Xiaomi doesn't sell in western markets. Although you can generally get their phones from Chinese export companies' online stores at prices similar to the above.
This is no longer true: they sell in Spain and Greece, and one journo said the Note 5 Pro will be availablke in France too. Granted, that's not *all* the West, but it's a bit closer than China especially for us Europeans.
I thought the Redmi 5 Plus was supposed to be the new Note? And the Note 5 was relegated to a 720p cheapie? Xiaomi has crazy model naming schemes nowadays.
The RN5 is just the RN4 with a 18:9 display. Seems Xiaomi has deliberately maintained it so that the RN5 Pro is preferred by consumers which is priced Rs. 1000 ($16) more than what RN4 was originally for the same RAM and storage. These are highly price sensitive markets !
So the 636 really has 4xA73 cores in there? 8x A53 clusters have really been long in the tooth. If true, then cheap phones are finally getting proper amounts of power.
I'd say 2x A73 is good enough, like 2x A72 on the Redmi Note 3 and Mi Max. Those high performance cores eat a lot of power so they're meant for bursty short tasks like loading apps and rendering web pages. The Snapdragon 650/652 packed a surprising amount of performance in a cheap and efficient package. The 636 should be even better as it's on a smaller 14nm process.
I mean any addition of A7X procs is good, especially on low end phones. The Snapdragon 65X was good but barely any OEMs (almost no US based companies) used it since they're pretty much equal to Snapdragon 8XX phones in use, and would have ended up cannibalizing sales.
That's exactly what happened, OEMs either didn't use the 650 or put it in almost-flagship devices like Samsung. Guess I'm lucky I got the 650 in cheap devices like a Redmi Note 3 and a Mi Max. Battery life is outstanding with 10+ hours screen on time for both phones even though the chip is on an ancient 28nm process. A 660 or 670 at 14nm or 10nm could be even more efficient.
I have a Redmi Note 3 SE with Snapdragon 650 and it's pretty good but I am looking for an upgrade so this might be the ticket. My headphone jack stopped working a while ago and the device is slowing down a wee bit now. Also didn't get an upgrade to Android 7
Slap a custom ROM on it, you can do this even without unlocking the bootloader. Oreo ROMs are already available on the RN3 Pro. I've got a Mi Max with the same chip and it flies on Nougat and Oreo.
Is it just me or does anyone else HATE all these 18:9 phones.. coming from a Nexus 6 and a Mate 9 with default settings i find myself having to hold my pixel 2xl almost inches from my face to be able to read the screen.. that or holding it at a normal distance and having to squint to focus. It's something about the skinnier screen, it makes my eyes feel as if I'm going cross eyed to focus into the center of the screen.. The ironic thing is, i can pick up any phone noticabley smaller like a G5+ 5.2in or moto g2 force 5.5in that isn't 18:9 and it feels good even though it's a half inch or more smaller..
Same thing happens with the s8+ and the note 8.. can't focus right.. i swear it's making my vision worse than it was when i got this 2XL.
I hate it but from different perspective. They cost more (as are bigger & with more pixels), they consume more energy (from both the display & GPU) and their aren't really more useful for any purpose. I see them as the big fashionable downgrade.
I actually prefer them because the total screen size is larger for the same chassis size, or you can use a smaller chassis for the same size screen. Those onscreen button can be disabled to get full display coverage like when watching movies or reading stuff.
The problem is when you expect a wider screen but you're actually getting a longer but skinny one. A 5.5" 16:9 screen is wider than a 5.5" 18:9 - conversely, the 6" 18:9 Note 5 screen has the same width as its predecessor's screen.
I wish reviewers would also quite screen width. I spend more time reading and writing on a phone so I'd prefer something closer to 4:3 or 16:10.
Compared to the same diagonal 16:9 display the experience is worse. You actually get a bunch of dead space or used for on display buttons. The main reason is advertised screen to body ratio but it's actually a step in the wrong direction. Writing this on large 6.44" conservative 16:9 display smartphone.
