The update
to Xiaomi’s top-selling Redmi Note 5 is
finally out, and on paper there doesn’t seem to be a lot of
difference from the previous model. But with so many new phones coming out from
the competition, is it enough of an upgrade to warrant your hard-earned cash?
So once again let’s see if I made the right decision in getting this phone.
The Good
-
Price
-
Snappy
user interface
-
Expandable
Storage
-
Screen
Quality
-
Camera
performance
-
Battery
life
The Bad
-
Micro
USB Charging
-
Same
processor and RAM as the previous model
-
Still
on MIUI 9
-
Notch
display hides some notification icons
Specs:
- 6.26” notch, FHD+, 19:9
- Qualcomm SD636, 14nm Octa-core
- 3/32 and 4/64 GB RAM/STORAGE
- Nano SIM slot + Nano SIM/MicroSD
slot (Hybrid)
- Global SKU: LTE
B1/3/4/5/7/8/20/38/40 WCDMA B1/B2/B4/B5/B8 GSM B2/B3/B5/B8
- Rear camera: 12MP (1.4μm 2PD)
+5MP; Front camera: 20+2MP, selfie flash LED
- Micro-USB USB2.0
- Fingerprint (rear-mounted)
- Battery Capacity: 4000mAh
- Price Php 12,990 (4GB/64GB)
Verdict:
When I
reviewed the Redmi Note 5 a few months ago, I was so happy with its performance that I decided to ditch my
Samsung S8 and use it as my main phone. So much so that I convinced my wife who
has been a longtime iPhone user, to try switching to Android. Since her iPhone 6 was starting to show its age and
the outrageously high prices of the new iPhone XS, I asked her to give the
Redmi Note 6 Pro a try instead. At first,
I thought of getting the new Honor 8X but since MIUI has so many similarities with IOS, I thought that the
transition would be better on a Xiaomi device. Of
course, part of my motivation was also so that I’d be able to review a
new gadget.
Comparing it
to the Note 5, there doesn’t seem to be much of an upgrade apart from the
taller notch display and upgraded selfie cameras. The device has a slightly slimmer screen so it provides a better one-handed operation (but just slightly). While
almost all phone manufacturers now use a
notched display, I prefer having more space for
notification. For example, you can’t see the battery percentage on the
notification screen on this device.
 |
| The Notch! No battery percentage! |
On the camera, you now get AI scene recognition, and I
noticed the slightly better camera
quality particularly in low light. Also, there are more manual camera control options
than on the Note 5.
 |
| Redmi Note 5 portrait mode |
 |
| Redmi Note 6 Pro portrait mode |
 |
| Redmi Note 6 Pro |
 |
| Redmi Note 5 |
 |
| Redmi Note 5 |
 |
| Redmi Note 6 Pro |
Almost
everything else works similar to the Note
5. You still get the same snappy performance,
same outstanding battery life, but for some reason, it still comes with MIUI 9
while my Note 5 is already on version 10. Hopefully, Xiaomi will push an update soon. I wish Xiaomi
put a Snapdragon 660 processor and USB C charging as that would have made it a no-brainer
bang-for-your-buck device. Thankfully, the battery lasts the whole day, so you
really just need to deal with micro USB at night.
Should you
upgrade to the Redmi Note 6? If you’re
coming from the Note 5, then the answer is No. But if you’re coming
from another device or an older Xiaomi
phone, then yes, you should. There is still
enough of an update that the Redmi Note 6 can still be considered one of the
best in this price range.
