Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 review

SCORE:

 5 / 8

PROS

• Great design and build
• Big battery
• Fast fingerprint scanner

CONS

• No NFC
• Average camera
• Screen is only 'OK'

Key features:

• 5.5-inch 1080p display
• Dual SIM
• Fingerprint sensor

It’s a big phone 5.5-inch screen with a 1080p resolution and it looks good. It’s a strong performer, too, thanks to the MediaTek Helio X10 CPU and either 2 or 3GB RAM. In tests it outranked the Samsung Galaxy S6 in benchmarks, which is quite impressive.

Like many of the phones on this list, the camera is one of the biggest differentiators between it and the flagships. It comes loaded with a 13-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture that is capable of taking social media worthy snaps – though colours are often a bit muted and there’s severe shutter-lag when the lights aren’t on.

Software could be an issue for some, especially if you prefer your phone running a light skin. Xiaomi is one of the worst offenders when it comes to completely reworking Android and almost all of Google’s Material Design has been covered up on the RedMi Note 3.

The battery life is impressive and it’s one of the only all-metal phones in this round-up.


At time of review the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 was available for 250$/3000MAD.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 3 – DISPLAY

It's sporting a large 5.5-inch IPS screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution – hardly earth-shattering, but still more than acceptable in a phone that costs this little. The pixel density of 403ppi is decent as well, and it isn't possible to pick out individual pixels unless you press your nose up against the glass.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 3 – PERFORMANCE, SPEAKERS & CALL QUALITY

The Redmi Note 3 is available in two flavours – the MediaTek Helio X10 version and the more recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 version. You also have different storage options, with the 16GB edition shipping with 2GB of RAM, while the roomier 32GB version has 3GB of RAM.

The Redmi Note 3 supports 4G networks. Like a number of Chinese handsets, the device offers dual-SIM support, although it should be noted that it uses micro-SIMs; not the more recent nano-SIM format.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 3 – CAMERA

With its 13-megapixel snapper, the Redmi Note 3 is very much in the mid-range when it comes to photographic prowess. Boasting a f/2.2 aperture, phase-detection autofocus and dual-LED flash, it produces acceptable shots but lacks the "wow" factor you associate with the latest Android phones.

Image capture in good light is pleasingly fast, but in darker environments there's a short pause before the photo is obtained. Turning on HDR also triggers an even longer capture time, but the mode is needed in certain situations where you have a high lighting contrast; like so many camera phones, the Redmi Note 3 struggles with hitting the right exposure point at times.

Video capture is limited to 1080p at 30fps, which is pretty much standard on a budget-range device, but the video quality is a little disappointing. For selfie addicts, there's a front-facing 5-megapixel.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 3 – BATTERY LIFE

With its beefy 4,000mAh battery, the Redmi Note 3 is more than capable of making it through an entire day of moderate usage. . Sadly, fast charging isn't included, but the size of the battery means that you won't need to top it up throughout the day anyway.

The Redmi Note 3 comes in 16 and 32GB storage options, but there's no way to add to that total since it lacks a microSD card slot. Given that the larger capacity model has 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB.

OVERALL SCORE

SCORES IN DETAIL

• Battery Life8
• Calls & Sound7
• Camera7
• Design7
• Performance7
• Screen Quality7
• Software8
• Value8