That's why you can't compare an 18:9 display with a 16:9 display of the same diagonal size, the former will always be narrower in width. Just by looking at numbers, an iPhone X might seem like it has a larger display than an iPhone 8 Plus, but the actual width is narrower. That means physical text size for the same font size is also smaller.
If you're using something huge like a Mi Max, the overall chassis size could be reduced if a *larger* 18:9 screen was used, but keeping the same width. Software buttons take up less space than hardware buttons.
Additional display size with 18:9 also eats much more power than hardware buttons. Wide is useful side of the display size & it can only go to the what you can fit in your hand. I am comfortable with up to 6" 16:9, 6.44" is bit to much. Will always choose 16:9 over 18:9 for sole difference in smaller power consumption of 20~25%.
Well, as a fellow Mi Max user, I would prefer an 18:9 screen with the same width as a 6.44" 16:9 unit. That would mean a smaller chassis overall with smaller top and bottom bezels. I guess I'm looking for a cheap Mi Mix...
It looks good on the homescreen. But as soon as you start a video, you get eye cancer.
Its also quite useless practically, because almost all phones remove hardware buttons to get that ratio, but then they have to add software buttons on the screen, which again wastes a lot of the newly gained space. Its just stupid. Not to mention that you have to hold your phone even more carefully, to not touch the screen on accident. Which in turn makes it much more likely that you might drop it.
The only plus with these 2:1 screens is that they work much better with VR.
Android allows you to set immersive mode with hidden navigation buttons per app. I usually do this on video player, e-book reader and PDF viewer apps to get the most screen space. The other upside of having virtual buttons is smaller bezels, you don't need to reserve bottom space for hardware buttons.
Yet there is still enough space for hardware buttons.
And I dont know what youre trying to say about "immersive mode". The problem persists. Immersive mode only works on very few apps (usability-wise). I want to have my status bar and I want my buttons to always work. The only situation where they should be gone is when I watch a video or play a game, and that has always worked without "immersive mode".
This could be a nice phone. Just wish I didn't have to choose between the 2nd Nano-SIM and the MicroSD.. I'd like to have them both. Or give me an option for 128GB internal storage...
You can add an external SIM extender cable to use both SIM slots and MicroSD. On my phone, I tape the extender to the phone body and it's protected by a case. It's not the most elegant solution but I've had no issues with it for the past few years.
These protruding cameras are a new cancer on smartphones. I will never buy one which has something like that. Even a tiny bit is already too much. Why not simply make the whole phone thicker if you need more space? That way you can also have bigger batteries. Do they really think that people wont like it if its a bit thicker? Instead they add these 10 times more ugly camera-pimples?
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psychobriggsy - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
A 20MP selfie camera?! Why...The 4GB and 6GB Pro do look like good deals to me, if they maintain that pricing in western markets.
Flunk - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
Xiaomi doesn't sell in western markets. Although you can generally get their phones from Chinese export companies' online stores at prices similar to the above.StormyParis - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
This is no longer true: they sell in Spain and Greece, and one journo said the Note 5 Pro will be availablke in France too. Granted, that's not *all* the West, but it's a bit closer than China especially for us Europeans.max - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
Not true. Xiaomi is well known and widely available in Poland.serendip - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
I thought the Redmi 5 Plus was supposed to be the new Note? And the Note 5 was relegated to a 720p cheapie? Xiaomi has crazy model naming schemes nowadays.serendip - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
It looks like Xiaomi has different naming schemes for their home market vs. export markets like India and East Asia.Redmi Note 5 = export Redmi 5 Plus
Specs, design and software loadout are all the same with the addition of Google Play. The Note 5 Pro is a new model though.
saayeee - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
The RN5 is just the RN4 with a 18:9 display. Seems Xiaomi has deliberately maintained it so that the RN5 Pro is preferred by consumers which is priced Rs. 1000 ($16) more than what RN4 was originally for the same RAM and storage. These are highly price sensitive markets !Not having USB type C in 2018 makes no sense.
