Almost a year after the launch of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, the company has now launched a new model to take its place in the Indian market. Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus Was first introduced in China. It has been launched in India as Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Of course, this smartphone comes with many features, but is it capable of taking Xiaomi’s ‘Vijay Yatra’ forward in India? We have done a complete investigation…
xiaomi redmi note 5 design
Redmi Note 5 is the first handset in the company’s Redmi series to come with an 18:9 display. As soon as you see Note 5, the first thing that catches your eye is its screen. The front is completely lost in the 5.99-inch display. The edges are curved, like the Google Pixel 2 XL. The screen has full-HD+ resolution. The pixel density is 403 pixels per inch. For protection, 2.5D Curved Gorilla Glass 3 protection is available. Taller displays mean the borders have become thinner. But the edges are slightly larger on the top and bottom. The top part is occupied by a metallic earpiece next to the selfie camera and a diffused LED flash at the top. The bottom bezel is left blank.
The phone has become longer and thinner due to the new aspect ratio. The weight is 180 grams and with the help of excellent grip it comes easily in the hand. There are power and volume buttons on the right side of the phone. The hybrid dual SIM slot is on the left. The hand can easily reach the power button but a little effort is required to reach the volume button. Micro USB ports are provided in the phone. By the way, we wanted a USB Type-C port. IR emitter is provided in the top. This phone will work as a remote control for home appliances.
The design of the rear part of the phone is similar to Redmi Note 4. In the middle of the rear panel are the camera, dual-tone LED flash and fingerprint scanner. The phone is thinner than the Redmi Note 4 but due to the bulge of the camera, it remains raised like a rock on a flat surface. It will be available in Gold, Black, Rose Gold and Blue colors. We have reviewed the black colored variant.
Specifications and software of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
In terms of specification, not much has changed in the new handset compared to the old phone. xiaomi redmi note 5 It also has Snapdragon 625 processor. The maximum clock speed of this octa-core processor is 2.0 GHz. For graphics it has Adreno 506 GPU. This time the company has discontinued the 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage variant which was part of the Note 4 family. In the new Redmi Note 5, users have the option to choose between 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage.
The handset has a 12 megapixel primary camera. It is equipped with F/2.2 aperture and PDAF. If seen, the resolution is less compared to the 13 megapixel camera of Note 4. However, Xiaomi says that due to the larger pixels, it will be able to take better photos than the previous version. The phone has a hybrid dual SIM tray. You will be able to use a microSD card up to 128 GB with two Nano SIMs or one Nano SIM at the same time. It has Bluetooth 4.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, USB-OTG and FM radio.
Xiaomi has provided a 4,000 mAh battery to power the Note 5 handset, whereas the battery of the older Note 4 is 4,100 mAh. The battery cannot be removed. It supports quick charging technology. However, the charger given in the retail box of the phone is not made for this purpose.
Redmi Note 5 runs on MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. Xiaomi’s custom ROM is quite different from stock Android. It may take some time for a new user to get used to it. Changes have been made to the settings menu. We used search very often. There is support for dual apps in MIUI. You will be able to keep your data safe with the help of Second Space. You have gestures to take screenshots and launch apps.
You will find many apps of Google and Microsoft pre-installed in the phone. Apart from this, Xiaomi’s apps like Mi Store, Mi Remote, Mi File Manager and Mi Video are also part of the phone. Amazon, Hungama and WPS Office apps are also pre-installed. Except Google and Xiaomi apps, other apps can be removed.
Performance, camera and battery of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
The Redmi Note 4 was a great all-round handset. Very few handsets could challenge it. The company has done something similar with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 also. Considering the price, Redmi Note 5 comes with strong hardware. MIUI 9 is smooth to use and keeps processor load times under control. Some basic apps open very quickly and even powerful apps don’t take much time. We reviewed the 4 GB RAM variant, which is enough for multitasking. In the benchmark test, the performance of the phone was same as Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.
We can also say that the handset is also excellent as a media player. The phone played every type of video and audio file. Viewing angles are good. The loudspeaker is also loud. Keep in mind that while holding the phone, your hand should not come in the way of the loudspeaker.
The Note 5’s battery impressed us a lot. Despite the larger screen and lower battery capacity than the older version, the handset lasted 16 hours and 8 minutes in our video loop test. In normal use, it will be able to support the user throughout the day.
The sensor in Redmi Note 5 may have been upgraded, but the camera software remains the same as the old version. As soon as you turn on the camera, it automatically goes into auto mode. You can also put it into manual, beauty and panorama modes. In manual mode, only options to change white balance and ISO settings are provided.
Photos taken with Redmi Note 5 during daytime and in low light were good. There was no lack of detail in landscape shots taken in daylight. The exposure was also correct on most occasions. The camera focuses quickly. This is helpful for macro shots. Macro shots came out better than we expected. Dark areas in photos taken after turning on HDR mode appeared with more detail. But the light parts seemed burnt out.
In low light the camera automatically goes into night mode. There was less noise in landscape shots. The Redmi Note 5 performed well even when taking pictures from a certain distance. Macro shots require steady hands, but the output is admirable.
Redmi Note 5 has a diffused selfie flash, which is helpful in low light. The app also has a beauty mode, which automatically edits the shot. Selfies are a bit grainy, but still usable on social media. The rear camera can record videos with a maximum resolution of 4K, while the front camera can record videos with a resolution of 1080 pixels. Stabilization mode is not provided, which is not a disappointment considering the price.
our decision
Xiaomi has done a lot of new experiments with its Redmi Note series. xiaomi redmi note 3 (Review) Where it came with powerful hardware in its segment. At the same time, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Review) had excellent battery capacity. It seems that Xiaomi has not taken any risks with the Note 5. The year has changed, so the Note 4 has also been upgraded. The basics are the same as last year’s handset. Along with this, an attempt has been made to remove the old shortcomings and bring an all-round handset. At Rs 9,999, the Redmi Note 5 is truly a value for money smartphone. If you want ‘a little more’ then you can also choose Redmi Note 5 Pro.