Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 first impressions: Exceptional performance at only Rs 9,999 & Rs 11,999

Xiaomi has finally introduced the Redmi Note 3 in India at an event held in New Delhi. The device is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 16GB variant and Rs 11,999 for 32GB variant. It is said to be the first ever Redmi smartphone to come with fingerprint sensor. It will be available in silver, gold and dark grey color variants. We got the chance to spend very limited time with the device and here’s what we think about it.

Design and build

A glance at the Redmi Note 3 appeared strikingly similar to the most recent Meizu devices. At 165 grams, it was lightweight for a phablet that size and easy to hold and use with one hand. The Redmi Note 3 also brings a few firsts for the company. For instance, it comes equipped with a fingerprint scanner that is slowly  yet steadily becoming a standard among smartphones and a unibody alloy chassis.

We saw a silver, white and what looked like a rose gold model. The curvy edges and glossy colour options coupled with light weight and slim body give it a stylish look. It felt sturdy in hands, but we would like to hold that opinion till we  get to spend some quality time with the device. All in all, its a blend of good looks with some great colour options.

Display

It gets a 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution, that takes the pixel density all the way up to 403 ppi. The viewing angles indoors with ample ambient light looked decent. The colour reproduction looked pretty decent too. We cannot comment on its viewability outdoors in bright sunlight.

Storage

We got our hands on the 16GB (with 2GB RAM) model, out of which 9.43GB is available for the user. It is also available with 32GB (gets 3GB RAM) onboard storage. So, you get two options to choose from.

Software

The Redmi Note 3 runs the latest MIUI 7.0. Swipe downwards from top of the screen and you will find the notifications. The notifications page can be hidden as well. The UI is very colourful and comes with some bloatware too. You have a few themes to choose from. MIUI also brings battery improvements, promising faster response time and minimising battery life. We also noticed the Child mode to make ensure unauthorised or accidental access by your child, Showtime to put  your best face forward and also lets you choose the size of your text.

It is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8956 Snapdragon 650 chipset coupled with 2GB or 3GB RAM, depending upon the storage space. Switching between apps was smooth and the navigation across the device was hiccup-free. We didn’t play any games or stream any music or video, so a thorough test once we get the device in our labs will give a clearer idea about its performance. Setting up the fingerprint scanner was quick and took less than a minute, we must add.

Camera

It gets a 16MP rear snapper with PDAF Autofocus and a 5MP front-facing camera. The rear camera took some decent pictures as you see below. The camera app is neat and simple. Once you take a picture, you will see options to share it, show on a map, add to an album or to a contact photo.

Battery

The phablet packs in a whopping 4050mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0. However, we will be able to confirm this only once we’ve taken it for a spin in our labs.

Bottom line

In our very limited time that we spent with the Redmi Note 3, we think it is a worthy upgrade over its predecessor. It has got some nifty improvements and quite capable of taking the lineage forward. The price of Rs 9999, positions the device very well, making the sub-Rs 10,000 Indian smartphone market fiercer. Some of its closest competitors are Coolpad Note 3, LeEco Le 1s, among others.