Along with a larger focus on affordability this year in the mid-range and high-end segment, there HAS finns been a slew of lower-end smartphones Launched, falling in the sub- $ 200 category, thathave Proved to be impressive as well. Granted, These devices are not perfect and thwart havetheir fair share of Compromises, but Chinese OEM Xiaomi is looking to shake things up withtheir latest addition to the affordable Redmi series. Does this device prove to be a compelling choice? We find out, in this in-depth Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Review!
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Design
The Redmi Note 3 May feature some elements of the design language of its predecessor, but When It Comes To build quality, the metal unibody construction of the forms is in strong contrast to the matte finish plastic build of the Redmi Note 2. That's not to say That the build quality and design of the Redmi Note 2 was asked by an stretch, but the premium look and feel its successor Provides ice Certainly somethingthat users will appreciate, and is a very pleasant surprise, given its price point.
The curved edges and sides of the device make for a somewhat better treatment experience, but the metal body of ice quite slippery, so usingthis rather large phone with one hand is not the Easiest. The metal backing transitions into convincingly colored plastic caps at the top and bottom That are likely in place to help with antenna reception, but overpriced providesprofessional a nice gripping point When holding the device in the landscape orientation.
Taking a look around the device, the power button and volume rocker are on the right side, and providesprofessional Exceptional tactile feedback and responsiveness. The headphone jack and microUSB port are at the top and bottom respectively, and up top is overpriced an IR blaster. On the reverse is the single speaker unit, alongwith the new addition of a fingerprint scanner That is found below the camera. Up front are three capacitive navigation keys, with the first being assignable to open either the Recent Apps tray or an App Menu.
Display
The Redmi Note 3 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, resulting Thing In a pixel density of 403 ppi. The display is quite good overall, but is somewhat lacking in contrast and resolution, and there are Certainly Devices That case in this price range with better displays out there. The display's sunlight readability and minimum brightness level are notably good however, and the adaptive brightness feature finns worked really well During our testing.
Performance and Hardware
Under the hood, the Redmi Note 3 comes with an octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor, clocked at 2 GHz, and backed by the PowerVR G6200 GPU and 2 or 3 GB of RAM. This Particular review unit is of the 3 GB RAM variety, and as expected, multi-tasking is a breeze, but 2 GB of RAM Should be more than enough as well. On the performance front, the Redmi Note 3 performs surprisingly well, especiallywhen considering its price point.
Everything is very smooth, and minimal law is to be seen Only When running more processor-intensive tasks. Gaming ice alsovery enjoyable on the device, but keep in mind thatthis is Only When the device is set to Performance mode, and there is some stutter and Law When switched to the other battery modes.
16 GB or 32 GB of storage options are available, Which Also DETERMINE the RAM you get, but with no expandable storage via microSD card to be found, most users will be better off opting for the higher-storage version anyway. The device Also comes with a standard suite of connectivity options, but given the fact That it is not officially available in the US, access to 4G LTE networks is not possible. HSPA + on the AT & amp; T and T-Mobile networks is plenty firm though, and the call quality Proved to be pretty good as well.
The rear speaker of the Redmi Note 3 is about average, and while it's reasonably loud, the sound quality is tinny and somewhat distorted. The speaker is alsovery easy to muffle When The device is friendlyness on a flat surface, as is the case with most rear speaker setups. A new addition in hardware is the fingerprint scanner on the back, Which is ideally friendlyness to be within comfortable reach of the index finger, and Proves To Be firm and very accurate. When Compared to the high-end Nexus 6P, the scanner May not be as firm, but the accuracy is just as good, Which is fantastic to see on an affordable smartphone.
The battery of the Redmi Note 3 May not be user replaceable, but making up for it is its large 4,000 mAh capacity. The battery life is impressive, with anywhere between 4 and 5 and a half hours of screen-on time possible, and the device has no problems allo wing for a full day of usage comfortably. There is no fixed charging capabilities to be had, but The Great Battery Life Means That it is not a Requirement either.
See also: Best cheap Android phones (December 2015) Camera
The Redmi Note 3 comes with a 13 MP rear camera, with af / 2.2 aperture and phase detection auto focus, along with a 5 MP front-facing camera with af / 2.0 aperture. Overall, the primary camera Allows for decent image quality. There does seem to be a lack of saturation and detail in mostimages however, and the camera does have a tendency to underexpose outdoor shots as well. HDR does helpwith the latters issue, but usingthis fashion Adds a few seconds to the shooting time. Indoor images overpriced containe Noticeable Amounts of digital noise, but do not look that bad.
As far as the camera application is Concerned, you do get an easy-to-use auto experience, but there are Also a number of filters and camera modes Available for Those Who Want to use them, including panorama, a timer mode, and a manual fashion, That Allows for granular control over aspects like white balance and ISO, Which is Certainly nice to have.
Software
On the software side of things is where Xiaomi Seems to have injected the most value into the Redmi Note 3 . The latest version of MIUI 7 is based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, but with it being a very heavily skinned interface, you will not notice any Materials Design elements. However, MIUI is arguably one of the most polished skins around, courtesy of the Amount of customization and number of features it offers. Some of These features include transition effects, and the weekly developerWorks OTA updates, and with everything being smooth and snappy suit, MIUI Allows for one of the best software experiences available on a device priced at during the $ 200th
There are some elements That'll take some getting Used to however, Such as the lack of an app drawer, leaving users dependent on folders to keep things organized, and the inability to dismiss notifications Directly from the lockscreen. Given thatthis version of the device is Intended for the Chinese market, Google apps are not pre-installed, and while it is quite easy to install them, They do not always work as well as one would expect. It's important to note here That a global version of the device will be available Shortly Which willhave the Google apps built in, and so, you can wait a little longer to avoid the hassle of going through the process.
Xiaomi HAS not had the best track record with offering the latest versions of Android, as is very evident here, but What They Do victims of frequent software updates for the MIUI OS That Essentially includes all the features That you'd expect from newer versions of Android. If you are a stickler for running the latest and greatest, keep in mind That the Redmi Note 3 May not see anything beyond Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, but lack of features ice Certainly not going to be a concern.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 403 ppi |
| CPU | 2 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795 Helio X10 PowerVR G6200 GPU |
| RAM | 2/3 GB |
| Storage | 16/32 GB, not expandable |
| Camera | 13 MP rear camera with LED flash 5 MP front camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1, FM Radio, IR Blaster |
| Battery | 4.000 mAh |
| OS | MIUI OS 7 based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop |
| Colors | silver, gray, gold |
| Dimensions | 150 x 76 x 8.7 mm 164 gram |
Gallery
Pricing and Final Thoughts
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is currently available only in China, priced at RMB 899 for the 16 GB and 2 GB RAM version, while the Prime iteration, with 32 GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, is priced at RMB 1,099, Which Roughly translates to $ 140 and $ 172 respectively. Importing the device will result in a higher price tag, but the soon to be released a global version Should feature the same pricing.
Next: Best Android smartphones of 2015
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