C|net Xiaomi Redmi Note review - Redmi Note General

A little dated but a pretty complete review by C|cnet.
Big, bold, and cheap to boot.
The Good The Xiaomi Redmi Note has a vibrant display, a sharp camera, dual-SIM capability, and an easy-to-understand interface. Even unlocked it's quite affordable.
The Bad The Redmi Note runs the aging Android Jelly Bean OS, and the glossy plastic back feels oily after prolonged use. There's also no 4G LTE.
The Bottom Line The Xiaomi Redmi Note delivers a great display and satisfying performance at a low price, but skip it if you crave the most cutting-edge smartphone features.
Complete Review Here

Related

help me decide between note 5 vs edge plus

Hello everyone,
I'm looking to upgrade my note 4 (H version) to either a note 5 or edge plus, I aware that both phones are 95% identical yet there are few things that are still not clear to me which would help me decide. I know that each phone is targeted toward different audience however, the main decisive factor in purchasing the note series in the 1st place was the display size & the hardware, the stylus functionality was always an added value.
If some of you might be wondering why I'm upgrading from N 910H its because of the 4g support, 64 bit chip, premium build quality and I'm guessing it will enjoy better vendor & community support than the H version that I have.
As such, I would appreciate your help if you could provide me with your experiences/ knowledge:
1- Which one has less bloat ware that might sluggish the performance of the device? for e.g. the note 5 comes with a lot of Samsung software/optimization for its stylus functionality which might impact the smoothness of the device not to mentioned TW
2- Which one has more usable storage (less system memory) considering the limited storage options we have?
3- Which device scored better in benchmarks testing such as Antutu ?
4- Which one has longer battery life?
Thanks everyone
after my experience with my 32GB S6 edge, i realised just how small of a storage it is and went with a 64GB for my Note 5 Duos. the OS takes up just over 1.5GB and System Memory takes up under 10GB. if you need the S-Pen, your number 1 becomes a moot point.
if you need the absolute peak performance in processing speed and battery life, then i would think it becomes a very negligible difference between the two. i haven't seen actual comparison specs, but i would imagine they're both similar.
personally, i really wanted the curved front screen, but the stylus will always win me over. i need it for cropping screenshots, diagramming and taking notes, quickly. and like i tell everyone else, in case you ever need it, at least the stylus will always be there.
The curved screen is a gimmick. The novelty will wear off very quickly. I honestly don't see the point. It looks cool, granted, but it makes content look distorted. Why would you want that?!
Anyway, it wasn't even a choice for me. Note 5 all the way.
If I chose the edge+ over the note 5 I would only do so if it has "proven" better battery life, more available storage and smoother experience (less bloat ware) not because of the curved display.
I have the edge, I really like it a lot, but I don't use the edge what so ever. Basically bought the phone due to the color, and looks. Extremely visually appealing.
Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk
That's a tough decision. .. but then you have to pick a color! !!!
I would ideally own all of them!
I had the S6E before buying the Note 5 and while I loved the look and feel of the Edge screen, there were 2 major reasons I didn't buy the plus. The first is simply I didn't even use the few edge features there were, as previously said it's gimmicky. Second, and this is the big one, terrible options for glass screen protectors. It may seem odd to make a buying decision based on the screen protector support but I cannot and will not go back to anything but tempered glass and I am not willing to forgo any sort of protection at all.
cloudraker said:
I had the S6E before buying the Note 5 and while I loved the look and feel of the Edge screen, there were 2 major reasons I didn't buy the plus. The first is simply I didn't even use the few edge features there were, as previously said it's gimmicky. Second, and this is the big one, terrible options for glass screen protectors. It may seem odd to make a buying decision based on the screen protector support but I cannot and will not go back to anything but tempered glass and I am not willing to forgo any sort of protection at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly my issue with the s6. I couldn't buy the proper protection for it and it got broken on me. The note 5 is much better with protection and cases.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Note 5 vs Q Stylus