Awful - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
If google's HDR+ mode/camera can be got working on the pro it makes a pretty compelling phone for the price.bubblyboo - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
So the 636 really has 4xA73 cores in there? 8x A53 clusters have really been long in the tooth. If true, then cheap phones are finally getting proper amounts of power.serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
I'd say 2x A73 is good enough, like 2x A72 on the Redmi Note 3 and Mi Max. Those high performance cores eat a lot of power so they're meant for bursty short tasks like loading apps and rendering web pages. The Snapdragon 650/652 packed a surprising amount of performance in a cheap and efficient package. The 636 should be even better as it's on a smaller 14nm process.bubblyboo - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
I mean any addition of A7X procs is good, especially on low end phones. The Snapdragon 65X was good but barely any OEMs (almost no US based companies) used it since they're pretty much equal to Snapdragon 8XX phones in use, and would have ended up cannibalizing sales.serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
That's exactly what happened, OEMs either didn't use the 650 or put it in almost-flagship devices like Samsung. Guess I'm lucky I got the 650 in cheap devices like a Redmi Note 3 and a Mi Max. Battery life is outstanding with 10+ hours screen on time for both phones even though the chip is on an ancient 28nm process. A 660 or 670 at 14nm or 10nm could be even more efficient.amelech - Monday, February 19, 2018 - link
I have a Redmi Note 3 SE with Snapdragon 650 and it's pretty good but I am looking for an upgrade so this might be the ticket. My headphone jack stopped working a while ago and the device is slowing down a wee bit now. Also didn't get an upgrade to Android 7serendip - Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - link
Slap a custom ROM on it, you can do this even without unlocking the bootloader. Oreo ROMs are already available on the RN3 Pro. I've got a Mi Max with the same chip and it flies on Nougat and Oreo.AnandTech2 - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
Is it just me or does anyone else HATE all these 18:9 phones.. coming from a Nexus 6 and a Mate 9 with default settings i find myself having to hold my pixel 2xl almost inches from my face to be able to read the screen.. that or holding it at a normal distance and having to squint to focus. It's something about the skinnier screen, it makes my eyes feel as if I'm going cross eyed to focus into the center of the screen.. The ironic thing is, i can pick up any phone noticabley smaller like a G5+ 5.2in or moto g2 force 5.5in that isn't 18:9 and it feels good even though it's a half inch or more smaller..Same thing happens with the s8+ and the note 8.. can't focus right.. i swear it's making my vision worse than it was when i got this 2XL.
ZolaIII - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
I hate it but from different perspective. They cost more (as are bigger & with more pixels), they consume more energy (from both the display & GPU) and their aren't really more useful for any purpose. I see them as the big fashionable downgrade.serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
I actually prefer them because the total screen size is larger for the same chassis size, or you can use a smaller chassis for the same size screen. Those onscreen button can be disabled to get full display coverage like when watching movies or reading stuff.serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
The problem is when you expect a wider screen but you're actually getting a longer but skinny one. A 5.5" 16:9 screen is wider than a 5.5" 18:9 - conversely, the 6" 18:9 Note 5 screen has the same width as its predecessor's screen.I wish reviewers would also quite screen width. I spend more time reading and writing on a phone so I'd prefer something closer to 4:3 or 16:10.
ZolaIII - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
Compared to the same diagonal 16:9 display the experience is worse. You actually get a bunch of dead space or used for on display buttons. The main reason is advertised screen to body ratio but it's actually a step in the wrong direction.Writing this on large 6.44" conservative 16:9 display smartphone.
serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
That's why you can't compare an 18:9 display with a 16:9 display of the same diagonal size, the former will always be narrower in width. Just by looking at numbers, an iPhone X might seem like it has a larger display than an iPhone 8 Plus, but the actual width is narrower. That means physical text size for the same font size is also smaller.If you're using something huge like a Mi Max, the overall chassis size could be reduced if a *larger* 18:9 screen was used, but keeping the same width. Software buttons take up less space than hardware buttons.
