Xiomi has long been the “go-to” budget phone for most Indians. With its sales going up the wazoo ever since the parent company Mi stepped its foot into the Indian markets, cell phone users have lost their sense of reality and jumped at every offering that came forth.
The newest product launched back in March, 2016, the Xiomi Redmi Note 3 Pro was said to be the biggest success the company has ever witnessed. Their sales skyrocketed with 600,000 units sold in less than 2 months, as announced by Xiomi’s Global VP Mr. Hugo Barra on a Facebook post where he indicated that this sales figure was the highest record for the company yet.
But, Xiomi Redmi Note 3 Pro has not been ideal “price-wise” for those customers seeking a mobile under Rs. 10,000. So, I guess you could consider that to be a drawback, even if not in literal sense. Another drawback is that, this phone is only expandable up to 32GB from the original 16GB built-in memory. The last part could also seem like a deal breaker for someone who likes to keep music on the device and downloads several Apps for different activities they engage in. The current chipset installed is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.
The last part could also seem like a deal breaker for someone who likes to keep music on the device and downloads several Apps for different activities they engage in. The current chipset installed is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.
Xiomi Redmi Note 3 Pro Review
Xiomi Redmi Note 3 Pro Tech Specs
- Network – GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz HSPA+ :850/900/1900/2100 MHz
- Display – 5.5 Inch Full HD Touchscreen, LCD Color with 1920×1080 pixels Size
- Camera – 16MP (Backside), 5 MP (Front), Resolution – 4640×3480 pixels, Zoom, Flash
- CPU Configuration – 650 Hexa-Core Processor Snapdragon 1.8 GHz
- Internal Memory – 2 GB RAM with 16 GB ROM OR 3 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM
- Built – 150x76x8.65 mm, 164 g
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, IRDA, Wi-Fi, USB, GPS, 3G, 4G LTE with VoLTE, GPRS, EDGE
- Operating System – Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
- Expandable Memory – Dual SIM slot with TransFlash
Buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (32 GB Variant)
Buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (16 GB Variant)
Design
The Xiomi Redmi Note 3 might be a little late to the party in the context of getting a metal body finish especially for a budgeted (lower end) phone.
But on the first few observations, we could notice the fine improvements that the company had made keeping in mind the productivity factor. Although, it is safe to say that it could have been a lot more better for the price, speaking strictly in terms of looks here! Let’s discuss each side of the phone in a little detail:
Front
The face of the phone is utterly simple, and elegant which for most people like myself, is just what we want! The screen is 5.5 Inches wide and the display is captivating enough to keep me focused on the screen. Around the screen you will find a raised edge running all around the front of the phone which is meant to offer a great deal of protection to the face when placing it face down.
You will also notice backlit buttons that perform the usual functions of menu, home and back keys (which is pretty standard as with most Android based phones). At the top of the screen are the earpiece, a front camera, a notification LED and a proximity sensor.
Right Side
On the right, you will see a volume rocker and the power button both of which have a fantastic integration into the body of the phone and do not stick out or make your hand uncomfortable.
Left Side
On the left, you have one tray that hosts both the slots for nano-SIM card or one can be replaced to a microSD card.
Top Side
On the top, you have a 3.5maudiodo jack with an iR (Infrared).
Bottom Side
MicroUSD Port rests at the bottom.
Back Side
The backside of Note 3 Pro is, in my opinion, the most disappointing in terms of lack of creativity. I don’t mean to discourage its metallic finish for the whole body, combined with the use of plastic caps on the top and the bottom where antennas are fit to deliver a better performance, kudos for that!
You will find here a 16 MP camera and a finger print scanner that are the exact same size and in between, there’s a flashlight. The handset is constructed in a way that it is elevated by precisely 1mm to facilitate the free flow of audio from the speakers which are located at the back bottom. Disappointingly, the speaker isn’t very loud, which means it should have been looked as an important factor for the phone user.
Display
The Note 3 has a 5.5 inch 1080 pixel display and even though the LCD panel has a good display of colors, it is just not up to the standards as compared to its’ clones, such as Apple’s iPhone 7/7S. But the good news is that contrast and sharpness can be enhanced using the many software refinements available to Android.
In its standard mode, the white balance does not weigh on the hotter side of the color index but the sharpness and its different angles of measurements are note worthy. The screen is receptive to make darker areas of the image brighter and brighter areas are made more visible. The brightness level isn’t too high but it shouldn’t pose you any problem especially when you’re using it out in the day time.
Camera
In simple English, Xiomi Redmi Note 3 has a very poor camera. This is particularly surprising because all Xiomi devices are equipped with high-end hardware and yet no fine tuning has been done to improve the camera’s performance.
When tested in sunny conditions, the camera performs just about fine and the HDR mode isn’t impressive either. Videos shot through this phone are of poor quality.
A final look at Pros and Cons are is as under:
Pros
- Outstanding Battery life
- Reliable Performance
- Well Built
- Affordable Prices
Cons
- Speakers aren’t too loud
- Bad Camera Quality
- Average Backlight Enhancement
- Cooler Colors Opposed to Warm Colors
- Expandable memory locked to 16GB and 32GB
Buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (32 GB Variant)
Buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (16 GB Variant)
Conclusion
In the easiest of words, Xiomi Redmi Note 3 has no competition. The phone has great hardware as is expected of all Xiomi devices, built up quite reliable and a dependable software makes the unit a very strong package. Furthermore, a long lasting battery life totally justifies the price for someone looking for a good value for their money.
The only drawback that one would find is the poor camera quality but given the rest of the phone is great, simple and elegant, I wouldn’t be too sorry to buy it.
The phone is available for sale at Gearbest at USD $180.41 at a 45% Discount but is only available in the Gray color.
