Xiaomi recently introduced its next-generation of Redmi smartphone, which is also the company’s first to feature a 48-megapixel rear sensor. Yes, we are talking about the new Redmi Note 7 Pro.
The smartphone is priced at Rs 13,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB of internal storage. The phone is loaded with a refreshed design language and is loaded with top-of-the-line specifications in its price segment. So, does the new smartphone from Xiaomi have enough arsenal to take on the likes of Samsung, Realme, Oppo and more? Let’s find out.
What we like about Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro!
The first thing you will notice about this device is the new refreshed design language. Gone are those days when Xiaomi applied same design language across its Redmi series. The company has introduced a refreshed design, which is now aligned with the competition. The company has finally opted for a glossy finish at the rear panel, while the front comes with a notch design, which the brand calls ‘Dot Notch’. We got the Space Black for the review but is also available in Nebula Red and Neptune Blue colour options.
There is a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection both at the front and rear panels, while there is a plastic rim that runs around the edges. The company has claimed that it has used water-tight seals and rubber insulation for the SIM tray, volume and power buttons, to protect against liquid damage to a certain extent. It has also added P2i hydrophobic non-coating, which guard against accidental liquid spills. However, it is important to note that it does not come with an IP rating, so it advisable not to submerge the phone underwater. That said, Redmi Note 7 Pro is seriously one of the most beautifully designed smartphones we have seen from Xiaomi.
Another major highlight of the smartphone is the cameras. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is a first from the company to feature a 48-megapixel rear camera along with a 5-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, there is a 13-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. The camera takes 12-megapixel photos by default and the company is using pixel binning technology to enhance the details of the images. However, you can still take 48-megapixel shots by enabling it in the Settings.
Starting with the difference between a 48MP and a 12MP shot, you will not be able to tell the exact difference with naked eyes. However, when you zoom in, you will notice that the photos taken with 48MP mode deliver better detailing as compared to a standard 12MP shot. Furthermore, we felt that the 48MP shots were a slight dull as compared to the default mode, while it manages to take more light.
Coming to the camera performance, the Redmi Note 7 Pro does an excellent job when it comes to delivering some crisp and well-detailed photos. The rear camera does a capable job in broad daylight, and it was quite fast to focus on the macro subject without any trouble. Further, the shots in macro came out to be well-detailed, and the colour reproduction was on point.
The phone delivers high dynamic range and colours came out to be punchy. In low light conditions, the camera does a decent job as well. The photos came out to be detailed and the noises were less as compared to the competition. The Night mode does a good job here, though it sometimes it hinders the colour accuracy and there was some grainy texture. Moving onthe other aspects, the phone took good photos in Portrait mode as the blurring looked natural and the EDGE detection was up to the mark.
The selfie camera does a decent job as well when it comes to delivering some good photos in broad daylight. The images taken in low light came out to be above average. That said, the company has done a commendable job in improving the camera performance of the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
Coming to the sheer performance of this device, the Redmi Note 7 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 Processor along with Adreno 612 GPU. The phone is available in two memory options: 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. The memory can be further expanded up to 256GB via microSD card slot. The performance is good in our opinion as it was able to handle almost all the tasks we throw at it. Whether be it daily usage or multitasking, it worked flawlessly in our testing. The phone was able to handle most of the casual games like Candy Crush, Temple Run 2 like a piece of cake, while the graphic-intense games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legend also ran smoothly.
The display present on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is in line with the rest of the competition. The phone is equipped with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ LTPS In-Cell display with a screen resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The display offers good viewing angles and colour reproduction is closer to the original colours, thanks to high pixel density. The screen is bright with 450 nits and it comes with Widevine L1 certification, meaning that you can stream HD content on Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos.
The user interface on this smartphone is more refined with MIUI 10. The transition feels smoother and the design looks minimalistic as compared to its previous versions. You can choose between different transition effects, wallpaper and widgets by long-pressing on the home screen. The Second Space is particularly useful to segregate personal and professional profiles on the same application. The company has also given an option to hide the notch if it bothers you.
The battery performance of the Redmi Note 7 Pro was good in our testing. The phone runs on 4,000mAh battery and it comes loaded with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 Fast charging solution. The phone lasted one full day under mixed usage that includes replying to emails, playing some games, streaming some videos and music and using the web to some surfing. Under intense power task, the phone comfortable lasted more than half a day. Apart from this, the fingerprint sensor works fine and so does the face unlock feature. The call connectivity is good and the speaker output is decent with the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
What we didn’t like about Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro!
On the downside, we noticed the phone is quite prone to smudges and it is quite visible with the Black colour variant. The camera bump is more prominent as compared to other smartphones and we noticed that the dust particles accumulated around the camera module. So, it is highly advisable to use a protective case with this one.
Although the performance of the device is smooth, we found out that it does face overheating issues. We played PUBG Mobile for one hour and found out that the phone heats up quite fast. The phone got too hot, and we had to place it idle state so that it can get to its normal temperature.
We also felt that the display was quite reflective in nature. This spoils the whole experience of using the smartphone in outdoor conditions. Most of the times you have to keep the brightness at maximum level to view the content on the screen.
The major problem with the MIUI 10 is the tonne of bloatware applications present on it. There some company’s own apps like Mi Browser, Mi Community, Mi Pay, Mi Store among others. Then there are some third-party apps like Opera News, Daily Hunt, Facebook, Amazon, Share Shat and more. Although, you can delete most of the third-party apps it is not possible to delete company-owned apps. You can only disable it.
Another downside of the MIUI 10 is the ads. Users can see advertisements are present almost everywhere. You see ads when the App needs permission or you install an app from other sources. You see the ads in practically all Mi applications like Mi Browser, Cleaner, Mi Music, Mi Video, MIUI Security and even there is a folder by the name More apps that flashed promoted applications. The presence of so many as not only spoils the whole user experience, but it also spams the users with loads of advertisements.
Sadly, the company is only providing a 10W charger with this phone, meaning that you need to purchase the fast charger separately from its official store. The charging speed is particularly slow with the bundled charger. The phone charges up to 50 per cent in one hour, and it takes more than two hours to get charged fully.