After months of wait, the Chinese manufacturer announced the Redmi Note in India today with a price tag of Rs 8,999 and the device is slated to go on sale via Flipkart from December 2. Alongside Redmi Note, Xiaomi has unveiled the 4G variant of the phablet as well that will be going on sale soon. The Redmi Note 4G comes with enhanced features and is priced at Rs 9,999. Here we compare the two phablets to know how they are different from one another.
Display and Processor
In terms of display, both the phablets are bestowed with similar 5.5 inch IPS panels that pack HD screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels translating to a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch making them standard.
When it comes to processor, the Redmi Note incorporates a 1.7 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6592 processor paired with Mali 450 graphics unit. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 4G employs a 1.6 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor that is backed by Adreno 305 graphics engine. Notably, the Qualcomm chipset comes with integrated LTE support, whereas the MediaTek offering with increased threads is faster and is pretty affordable. Otherwise, both the devices make use of 2 GB of RAM making them capable of rendering swift multi-tasking.
Camera and Internal Storage
Both the devices feature 13 MP primary cameras accompanied with LED flash and f/2.2 aperture to render better performance even under low light conditions. Also, there is support for shooting FHD 1080p videos. In addition, both arrive with 5 MP front facing selfie cameras to capture self portrait shots and for video conferencing. Though they are identical, in our hands-on with the Redmi Note 4G we found that it has a better camera performance than its 3G variant.
While both the phablets arrive with 8 GB of internal storage capacities, the difference between them is that the Redmi Note supports expandable storage up to 32 GB, whereas the Redmi Note 4G comes with support to 64 GB of additional storage. Eventually, the 4G variant would be preferred by those users who tend to store more content on their devices.
Battery and Features
Both Redmi Note and Redmi Note 4G are given identical removable 3,100 mAh batteries that support fast charging making them impressive. We expect these batteries to pump in acceptable backup to the smartphones under mixed usage.
While the Redmi Note runs the dated Android 4.3 Jelly Bean based MIUI, its 4G variant is based on Android 4.4 KitKat based MIUI. Obviously, the Redmi Note 4G would be packed with richer resources as it is based on an advanced iteration of the platform. Again, when it comes to connectivity, the Redmi Note 4G arrives with 4G LTE support and it is a single SIM variant. On the other hand, the Redmi Note is a dual SIM phablet.
Key Specs
| Model | Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G | Xiaomi Redmi Note |
| Display | 5.5, HD | 5.5 inch, HD |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 400 | 1.7 GHz Octa Core MediaTek MT6592 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB, Expandable up to 64 GB | 8 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB |
| OS | Android 4.4 KitKat based MIUI | Android 4.3 Jelly Bean based MIUI |
| Camera | 13 MP/ 5 MP | 13 MP/ 5 MP |
| Battery | 3,100 mAh | 3,100 mAh |
| Price | Rs 9,999 | Rs 8,999 |
Price and Conclusion
When it comes to pricing, Redmi Note and Redmi Note 4G are priced pretty reasonably in the sub Rs 10,000 segment. However, the 4G variant is advanced with increased additional storage support, advanced operating system, better camera performance and support for 4G connectivity. If you are looking for a 4G device, the Redmi Note 4G that would be going on sale in the next month would be a better buy.
