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With the launch of the new Nokia 2.2 there is a new contender in town for the best sub-£100 phone on the market. This is a segment that has been traditionally dominated by the superb (for the price) Xiaomi Redmi 6A and now its successor the Redmi 7A.
The stand out feature for the Nokia is the use of Android One with the guaranteed update to Android Q shortly after release as well as the three years of security updates under the company’s commitment to keeping devices up to date. This would include an update to Android R too.
So can the Nokia take the budget crown?
Price
The Nokia pricing is €99, or roughly £88 if we assume the UK don’t pay extra. Nokia hasn’t given the Nokia 2.2 a firm UK release date yet.
You can get the Redmi 6A for just £89.95 from Amazon, but its official UK price is £99.
The Redmi 7A has launched in China but not the UK, it should get here at some point though, probably when they announce the Mi 9T. The 3GB/32GB option has a price of 799 yuan, which is £91 but the price always shoots up for UK buyers, and it possible that this will be over £100 to start off with. The base spec is 2GB/16GB for 549 yuan which is about £62
Specification
The Nokia powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 CPU and be available with either 2GB or 3GB of RAM. The specs will be fine for basic tasks but don’t expect it to handle demanding tasks, like 3D gaming.
The Xiaomi Redmi 6A has an identical spec with the Helio A22 and 2GB/16GB based. I have reviewed the phone and it was good, not something I would use daily, but a good backup phone, or a phone for someone that isn’t bothered about smartphones.
The Helio A22 has a quad-core 2.0 GHz CPU using Cortex-A53 so very much on the low end of chipsets.
The Redmi 7A ups things a little with the Snapdragon 439 which has an octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 & 6×1.45 GHz Cortex A53). Base RAM and memory is the same as the other two at 2GB/16GB.
Display
The Nokia is the largest at 5.71 inches running at 720 x 1520 pixels it has a small notch and bezels which is not a feature normally seen on this end of the market.
Both the Redmi phones have thick bezels tops and bottom and use a 5.45 inch screen running at 720 x 1440 pixels.
Camera
All three phones have an almost identical camera specifciation. With 13 MP, f/2.2, 1/3″, 1.12µm, AF on the rear then 5MP up front.
Battery
The Nokia and Redmi 6A both have 3000mAh batteries, which is small for normal phones but with the chipset and low resolution screen you should have no issues.
The 7A ups things considerably with a 4000 mAh battery
Overall
It is hard to judge which will be the best buy as it depends on the final UK pricing for both the Nokia and Redmi 7A.
The Redmi is better specced, the chipset is more powerful and you get the better battery.
The Nokia has Android One which should guarantee that this phone works perfectly well for the next few years. Due to this, if I was buying a phone for an older relative, I would probably go with Nokia as it should be less hassle.
| Nokia 2.2 | Xiaomi Redmi 7A | Xiaomi Redmi 6A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, June | 2019, May | 2018, June |
| Status | Coming soon. Exp. release 2019, June | Coming soon. Exp. release 2019, June 6 | Available. Released 2018, June |
| Dimensions | 146 x 70.6 x 9.3 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.37 in) | 146.3 x 70.4 x 9.6 mm (5.76 x 2.77 x 0.38 in) | 147.5 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm (5.81 x 2.81 x 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 153 g (5.40 oz) | 165 g (5.82 oz) | 145 g (5.11 oz) |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| - Splash resistant | |||
| Type | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 5.71 inches, 81.4 cm2 (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.45 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~74.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.45 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~72.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~295 ppi density) | 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~295 ppi density) | 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~295 ppi density) |
| Always-on display | |||
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie); Android One | Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 9 | Android 8.1 (Oreo), planned upgrade to Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 9.0 |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 (12 nm) | Qualcomm SDM439 Snapdragon 439 (12 nm) | Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 (12 nm) |
| CPU | Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 & 6x1.45 GHz Cortex A53) | Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8320 | Adreno 505 | PowerVR GE8320 |
| Card slot | microSD, up to 400 GB | microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) | microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 32 GB, 3 RAM or 16 GB, 2 GB RAM | 32 GB, 2/3 RAM or 16 GB, 2 GB RAM | 32 GB, 3 RAM or 16 GB, 2 GB RAM |
| Front Camera | 13 MP, f/2.2, 1/3", 1.12µm, AF | 13 MP, f/2.2, 1.12µm, PDAF | 13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie | 5 MP | 5 MP | 5 MP, f/2.2 |
| Features | HDR | ||
| Video | 1080p@30fps | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 4.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| Infrared port | No | No | No |
| Radio | FM radio | FM Radio, built-in antenna | FM radio |
| USB | microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity | Accelerometer, proximity, compass | Accelerometer, proximity, compass |
| Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery | |
| Charging | Fast battery charging 10W | ||
| Colors | Steel, Tungsten Black | Matte Black, Morning blue | Grey, Blue, Gold, Rose Gold |
| Price | 99-EUR | Probably arround 99-EUR | £89 |
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
