Xiaomi’s Redmi series has been very popular since its inception. Both the predecessors had good performance and were very aggressively priced even in the mid-range segment. The new Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is no exception. The Redmi Note 3 is packed with a lot of new features and definite improvements over the old ones in an aesthetically pleasing body.
Design
One look at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and you instantly know that Xiaomi has put serious thought into the looks and feel of this device. While the device is bit chunky, it is very well designed and has a premium feel to it. The full metal body is carefully rounded at the edges and the back gently curves on all sides making the phone very easy to hold. The matt finish gives the phone premium feel making the device repellant to dust and dirt. The front has a 5.5 inch full-HD IPS display. It has a rim around the front which is to protect the screen from scratches. The front camera sits on the top with a notification LED. The back has the camera, flash and the finger-print sensor in the center. The power button and volume rocker are on the right and are easily accessible and very responsive. The headphone jack and IR blaster sit on the top with the micro-USB port on the bottom.
Display and performance
The 5.5 inch full-HD IPS panel has a 1920 x1080 resolution with 403 ppi. The display is crisp and vibrant but lacks in contrast. The capacitive buttons at the bottom are back-lit. Xiaomi’s Sunlight Display hardware feature adds an extra value point to the display.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes with hexacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor (2×1.8 Ghz A72 + 4×1.4 GHz A53). It has the Adreno 510 GPU. The phone comes with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage which can be expanded 32 GB more by a micro-SD card in the second SIM slot. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 performs very well in everyday use and has very impressive benchmarks scores for its price segment. The battery is 4000 mAh which is very impressive. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 gives 4-5 hours on-screen time and lasts a day comfortably with average use.
Camera
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes with 16 MP, f/2.0 camera with phase detect AF and dual tone LED flash. The camera clicks very good images in optimal lighting conditions. However, the camera does a below average job in poor lighting or even indoor conditions. Overall the camera is a decent package given the price segment.
Final Verdict
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is a great phone in the mid-range price segment. It has a terrific battery life and good performance. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is one of the best-designed Android phones you can buy. The only big downside can be that it comes with MiUI 7 based on Android Lollipop rather than the expected OS based on the Android Marshmallow.
