Redmi Note 5 Pro — World's first Snapdragon 636 smartphone. — AFP Relaxnews
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, launched by the brand on Feb 14, could be the mid-range phones to beat this year, with prices starting from around US$200 (RM785).
Founded in 2010, Xiaomi may be one of the younger players in the smartphone industry but this Chinese manufacturer is a force to be reckoned with as they provide competitive specs at a lower cost. Prices start as low as 13,999 Indian Rupee (RM856) for their newest device, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro.
The firm's latest flagship phones were launched Feb 14 in India, a revealing location. Xiaomi and Samsung are neck and neck in the race for Indian smartphone sales; data provided by Statista shows that both manufacturers had 23.5% of the market share toward the end of 2017, a big leap for Xiaomi, having gained 12.8% since the end of 2016.
Most of the excitement around this launch has been for the the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which is the more progressive of the two models. While it may appear similar to the Redmi Note 5 with the same 5.99-inch display, the Pro is the first in the world to host the new Snapdragon 636. Also using the Kyro 260 CPU, this type of upgrade could mean up to 40% more power efficiency while maintaining performance. Additionally, it's claimed to be fastest Redmi Note phone to date.
The brand advertises its flagship as "India's Camera Beast". It sports a dual rear camera system and 20MP front camera (a first in its series) that couples up with a flash for better quality selfies. Furthermore, this is the first Xiaomi device to get Face Lock and it also comes with rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The Redmi Note 5 Pro will be available in Black, Champagne Gold, Rose Gold or Blue with the choice between 4GB (INR13,999) or 6GB RAM (INR16,999 / RM1,040), both come with 64GB storage.
The Redmi Note 5 is an upgraded version to the Redmi Note 4 but going by its specifications, it may well be the Redmi Note Plus wearing a new dress for the Indian market. This, too, will come with a “selfie flash”, although the front camera is 5MP rather than 20MP and the main camera is 12MP. It uses the slightly older Snapdragon 625 processor and will be sold with either 3GB RAM and 32GB storage (INR9,999 / RM611) or 4GB RAM and 64GB storage (INR11,999 / RM734). Four colours to choose from: Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and Blue.
Both of these phones will be sold online through Flipkart and Mi.com. — AFP Relaxnews
