Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 32GB: Detailed Review
The
all-new Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC is
almost a game-changer in terms of what one can expect from a smartphone
priced at Rs. 11,999. It is a game-changer in terms of pure performance
and battery-life, two key aspects of a smartphone that almost makes or
breaks it for users in this price segment. After a relatively quiet
period, Xiaomi has come back into the affordable smartphone segment with
an impressive device that not only outperforms all smartphones in its
segment, but also edges past some of the flagship Android smartphones.
We have reviewed the 3GB/32GB variant of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, and
there’s also a cheaper variant with 2GB/16GB configuration priced at Rs.
9,999.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specifications:
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 with hexa-core processor (2x1.8 GHz A72 + 4x1.4 GHz A53)
GPU: Adreno 510 GPU
RAM: 3GB LPDDR3
Storage: 32GB with microSD card slot for expansion via the SIM 2/Hybrid slot
Screen size and Resolution: 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display
Network Support: 4G LTE support, LTE support for Band 3,5,40 and 41 in India.
Dimensions: 150 x 76 x 8.65mm
Weight: 164g
Battery: 4050mAh
Fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera: 16MP, f/2.0 with phase detect AF and dual tone led flash
Front Camera: 5MP, f2.0 front camera
IR Blaster
Android Lollipop 5.1.1 running on MiUI 7
Performance under the Hood
The newly-launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is all about performance, and most of it comes from the Snapdragon 650 SoC. Such high performance
usually comes at the cost of some sort of a trade-off in battery life or
thermal management capability. But, in case of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3,
you can have it all (more on this later). Benchmark numbers aside, we
decided to tax the smartphone with some of our own back-to-back tests
that are known to bring most smartphones down on their knees. We started
with recording a 5-min UHD (2160p) video clip, something that isn’t
supported by the default camera app on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, but we
bypassed the limitation via the Google camera app that records videos in
UHD on this smartphone. The UHD video capture test was immediately
followed by a 30-minute gaming session (Asphalt 8 + Modern Combat 5),
and we ended the test with a quick re-run of the AnTuTu benchmark.
Across all the three tests, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 showed no signs of
stuttering or excessive heating. Apart from the benchmark numbers, the
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 offers truly excellent performance in real-world
scenarios, and it does that without any compromises like heating issues
or rapid battery drain. Talking about heating issues, unlike the Xiaomi
Mi 4i, the Redmi Note 3 doesn’t get excessively warm or uncomfortable
when put under stress.
Battery : The fuel to power the Beast
Xiaomi’s “recipe” behind the Redmi Note 3 has a lot to do with the battery inside the device. The 4050mAh battery inside the device is big in capacity, but small in volume. Xiaomi has achieved this by packing a 690Wh/L high density battery inside the Redmi Note 3. In terms of real world usage, on a full charge, we were easily able to get through a full day of heavy usage with 15% of battery life left at the end of the day. For average usage patterns, you can expect two days of battery life from the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The graphs below show how the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 compares to other devices in the battery life department. As far as charging is concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 goes from 5% to 100% in little over 2 hours of charging time with the supplied charger.
Camera :
The Note 3 Pro comes with an improved 16 MP, f/2.0 rear camera with phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash and is capable of recording videos at 1080p@30fps. It retains the typical 5MP, f/2.0 front-facing camera.
The rear camera takes good pictures outdoors and in well-lit conditions, capturing great detail even when zoomed in. It can also take decent shots even in low-light conditions indoors. Auto-focus and shutter speed are fast. Camera app settings include the usual features for manual, panoramic, beautify, as well as a fish-eye feature. It also has cool filters such as “Mosaic” “Yesterday” and “Sketch”. You can navigate these features by swiping the screen left and right.
When using the front-facing camera, the camera app will detect your face, identify you as male or female, and guess your age. Creepy. Sometimes the camera guesses right or adds a few years to your actual age, depending on how tired you may look. It’s simply discouraging to be taking selfies only to be told by the camera you look older than you are. Best to disable this feature.
Design : Looks and feels Premium
The Redmi Note 3 represents a drastic change in design language for Xiaomi. No more less than premium plastic – the new phone now sports an all new brushed aluminum metal body that’s available in gold, silver and grey colors. It’s a great upgrade to the all-plastic Redmi Note 2 which was a literal smudge magnet. Xiaomi has also thrown in a fingerprint scanner on the back that facilitates easier and faster unlocking, similar to the offerings of Xiaomi’s domestic rivals, Huawei and OPPO.
One thing that did annoy us though was the speaker placement. Unlike the designs of other companies, Xiaomi has placed the speaker grille at the back, which makes it a challenge to hear the phone when it’s ringing when it’s laying flat on the table, screen up.
The layout of the phone is more or less the same as its predecessor, with the 3.5mm audio jack on the top, the USB port is on the bottom (and has OTG capability) with the power and volume keys on the right. The dual sim cards are both LTE compatible for both Smart and Globe networks. Surprisingly enough, Redmi took away its expandable micro SD slot which is present in all Redmi series which came before this one, with the Redmi Note 3 falling more in line with the Mi 3i and other devices when it comes to microSD expansion capability.
The Redmi Note 3 sports a 5.5 inch, full HD IPS display that translates to around 403 ppi. Its colors are very vibrant and crisp and it doesn’t have a yellow tinge to the image. The 5-megapixel front facing camera is upgraded to 1080p and is also moved to the right side.
Putting it side by side with the iPhone 6s, it really looks similar on the edges and especially on the feel of the metal casing. This isn’t surprising considering that other Chinese manufacturers take liberal design language inspirations from the Cupertino company.
Bottomline
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is a highly recommended smartphone in its price segment, especially if you are looking for a smartphone that offers unparalleled performance and battery-life. The only possible downside to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is its weak low-light camera performance and the fact that it ships with Android Lollipop-based MiUI 7 rather than the expected Marshmallow-based MiUI.
Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi
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