Note 4 just died. It was OK: stylus is great; performance and battery life poor compared to previous Lumia 1520. Thinking of replacing with a Note 5 or a Q Stylus. Camera quality is not important.
Note 5 pros:
Build quality looks good.
Note 5 cons:
Very hard to find a standard 64GB model (920C I think). Easy to find carrier-modded models (like 920A) which are not guaranteed to have basic features like VoLTE.
No microSD support.
Doesn't have the latest android version, and won't get future android versions.
Q Stylus pros:
More power efficient than Note 5.
Q Stylus cons:
Rounded corners, but less of a problem since the screen is elongated so you can fit a good size 16:9 rectangle inside.
Q Stylus unknowns:
Display quality (contrast, color fidelity) unknown.
Assuming subpixel rendering isn't supported (commonly not on Android), text on a 1080p screen will not be sharp.
I am assuming performance of the two devices will be similar.
Still undecided. Anything I am missing? Thanks.
Note8 prices have are falling very quickle, even more now that the Note9 is real. Invest a little more in a newer phone.
I don't want the curved screen edges of later Samsung phones. They distort images and brightnesses and reflections and I would want therefore to switch the edges off. On the Note 8 that would make an already too narrow screen even narrower.

Redmi K20 (Mi 9T) VS Samsung A70

https://youtu.be/aJ7H2SN2VsA
If you watched the video you can clearly see that both phones have same brightness level yet the A70 screen looks much brighter and better than K20's screen which is dim and has ugly red tint. Samsung used a a very high quality amoled panel in the A70, the best I have seen in this price range. A70 also has bigger screen, bigger battery, and performance is great. It's downside is the ugly outdated back design and build materials. K20 has notchless display but look how thick the phone is. A70 is much thinner and sleek. I think the A70 is the winner.
I might be biased since I own the A70 :laugh: Still the superiority of A70's AMOLED screen is undeniable and it's the main reason why I choose Samsung phones over other brands.
Bottom line: Not all AMOLED screens are created equal! Chinese phones use cheaper lower quality amoleds.
What do you think? :fingers-crossed:
I think the back of the a70 is really nice and does every thing I want it too just a shame the back srat he's so easy
the mi 9t is 300€ in france or 350€ depends on deals.
Sufyan3D said:
https://youtu.be/aJ7H2SN2VsA
If you watched the video you can clearly see that both phones have same brightness level yet the A70 screen looks much brighter and better than K20's screen which is dim and has ugly red tint. Samsung used a a very high quality amoled panel in the A70, the best I have seen in this price range. A70 also has bigger screen, bigger battery, and performance is great. It's downside is the ugly outdated back design and build materials. K20 has notchless display but look how thick the phone is. A70 is much thinner and sleek. I think the A70 is the winner.
I might be biased since I own the A70 :laugh: Still the superiority of A70's AMOLED screen is undeniable and it's the main reason why I choose Samsung phones over other brands.
Bottom line: Not all AMOLED screens are created equal! Chinese phones use cheaper lower quality amoleds.
What do you think? :fingers-crossed:
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you are probably right. just like lcd screens, big difference between LG and XIAOMI ones.
but at least k20 has gorilla glass 5. a70 has version 3.
it always gonna be a trade off...
thalesbraga said:
you are probably right. just like lcd screens, big difference between LG and XIAOMI ones.
but at least k20 has gorilla glass 5. a70 has nothing.
it always gonna be a trade off...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A70 has gorilla glass 3
Yes you r right my source site was wrong.
Good to know
Also loving this battery life... way better than s10+
So a70 or mi 9t
I still prefer Samsung a70 over mi 9t
Special regards the display
I have no problem with the back of the phone i'm using a case anyway or after a month i will find tiny scratches everywhere even if the back is metal
Im currently debating between mi 9t or a70.
Which phone has better camera and video quality.
Can someone give me a hand?
Xiaomi mi 9T is the better device to me and yes I have both.
K20 has its disadvantages....
No expandable storage capacity..
Screen size...
Battery life...
These 3 are the ones which made me go for a70 rather than any other phone...
senseijtitus said:
K20 has its disadvantages....
No expandable storage capacity..
Screen size...
Battery life...
These 3 are the ones which made me go for a70 rather than any other phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
128GB is enough for my needs
Both displays are fine
Both Phones have great battery life.
I'm currently intersted which phone has better camera/video quality.
senseijtitus said:
K20 has its disadvantages....
No expandable storage capacity..
Screen size...
Battery life...
These 3 are the ones which made me go for a70 rather than any other phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are not Disadvantages
64gb or 128gb expandable storage is a personal preference.
Screen size is a personal preference screen on the a70 could be to big for some.
Battery is great on both back to screen smaller less battery consumption.
Disadvantage a70 sd675, glastic back that scratches easily, oh and one low speaker I have to crack it to the max most of the time.
dante_99 said:
128GB is enough for my needs
Both displays are fine
Both Phones have great battery life.
I'm currently intersted which phone has better camera/video quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera as of now, go with redmi. But gcam support for a70 is very much possible with dev's almost done with source codes...
---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 AM ----------
hands0m3 said:
These are not Disadvantages
64gb or 128gb expandable storage is a personal preference.
Screen size is a personal preference screen on the a70 could be to big for some.
Battery is great on both back to screen smaller less battery consumption.
Disadvantage a70 sd675, glastic back that scratches easily, oh and one low speaker I have to crack it to the max most of the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, plastic back is actually preferable with larger phones because of the risk of accidental drop. And to be honest, a70 performs pretty good as well. And it is perfectly slim and anyone can hold this phone in his/her hand without problem. One hand usage is pretty awesome.
The speaker volume is good enough. But plug in a good mid tire headset, its amazingly good...

