Introduction
There's no way you have missed the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. It's been the bang-for-buck benchmark for a while now, delivering a feature set and performance way above what its price tag suggests.
To refresh your memory Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 3 at the turn of last year and it was powered by a MediaTek Helio X10. In the spring of 2016, a Qualcomm-driven Redmi Note 3 followed and broke the company's sales record in India. Now this full review admittedly comes a little late, but the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is still on many people's radar, so we figured a way to compare the Mediatek-powered original and the Snapdragon edition might come in handy.
Besides the chipset, there's also a new camera sensor, a 16MP unit even if it is limited to 1080p video recording. Another difference is the second SIM card tray can now take microSD cards. It's the hybrid kind, which isn't ideal for people who want to have it all. Other than that, the hardware is perfectly familiar.
Key Features
- Aluminum unibody design
- 5.5" IPS display of 1080p resolution; 403ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 650; 2x 1.8GHz Cortex-A72 + 4x 1.2GHz Cortex-A53; Adreno 510
- Android 5.1.1 with MIUI 8 (Global 6.7.5 Beta)
- 2GB RAM with 16GB of storage/3GB RAM with 32GB storage; microSD support, hybrid slot shared with 2nd SIM
- Dual SIM, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, IR, microUSB
- 16 megapixel rear camera with PDAF, f2.0 aperture, dual LED flash
- 5 megapixel front camera, f2.0 aperture
- Fingerprint sensor
- 4000mAh battery
Main Disadvantages
- Runs Lollipop
- Non-removable battery
- Cannot have 2 SIMs and a microSD card
- No Quick charge 2.0/3.0 support, just 5V/2A charging
Like sealed batteries, the shared card slot is the compromise we're only going to see more often, like it or not. Anyway, even this less-than-perfect solution makes an already popular and capable phone better than before.
The near perfect balance of price and specs should be no news but let's check out the rest of the Redmi Note 3 with the dragon fire at medium heat.
Special thanks to HonorBuy.com for providing the review unit.
Unboxing
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes in plain box that holds a 2A charging adapter, a microUSB cable and some user guides. Traditionally for Xiaomi, there are no headphones included.
The Redmi Note 3 retail package is modest
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 360-degree spin
The Snapdragon version of the Redmi Note 3 has exactly the same size and design as the MediaTek-powered original. Xiaomi didn't have to change the phone's thickness to fit the new 16MP sensor and the phone measures the identical 150 x 75 x 8.7mm. The weight is the same as well at 164g.
Design and build quality
The Redmi Note 3's exterior for the Snapdragon version repeats the original. The design can even be traced back to the Redmi Note 2, except that plastic has been replaced by aluminum. The fit and finish is quite good and the phone feels durable.
A metal-clad unibody is a cool thing to have on a mid-range handset and we are certainly happy Xiaomi chose it for the Redmi Note 3.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 sports a full metal jacket
As usual, the front is covered by an entire piece of black glass. The signature red accent on the capacitive keys is gone and instead Xiaomi made them invisible blending into the black glass until they come alive with white backlighting.
The fingerprint sensor is placed just below the main camera at the rear, where your index finger falls naturally. It's the always-on kind and will unlock the screen upon a touch.
Two plastic strips at the back top and bottom make sure the phone's antennas work, but on a positive note Xiaomi made them very well, covered with the same silver paint as the rest of the body, so you can barely spot them.
The plastic bands are impossible to escape in a metal phone
The metal finish of the Redmi Note 3 allows good enough handling, but not as great as on the matte Redmi Note 2. Opting for metal instead of matte plastic may have made the phone more slippery, but it boosted its looks by a mile, so we'd call it a smart compromise.
Handling the Redmi Note 3
Controls
Little about the control set has changed since the Redmi Note 2. Above the screen is the earpiece flanked by a couple of sensors and the selfie camera. Below the 5.5" display is the capacitive Android trio, and you can assign those keys additional quick actions at double tap and tap-and-hold.
What's above the screen • the three Android keys below the display
The left of the Redmi Note 3 accommodates the ejectable SIM tray. You can either use two microSIM cards or opt for a microSD card - it takes the second SIM card slot. The volume rocker and power/lock key are on the right.
The left side • The SIM & microSD slot combo • The right side • The metal keys
The Redmi Note 3 has the audio jack, the IR blaster, and the secondary microphone on top. The microUSB port and the primary mic are over at the bottom.
The top • The audio jack and IR blaster • The bottom • The USB port and primary mic
Finally, around the metal cover, the dual-LED flash sits next to the new 16MP snapper and the fingerprint scanner. The loudspeaker grille is also around, close to the bottom antenna strip.
The back of the Redmi Note 3
Display
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5" Full HD IPS, the same as on the Redmi Note 2, which has 401ppi for pleasantly sharp imagery. Unfortunately, there is no information on the glass covering the display and there is a good chance it isn't of the scratch-resistant kind.
Taking a closer look at it under our digital microscope reveals a standard RGB arrangement of the sub-pixels that make up the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 LCD panel.
The display on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 seems to be identical with the one on the Redmi Note 2. It has about the same maximum brightness.
The screen's contrast ratio is average at 953:1. The color rendering accuracy is passable as well with an average deviation of DeltaE 6.8 and max deviation DeltaE 13. We managed to improve the color rendering by shifting the screen setting to a warmer preset (there is an option for changing the color temperature) and by doing so we got a more accurate color rendering with an Avg DeltaE of 5.2 and a Max DeltaE of 9.1. However at this setting the screen takes a 10% hit in the maximum brightness output.
| Display test | 50% brightness | 100% brightness | ||||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | |||
| 0.16 | 152 | 927 | 0.42 | 403 | 953 | |
| 0.17 | 162 | 953 | 0.492 | 467 | 953 | |
| 0.30 | 305 | 1001 | 0.52 | 536 | 1016 | |
| 0.08 | 54 | 720 | 0.50 | 390 | 780 | |
| - | - | - | 0.65 | 562 | 867 | |
| 0.00 | 117 | ∞ | 0 | 346.00 | ∞ | |
| 0.13 | 230 | 1742 | 0.24 | 432 | 1793 | |
| 0.08 | 121 | 1613 | 0.28 | 452 | 1609 | |
| 0.08 | 110 | 1392 | 0.63 | 527 | 839 | |
The sunlight legibility is just average. The screen glass is rather reflective and while you will be able to see what's happening on the screen under bright sunlight, you'll need the maximum brightness and all the colors will be washed out.
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