Xiaomi Redmi Note in India: Quick read review of the pocket-friendly phablet
Registrations for the Xiaomi Redmi Note were thrown open on November 25 and starting from December 2, the pocket-friendly phablet in 3G will finally be up for grabs via the usual flash sales method. Those who haven’t yet tossed their hat into the ring ought to do so within the next 36 hours, or they’ll lose their chance to buy the smartphone.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note is the third device from the Chinese company to have entered India. The Mi 3 and Redmi 1S which were previously released in the country, enjoyed a lot of publicity, something along the lines of the Moto series. We have a review unit of the 3G version with us and must admit it’s a beautiful piece of work and very easy to hold in the hand.
Once you manage to get your paws on one, do be careful about where you leave the Redmi Note, because we noticed that it tends to slide off flat surfaces when placed face down. It has to do with the smooth, shiny display that seems to have a very slight curve at the center. Otherwise, the construct is quite impressive and would scream premium if it wasn’t built of plastic
The interface mating Android with MIUI leaves a lot to be desired even though it’s neat. The lack of a menu button is very irritating and we don’t know if we’ll ever get used to it. The two cameras on the Redmi Note mostly snap photos drained of color, and the battery is good for 2.5 days of light use. Lastly, we do wish Xiaomi had put a better display on the handset to really take advantage of its size.
Xiaomi Redmi Note specs at a glance:
– 1.7GHz octa core (3G)/1.6GHz quad core (4G) processor
– 5.5-inch 1280 x 720p resolution IPS touchscreen
– 2GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, 64GB microSD card support
– Android 4.2 Jelly Bean-based MIUI (3G)/Android 4.4 KitKat-based MIUI (4G)
– 13MP main camera, 5MP front-facing lens
– 3100mAh battery