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G Unboxing & First Look

Fellow members I have just recieved the new Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G so I thought I would share my unboxing and first look with you, Here is the Link if you want to watch my video: Mod Edit: Link Removed
Any questions feel free to ask, If you prefer feel free to read my thoughts below:
I will be unboxing the brand new Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 which has a secret, yep that’s right it’s the 5g version! I have been waiting for this this device for sometime and its finally available from Vodafone.
The box is classic Xiaomi in a black and gold look which obviously symbolises this is a premium luxurious product. Opening the box there is a nice message from the CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun.
Removing the card reveals the show stopper the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5g, I have the Onyx black 6gb RAM 128GB storage model. Also included in the box is the USB C charging cable, the Xiaomi fast charger, a headphone dongle, a slim case which is a nice addition and of course the usual booklets which no one reads.
Taking a look at the Mi Mix 3 5G, the first thing you notice is the beautiful 6.39in amoled full screen display which is totally uninterrupted, no notch, no punch hole and I feel this is my favourite solution out right now as the 24mp selfie camera is hidden behind the screen on a slider mechanism which is not motorised. I can’t explain how satisfying it feels to slide it open and closed. Whilst the phone is locked sliding the screen down allows fast face unlocking but if the phone is already in usage then it will launch the selfie camera.
On the top of the device there is a microphone, on the right side the volume rocker and power button, at the bottom, there are 2 grills one which houses a speaker and the other the mic, nestled in the middle is the USB C charging port. On the left is a key for the google assistant. Around the back it is just as beautiful as the front, a curved premium ceramic back which makes the Mi Mix 3 feel very dense, weighty & premium which is part of the reason it weighs in at 225g. The top left corner has a tiny camera bump which houses 2 12mp cameras, one is wide and the other telephoto with the flash sandwiched between them. The fingerprint sensor is also housed on the back and is extremely fast, I personally feel the positioning is spot on. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without the 5G logo & Mix branding in a beautiful gold finish, Did I say premium? It doesn’t get much better than this.
Now I know this looks very familiar to some of you especially those that bought the original Mi Mix 3 but Xiaomi has improved this version in 3 ways, firstly with the addition of 5G and secondly the latest Snapdragon chipset the 855 now replaces the older 845 and thirdly a bigger battery going from 3200mah to a much bigger 3800mah which are all welcome additions. It looks like Xiaomi went with the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it philosophy and to be honest I am glad. The Mi Mix 3 feels ergonomically perfect for me, not too big and thick enough where I can hold it comfortably in one hand and this is where the curved back feels wonderful.
I am also extremely pleased that the screen is flat and Xiaomi didn’t go with the current trend of curved screens because there is no issues with image distortion or colour warping making it very easy to view. It is still a 1080p resolution with a 403ppi and this definitely will aid with battery life.
The Earpiece unfortunately doesn’t double as a secondary speaker which I would have liked but it’s not a deal breaker as the bottom single speaker seems to be a good quality one. Also missing is a 3.5 mm headphone jack which most OEMs are adopting, unfortunate but sooner or later everyone will have to board the Dongle and Bluetooth bus.
Overall so far I would say anyone in the market looking for a 5g handset should definitely consider the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, I have personally owned and still have the Xiaomi Mi Mix, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix 2s and now the Mi Mix 3 5g which is the pinnacle of this series of phone. I can testify the longevity of the Mi Mix range and it’s clear that Xiaomi have refined the mi mix into what you see here.
@ramheer Please refer to the forum rules:
Self-promotion is forbidden, this includes blogs, social media and video channels etc. Random links will be removed.
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Promotion link removed
Funk Wizard