ZolaIII - Saturday, February 17, 2018 - link
Additional display size with 18:9 also eats much more power than hardware buttons. Wide is useful side of the display size & it can only go to the what you can fit in your hand. I am comfortable with up to 6" 16:9, 6.44" is bit to much. Will always choose 16:9 over 18:9 for sole difference in smaller power consumption of 20~25%.serendip - Saturday, February 17, 2018 - link
Well, as a fellow Mi Max user, I would prefer an 18:9 screen with the same width as a 6.44" 16:9 unit. That would mean a smaller chassis overall with smaller top and bottom bezels. I guess I'm looking for a cheap Mi Mix...priyu323 - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
SAR value is 1.19 ??? This is lil high...so again heating issues ??? :(Beaver M. - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
It looks good on the homescreen. But as soon as you start a video, you get eye cancer.Its also quite useless practically, because almost all phones remove hardware buttons to get that ratio, but then they have to add software buttons on the screen, which again wastes a lot of the newly gained space. Its just stupid.
Not to mention that you have to hold your phone even more carefully, to not touch the screen on accident. Which in turn makes it much more likely that you might drop it.
The only plus with these 2:1 screens is that they work much better with VR.
serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
Android allows you to set immersive mode with hidden navigation buttons per app. I usually do this on video player, e-book reader and PDF viewer apps to get the most screen space. The other upside of having virtual buttons is smaller bezels, you don't need to reserve bottom space for hardware buttons.Beaver M. - Saturday, February 17, 2018 - link
Yet there is still enough space for hardware buttons.And I dont know what youre trying to say about "immersive mode". The problem persists. Immersive mode only works on very few apps (usability-wise). I want to have my status bar and I want my buttons to always work. The only situation where they should be gone is when I watch a video or play a game, and that has always worked without "immersive mode".
HardwareDufus - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
This could be a nice phone. Just wish I didn't have to choose between the 2nd Nano-SIM and the MicroSD.. I'd like to have them both. Or give me an option for 128GB internal storage...serendip - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
You can add an external SIM extender cable to use both SIM slots and MicroSD. On my phone, I tape the extender to the phone body and it's protected by a case. It's not the most elegant solution but I've had no issues with it for the past few years.Harshya10 - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
To know more click www.technobull10.blogspot.commayankleoboy1 - Thursday, February 15, 2018 - link
Well worth nothing that RN5Pro does NOT support QuickCharge, even though SD636 supports QC4.0Also, Android 7 in 2018??!!
ItsMyLife - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
Both Smartphones are coming with QC 2.0(Although QC adapter is not included with Box).Beaver M. - Friday, February 16, 2018 - link
These protruding cameras are a new cancer on smartphones. I will never buy one which has something like that. Even a tiny bit is already too much.Why not simply make the whole phone thicker if you need more space? That way you can also have bigger batteries. Do they really think that people wont like it if its a bit thicker? Instead they add these 10 times more ugly camera-pimples?
hijibiji - Monday, March 26, 2018 - link
If you want to install global beta android 8.1 MiUI for Redmi Note 5 Prohijibiji - Monday, March 26, 2018 - link
If you want to install global beta android 8.1 MiUI for Redmi Note 5 Pro click here: <a href="https://www.gizrom.com/android-8-1-global-beta-miu...hijibiji - Monday, March 26, 2018 - link
If you want to install global beta android 8.1 MiUI for Redmi Note 5 Pro click here: https://www.gizrom.com/android-8-1-global-beta-miu...priyanshu - Saturday, June 29, 2019 - link
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priyanshu - Saturday, June 29, 2019 - link
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