Xiaomi Redmi Note has been released recently and its about to go for the first sale on 2nd December 2014 for Rs. 8999 and this time again it will be a flash sale. In this review we help you find out whether its worth investing money on this affordable octa core phone which has some very good specifications for the price.
Xiaomi Redmi Note Full In Depth Review + Unboxing [Video]
Xiaomi Redmi Note Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5.5 inch IPS LCD capacitive touch screen with 720 x 1280 HD resolution
- Processor: 1.7 GHz Octa Core MediaTek Mt6592
- RAM: 2 Gb
- Software Version: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
- Camera: 13 MP AF camera
- Secondary Camera: 5 MP front-facing camera FF [Fixed Focus]
- Internal Storage: 8 GB with 6.15 Gb for apps and 5 Gb approx user available
- External Storage: Expandable up to 32GB
- Battery: 3100 mAh battery Lithium Polymer Ion
- Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
- Others: OTG Support – Yes, Dual SIM – Yes (First Slot Support 3G and Second Slot support 2G), LED Indicator – Yes ( Color Can be changed )
- Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensors
- SAR Values: 0.760 W/Kg (MAX) – its under permissible limit.
Box Contents
Inside the box you get the handset, battery 3100 mAh, 2MP fast charger, USB Cable for charging and data syncing, warranty card, user manual but no earphones, you will need to buy them separately.
Build Quality, Design and Form Factor
Redmi Note looks good but its bigger to hold in one hand, its slightly heavy at 199 grams but does not feel cheap. The plastic back is glossy and white in color, so it may get scratches over time and its finger print catchy as well. The front looks good with glossy black bezel. The overall looks of the phone is good. Its quite slim and has slightly rounded edges on the back cover which makes it easy to hold. Its easy to put in pocket but size and weight does affect one handed usage.
Camera Performance
The rear camera can take good photos in day light and low light performance is decent but can show noise if the light is not enough. The front camera can also record HD video and can also take good selfie shots. Below are some camera samples you can get an idea from these about rear camera and front camera as well
Camera Samples
Redmi Note Camera Video Sample
coming soon..
Display, Memory and Battery Backup
It has 5.5 IPS LCD display with resolution 720 x 1280 pixels which gives good viewing angles, has decent outdoor visibility. Touch screen is responsive and touch is smooth and color reproduction is also good. It comes with corning gorilla glass 3 protection but this is not mentioned in specs but we confirmed this from xiaomi india. Out of 8 GB internal memory user get around 5 GB and 6.15 Gb in total has been allocated for apps and user data to be stored. Battery dropped from 30 % to 20 % with 30 minutes of HD game playback or 30 minutes of HD video play back. It can last around 6-7 hours on continuous usage and can give around more than one day of backup with basic to moderate usage.
Software, Benchmarks and Gaming
MiUI which runs on top of android does not lag most of the time but on heavy usage you can see slight lag in UI transitions and animations. We played Asphalt 8, Blood and Glory both of these games played fine with medium graphics, touch screen was responsive and gaming controls were easily accessible. There was not major lag but slight frame drops were there when we played games in high graphic mode.
Benchmark Scores
- Antutu Benchmark: 32244
- Nenamark2: 61.4 fps
- Multi Touch: 10 points
Redmi Note Gaming Review [Video]
Sound, Video and Navigation
Loudspeaker is at the back on the bottom, its loud and sound is clear, it can get muffled and blocked as well accidentally by hand. You can easily play HD videos at 720p and 1080p without any issues. GPS navigation worked fine and you can get the GPS lock easily in indoor depending on signal strength, it does have magnetic field sensor as well.
Redmi Note Photo Gallery
What We Liked
- Great display for the price
- Good rear camera
What We Did Not Liked
- Heavy in weight
- Glossy back cover
Conclusion and Price
Xiaomi Redmi Note of the best option across its competition for the price of Rs. 8999 INR. It’s a great value for money phone and looks could have been better. It performs pretty good in day to day usage and can also fit the needs of heavy or power users out there. Camera performance is good and battery backup is much better than some other phones in the same price segment.