Do you think that the design/appearance of the Note 4 is outdated/faded ?

i find it to be a little old...what do you think ?
Of course it is outdated. Even though it could've easily handle Android Nougat, which XDA developer Anajaser proved by porting the Nougat ROM to Exynos variant. I'm currently using Nemesis ROM V3 for Snapdragon variant, because its the most stable and bugless Touchwiz based ROM that we have. If you have Exynos, go for the Refined Nougat ROM or latest Nemesis Marshmallow ROM by Ananjaser.
Not at all.
I love the design of the note 4 and hate the glass phones that beg you to buy a case to cover them in plastic anyway.
If they would make another phone with exactly the same design as note 4 but upgraded internals I would buy it in a heartbeat.
But that's not going to happen so gotta chose one of those glassy things and put a case on it.
No, its not outdated. I like my Note 4 more than the new notch/glass/"premium-looking" phones. Why I should by a phone if I have great performance, root, (custom rom), removable battery and replaceable backcover?
The only phone I would buy is the XCover 4s nowadays. But I will wait until the Note breaks down.
Only thing I hate is the slightly curved screen at the edges. Makes it difficult to find a glass protector for it to cover the whole screen. Note 3 and S5 were the last ones with a totally flat screen.
I dropped my Note 8 and damaged the screen. I just pulled this thing out and I still like this phone. It's still running stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. I love how this phone last for years. My Note 8, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy S7 all have screen issues. My Galaxy S7 Edge doesn't even have a scratch on the outside but the screen is somehow damaged.
nah this phone look outdated when you just have scratch in metal cover
but if you can mod it like use sand paper to fully remove aluminium painting and expose aluminium itself and paint it using stainless steel like color
n4 not outdated(hopefully someone make a glass like plastic finish for backdoor so it will look like newer phone)but personally i just like the original backdoor(feels like Car Interior plastic for some reason)
The Note 4's hardware specs still compare well with modern J3s & J7s. So, from a hardware perspective, the N4 is still very viable. Its display is beautiful for watching video. The catch is the stock firmware ending at Android 6. A good custom rom at Andy v7 or v8 would keep the N4 useful for another couple years. As far as the design goes, so what if it doesn't have modern sleek curved edges and fancy case colors. Big deal ... I don't care if the N4's appearance may not impress others. Functionality counts the most.

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