) on an average, globally.

The Nokia 2 slots in just below the Nokia 3 in terms of price and is only marginally more expensive than Xiaomi's Redmi 4A and Redmi 4. While the India-specific launch date and pricing hasn't been announced yet, the phone will be available globally starting mid-November.

Under the hood

The Nokia 2 comes with a 5-inch screen and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The phone uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 212 processor and has a body made of aluminium. The battery has a solid 4,100 mAh capacity. Lastly, there is an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera.

While, the Nokia 3 retails for Rs 9,499, going by exchange rates, the Nokia 2 should come in under Rs 7,500. It will be available in three colours: Pewter/Black, Pewter/White and Copper/Black.

Nokia vs Xiaomi

The budget smartphone market is crowded these days and Nokia clearly has its job cut out. From the get-go, Nokia will have to compete with the mighty Chinese company Xiaomi. Xiaomi's Redmi 4A and Redmi 4 sits just under the Nokia 2 price point.

One associates Nokia with premium, sturdy design and excellent battery life. That is true of the Nokia 2 as well. Nokia 2 comes with an unbeatable 2-day battery life and a sturdy build. Furthermore, the promise of stock Android is another advantage for the Finnish company.

One obvious failing of the Nokia 2 is that it has just 8GB of built-in storage. To launch a smartphone in 2017 with such limited internal storage is a sin. No one likes to be restricted.

On the other hand, the cheaper Redmi 4A beats Nokia 2 hands down in a specifications fight. Xiaomi's Redmi 4A comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 425, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage and a 3,120 mAh battery, and is available at just Rs 6,999.

The other option is Xiaomi Redmi 4 which is also available at Rs 6,999. The Redmi 4 comes with a 5-inch HD display and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 435 octa-core processor. Furthermore, it has 2GB, 3GB or 4GB of RAM and comes with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage respectively, each slightly more expensive than the last. The Redmi 4 comes with a 4,000 mAh battery, compared to the Nokia 2, and also includes a fingerprint scanner.

Can the Nokia 2's sturdy build, coupled with its 2-day-long battery backup convince the many Xiaomi fans to switch over? Also, stock Android versus Xiaomi's MIUI that is restricted in many ways.

We're about to find out as the Xiaomi-Nokia budget wars commence.