Xiaomi to unveil battery-centric smartphone on March 14; is it the Redmi 5?

The Redmi 5 was unveiled first in China last year, along with the Redmi 5 Plus, which has been renamed and launched in India as Redmi Note 5

Smartphone maker Xiaomi is a company in a hurry. Exactly a month after the Valentine's Day launch of the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, the company is gearing up to launch another smartphone in India on March 14. Though the Chinese manufacturer did not reveal any specifics of the upcoming device, its shared promo on social media platform hints that the smartphone could be the Redmi 5.

The Redmi 5 was unveiled first in China last year, along with the Redmi 5 Plus, which has been renamed and launched in India as the Redmi Note 5. The Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 are strikingly similar in appearance and it is the innards or technical specifications where the two differs with each other.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro review: Modern screen, dual camera at premium price

The Redmi 5 sports a 5.7-inch screen of (1440 x 720p) HD+ resolution stretched in 18:9 aspect ratio.

There is a fingerprint scanner on the back, along with a 12-megapixel camera primary camera. On the front, there is a 5 MP selfie camera but without a flashlight, which is there in Redmi Note 5. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 450 SoC, an octa-core processor build on 14nm FinFET technology.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: Modestly priced ultra-wide screen version of Note 4

The Redmi 5 sports a 3,300mAh battery, which the company claims offers 12 days of standby time. The phone might be available in two storage and RAM variants – 16GB/2GB and 32GB/3GB. As for the pricing, the Redmi 5 costs CNY 799 for the base variant in China, which translates to approximately Rs 7,500 in Indian currency.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Note 5 Pro sale begins today on Flipkart, Mi Store

At Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage varia, the Redmi Note 5 Pro seems a little overpriced. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 is priced competitively at Rs 9,999 for the base model

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi seems in no mood to slow down. Its latest phones, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro, seem similar on the first look but are very different devices. While the Note 5 adds ultra-wide screen along with enhanced camera on the back when compared with the Note 4, the Note 5 Pro is a new package with substantial upgrades.

The Note 5 and Note 5 Pro, launched on February 14, would go on sale today, exclusively on home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart and Xiaomi’s Mi Store. As for the price and variants, the Redmi Note 5 comes in two storage and RAM combinations – 32GB/3GB and 64GB/4GB – priced at Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999, respectively. The Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with 64GB internal storage but in two RAM variants – 4GB and 6GB – priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 16,999, respectively.

Here is a quick comparison review of Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro:

On the front, the Note 5 and the Pro look similar: Both feature 18:9 screens. On the back, the Note 5 looks similar to the Note 4, but better. The Pro, on the other hand, looks like an iPhone X clone, without the all-glass build. But the vertical dual-camera set-up is a dead ringer.

The phones feel heavy but their tall stance make them easy to hold; but because of the ultra-wide display, one-handed operation is difficult.

Both phones sport 5.99-inch fullHD+ screens with 18:9 aspect ratios, covered with reflective Gorilla Glass, which hampers sunlight visibility. The screen, though an IPS unit, lacks both the maximum brightness level and vividness. But, the rounded corners of the screen look better than pointed edges, and the curved sides of the glass are easy to operate. There is no shift in colours when looked from angles and the slim side bezels leave enough space to hold the device without accidentally touching the screen area – something common in next-generation bezel-less smartphones.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: A power performer let down by premium price tag

The Note 5 features a 12-megapixel (MP) primary camera and a 5MP selfie shooter; the Pro’s dual-camera set-up uses a 12MP sensor sourced from Sony in combination with a 5MP sensor sourced from Samsung.

The primary camera in the Note 5 is an improved unit over its predecessor. The 5MP front camera is on par with the predecessor in terms of performance.

But, the addition of LED flash on the front helps in low-light photography.

The dual cameras in the Pro take detailed shots. Unlike the Mi A1, another of Xiaomi’s budget dual-camera devices, the secondary camera in the Pro is not telephoto lens. Therefore, the 2x zooming capabilities are missing. On the positive side, the portrait mode is still there, powered by some sort of artificial intelligence.

The Note 5 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, similar to the predecessor, while the Pro features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. Both devices run Xiaomi’s Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 operating system, which offers a lot of scope for customisation.

The phones perform consistently with no signs of lag or stutter anywhere. The UI looks neat and the phones handle power-intensive apps without breaking sweat. They also keep the thermals in control while using power-intensive tasks for extended hours. Multitasking is enabled by default in MIUI 9 and it works well on the 5.99-inch screen. Call quality is satisfactory and network reception top-notch.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 review: 18:9 screen, better camera than Redmi Note 4

Both phones sport 4,000 mAh batteries, which last almost a day on full charge but streaming apps could drain batteries faster.

At Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, the Redmi Note 5 Pro seems a little overpriced. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 is priced competitively at Rs 9,999 for the base model. Yet, the latter misses out on features that competitors are offering in this price segment.

The Redmi Note 5 Pro would have made more sense if it had been launched as the only successor to the Redmi Note 4 at the price of the Redmi Note 5. But, for Xiaomi enthusiasts, the phones have no downside and they are performers that tick almost all the right boxes.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Mi Smart TV 4 launched: Details here

The Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro are the first budget offerings from the stable of China-based smartphone maker to sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro smartphones, along with Mi Smart TV 4 in India. The price of Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro starts at Rs 9,999 and Rs 13,999, respectively, while the 55-inch smart LED television is priced at Rs 39,999.

The Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro are the first budget offerings from the stable of China-based smartphone maker to sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 - going by its specifications and features - looks like a renamed version of the Redmi 5 Plus, which was launched in China last year.

However, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is more of an upgrade over the Redmi Note 5. It sports a dual-camera set-up on the rear and uses a faster processor inside -- Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. Most of the other specifications of the Redmi Note 5 Pro remains the same as that of the Redmi Note 5.

In terms of specifications, the Redmi Note 5 sports a 6-inch fullHD+ screen in 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, coupled with Adreno 506 graphic processing unit (GPU). Imaging is taken care of by a 12-megapixel primary camera on the back and a 5 MP selfie camera. There is a LED flash on the back as well as on front for low-light photography. The dual-sim smartphone boots Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 operating system. Powering the device is a 4,000 mAh battery.

The phone would be available in four colour variants – Black, Gold, Rose Gold and Blue – and two storage and RAM variants – 32GB/3GB and 64GB/4GB. The base model with 32GB storage and 3GB RAM is priced at Rs 9,999 and the premium variant with 64GB internal storage and 4GB RAM is priced at Rs 11,999.

The Redmi Note 5 Pro, on the other hand, has the same screen size and almost similar design. It is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 636 processor, coupled with Adreno 506 graphic processing unit (GPU). Imaging is taken care of by a 12 MP + 5 MP dual camera sensors on the back and a 20 MP selfie camera, both assisted with LED flash for low-light photography. It boots Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 operating system and is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery. The phone would be available in two storage and RAM variants – 64GB/4GB and 6GB/64GB. The base model with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM is priced at Rs 13,999 and the premium variant with 64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM is priced at Rs 16,999.

As for the Mi Smart LED TV, the major attraction is its ultra slim build combined with almost bezel-less front. The Mi TV 4 sports 55-inch ultra-high-definition (UHD) screen panel sourced from Samsung, which support HDR10 format. Xiaomi has partnered with digital content creators in India such as Sony, Voot, Hotstar etc. to power content library on the tv. Interestingly, the TV supports digital set-top box as well as a content source and show it along with online content for ease of use. The Mi LED smart LED TV is priced at Rs 39,999 in India.