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Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro hands on overview: India’s new camera beast

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has today introduced another affordable and powerful smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro ino the Indian market. The device comes with dual cameras, a powerful processor and an 18:9 display.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is a premium version of the Redmi Note 5. Coming with a vertically mounted dual camera setup, the device has a lot to offer compared to its competitors. We got our hands on the phone and here are our initial impressions of Xiaomi’s latest offering.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Specifications

Key Specifications Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
Display 5.99-inch IPS LCD
Screen Resolution FHD+, 1080×2160 pixels
Operating System Android 7.1 Nougat
Processor Octa-core
Chipset Snapdragon 636
GPU Adreno 509
RAM 4GB / 6GB
Internal Storage 64GB
Expandable Storage Yes
Primary Camera 12MP + 5MP Dual cameras
Secondary Camera 20MP, LED Selfie-light, Beautify 4.0
Video Recording 1080p@30fps
Battery 4,000mAh
4G VoLTE Yes
Dimensions 158.5 x 75.45 x 8.05mm
Weight 181g

Physical overview

Starting with the build quality, Xiaomi has used metal for the back panel. The device feels solid in hand and has a premium look, thanks to its build and design. There is minimal branding on the device and it is easy to hold in one hand.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

At the back, you have a dual camera setup at the left top corner of the phone. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro gets a quad-LED flash to accompany this camera. There is a fingerprint sensor at the back of the device. You can see the ‘mi’ branding towards the bottom of the back panel.


Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Coming to the front, there is a 5.99-inch display with the tall 18:9 aspect ratio. The front camera, along with the earpiece and sensor array are placed at the top. Bezels of the device are minimised to give it a sleek footprint even with the large display.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The volume rockers and lock button sits at the right side of the phone and SIM tray has been placed at the left side.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The headphone jack, Micro USB port and the speaker grille are all at the bottom.

Speaking of the overall design, the vertically placed cameras, colour options and the minimal bezels give the phone good looks and add a premium feel to it.

Display

Coming to the display, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD panel with full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixel) resolution. This display bears an 18:9 aspect ratio and comes with a 2.5D curved glass with rounded corners, giving it a premium look.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

While this is not an OLED panel, the display is bright and vivid when it comes to colour reproduction. It has good viewing angles and you can easily use the phone even under direct sunlight. The accuracy and fluidity of the display is also good.

Camera

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Coming to the optics, this is where the Redmi Note 5 Pro is ahead of the regular Redmi Note 5. The Redmi Note 5 Pro features a dual camera setup which is there to deliver precise background blur. The dual camera setup consists of a 12MP + 5MP sensor combination at the back.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

At the front, the device comes with a 20MP camera with selfie flash and Beautify 4.0.

Camera Samples

We tested the device’s camera in different lighting conditions and here are the results:

Daylight

Artificial Light

Low Light

Hardware and performance

In terms of hardware, the phone is equipped with a 1.8GHz Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor coupled with an Adreno 509 GPU. The device comes in two variants i.e. 4GB / 64GB and 6GB / 64GB. This hardware makes sure there is smooth performance and gaming too. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on the latest MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1 Nougat. This means you get all the latest features the MIUI has to offer.

Benchmark Scores

Battery and Connectivity

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that gives it up to 14 hours of video playback. It is a dual SIM 4G VoLTE smartphone and it comes with Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, 3.5mm audio jack, and a microUSB port as standard connectivity options.

Conclusion

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a vibrant display, dual cameras, and a powerful processor. While all this makes it a powerful device, it has still been priced competitively, making it one of the best choices in its price range. It would have been better if Xiaomi would have launched the device with Android 8.0 Oreo instead of Android 7.1 Nougat.

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Abhishek Bhatnagar

Abhishek Bhatnagar, a known technology blogger & YouTuber from India. A Software Engineer by qualification, now he works as the editor-In-Chief, Webmaster, & Managing Director at Gadgets To Use. He runs a number of other technology websites as well.