When it comes to choosing a phone, a lot is put into consideration. From the RAM to the internal storage to the design of the phone and even the camera but the most important thing has and always will be the price of the phone.

In this article, we pit the newish Nokia 7.2 against the newer Xiaomi Redmi Note 8. The two phones share quite a lot, from the same display size to a similar notch and a number of other features that cut across both phones.

Below is a list of specifications comparison between the two devices, the differences are in bold:

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The Redmi Note 8 is the better phone

I know, from the looks of the specifications, I sound like a mad man to even consider the Redmi Note 8. But hear me out, there’s a difference of 11K between these two phones and that’s quite a lot, not enough to justify spending money on the Nokia.

Yes, the Nokia does have more storage and significantly more RAM and a better design, but why would anyone spend 11k just for that? With the Redmi Note 8, you get a fairly good design, 4 cameras and neat features like fast charging and USB-C.

The camera on the Nokia 7.2 is quite something, the colours are seemingly more accurate and the dynamic range is pleasant, everything seems fairly close between the two phones until you fire up the 48MP camera and the scale tips in favour of the Redmi Note 8.

Here are photo samples shot on both phones:

The Nokia wins on software and sleekness

When it comes to brand equity between the two, it’s easier to see why anyone would pick up the Nokia and leave the Redmi. This is further propelled by the fact that the Nokia 7.2 has a much sleeker matte design, especially in black. The camera ring on the Nokia is also sorta unique compared to the standard vertical camera setup on the Redmi.

I will insist on the colours, this gradient thing brands are doing on their phones has been overdone, please stop it!

When it comes to software, both phones run on Android 9.0 Pie but the Nokia 7.2 is set to get Android 10 before the Redmi Note 8. It’s not just about the updates though, Nokia’s software is much cleaner and fool-proof and while Xiaomi’s MIUI has a long list of die-hard fans, normal users might have a hard time getting it.

Which one should you buy?

The answer to this is subjective, there are people who would not even consider the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 just because of the brand and while this is perfectly understandable, those who choose to go with the Redmi Note 8 will not only be saving money but will also be, according to my opinion, getting the better phone.

Buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Buy Nokia 7.2