The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is the bigger, refined, and more fine-tuned unit of the Redmi Note 5-Redmi Note 5 Pro duo that was announced in February. The pair serves as the upgrades to previous year’s Redmi Note 4 and Redmi Note 4 Pro. With these devices, Xiaomi, I guess, is trying to rebrand the way we picture mid-range smartphones by bringing a touch of class to them. While the Redmi Note 5 swings toward the mid-range side of the pendulum, the Xiaomi Redmi note 5 Pro is more of a high-end device as it sports the industry’s top-of-the-line features.
Presently, the Redmi Note 5 is available on pre-order but the Mi Note 5 Pro is expected to go on sale before the end of the month March 2018.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Specifications
- Dimension: 158.6 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm
- Weight: 181 grams (with battery)
- Display: 5.99 inches 1080 x 2160 IPS LCD touchscreen
- Processor: 2.0GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
- GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 509
- Operating System: Android Nougat v7.1.2
- RAM: 4GB or 6GB
- Internal memory (ROM): 32GB or 64GB, expandable to 128GB
- Rear camera: Dual 12-megapixels + 12-megapixels with dual LED flash
- Front camera: 20-megapixels with single LED flash
- Battery: Non-removable 4,000mAh
- Sensors: Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Hall sensor, Compass, Gyroscope
- Colours: Gray, Black, Lake Blue, Rose Gold, Champagne Gold
- Price: –
In terms of aesthetics and build, not much was modified. In fact, if you picked the Mi Note 5 and Mi Note 5 Pro and you look at both devices from the front, you most definitely would find it hard differentiating the duo. However, turning the device to the rear reveals the major design and appearance difference – the number of cameras, likewise and their placement. Both devices have the same dimensions, display size and Corning Gorilla Glass protection and 18:9 aspect ratio design.
I guess Xiaomi needed a way to make the Mi Note 5 Pro stand out, hence the inclusion of an additional lens on the rea, and arranging them the ‘iPhone X” way. An ancillary 12-megapixels sensor has been embedded in a vertical to the primary 12-megapixels sensor for better photography experience. Up front, the selfie has been beefed up to a stunning 20-megapixels and a LED flash has been added for better selfie capture under conditions of low-light.
Under the smoothly polished metal body of the Xiaomi Remi Note 5 Pro lies a Snapdragon 636 SoC with 8 cores running at 1.8GHz. This chip is more performance driven and together with the 6GB of RAM of the device, the Redmi Note 5 will handle any kind of app or game you throw at it – heavy or not. There is also a smaller 4GB RAM variant of this device and both come with 64GB onboard.
Disappointedly, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with the micro USB port but I do not see that as enough reason not to by the device considering the specs set. Power buttons and volume adjusters sit firmly on the right-hand side while the 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone, speaker grill and micro USB port are at the bottom. Like the Xiaomi Mi A1, the Redmi Note 5 Pro features an IR blaster located at the top of the device which allows the device be used as a remote control to electronic appliances.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has a 4,000mAh battery and comes with a quick charging adapter out of the box plus Quick Charge 2.0. The second dislike I have about the Redmi Note 5 is the Android Nougat v7.1.2 OS it ships with (the first being the micro-USB port – what happened to USB-C?).
Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is a good mid-range smartphone to buy if you aren’t looking to shell out exorbitant amounts on the high-end flagships. Also, this device is more of an upgrade to the Redmi Note 4 Pro than the Redmi Note 5 is to the Redmi Note 4 and when the device finally goes on sale, or pre-order, I’m positive the price would be reasonable. Though you may dislike the micro USB port and interface of the device, that isn’t enough reasons not to enjoy other specs of the device like the awesome dual rear camera set-up, fast processor, IR blaster, 20MP selfie cam and good battery backup.
The device isn't available for sale or pre-order yet, but the Redmi Note 5 is.
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