The Xiaomi Mi 5 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year 2016, but the virality of the Redmi Note 3 does not get lower against its brother. With the recent launch in China market that replace the previous Redmi Note 2, this smartphone has recently passed SIRIM test which is now available in Malaysia through unofficial local distributor – Satu Gadget. Before we went into in depth review of this smartphone, let’s unbox the Redmi Note 3 from Xiaomi!
Redmi Note 3 Specifications:-
- MIUI 7
- 5.5 inches 1080P Full HD display
- Helio X10 octa-core processor
- 2GB RAM / 3GB RAM
- 16GB ROM / 32GB ROM
- 13MP rear camera with PDAF auto focus technology
- 5MP front camera
- Fingerprint unlock
- Full metallic unibody design
- Dual SIM standby with 4G
- 4000mAh battery
- 162g
- 8.65mm thickness
RRP: RM699 (Standard); RM899 (Enhanced)
Unboxing
Instead of the conventional brown box that used to contain the Redmi Note 2, the Redmi Note 3 is packaged into a plain white box along with the design and the model name embedded on the front of the lid. This also makes the box appears cleaner and simplistic.
The hardware specifications of the Redmi Note 3 is imprinted conventionally on the rear of the smartphone box. Our review model is the 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM Redmi Note 3 powered by MediaTek MTK Helio X10 processor.
Of course, the charging adapter and data cable is the most essential accessories that comes along with this smartphone.
Design
The Redmi Note 3 boasts a thickness at 8.65mm with its weight at 164g. This weight is slightly higher compared to the previous generation due to its metallic body. Nevertheless, the Redmi Note 3 comes with a 5.5 inches Full HD IPS display that support various display mode in environment with different luminescence.
The menu, home and back capacitive touch button is now displayed in a dark manner. Suprisingly it no longer follows the red logo button as found on the other Redmi Note smartphone.
A 3.5mm audio jack, microphone and IR blaster is located on the top.
MicroUSB port and another microphone is located on the bottom.
The Redmi Note 3 supports 4G LTE / WCDMA / TD-SCDMA + GSM dual SIM standby functionality but does not support insertion of microSD card for storage expansion.
Volume rocker and power button are located on the right coated in reflective metallic paint.
The Redmi Note 3 comes in gold, silver and grey colours with the rear body polished with silica like matte texture. This paint job provides a unique texture and sensation when gripping right on top of the palm while fingerprint no longer sticks on top of it. It also comes with a large 4000mAh non-removable battery.
The Redmi Note 3 comes with a 13MP rear camera with a large f/2.2 aperture and PDAF auto-focus technology that provides instant focus in 0.1 seconds. This wide angle camera also supports Full HD and 120fps slow motion video capture. Besides, it also comes with a dual tone LED flash and a fingerprint sensor right below the camera module.
Mi Logo and mono speaker grill are located on the bottom.
One thing to note is that the only the middle part of the Redmi Note 3 comes with metallic finishes while the top and the bottom comes with polycarbonate finish.
Our thoughts…
One of the best thing that Redmi Note 3 has to offer is the rounded grip edge that provides a fantastic gripping experience. The matte texture finish future enhances the sensation and the gripping experience of the user.
The fingerprint recognition module has a blazingly fast recognition and unlock speed. Xiaomi stated that the Redmi Note 3 fingerprint recognition module is able to recognize and unlock the smartphone in just less than 0.3 seconds.
Conclusion
With this relatively short introduction on the Redmi Note 3, we believe that our readers have a basic idea on the design and build of the Redmi Note 3. If you seek for a decent smartphone that provides a great handling experience while priced at affordable level, Redmi Note 3 could be the mid-range smartphone that you are looking for.
In-depth review coming soon. Stay tuned!
Special thanks to Satu Gadget for this review unit.
