Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Review – Xiaomi disappoints for the first time?

Xiaomi is again in news with their ‘all-new’ Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Came in India for the first time in 2013 in the form of Mi 3 and since then Xiaomi has been leading in the section of budget Android smartphones. When it comes to budget Android smartphones, the first name that comes to everyone’s mind and hand is certainly one and only one brand, the Chinese giant Xiaomi. Not embarrassing though. A real fact it is! Like Virat Kohli performing for the Indian Cricket team in the recent times, Xiaomi has surpassed all the records set by the Samsung smartphones. Period.

But why this time Xiaomi, why? Why you made me do this? Most probably for the first time, my keyboard typing against Xiaomi. But there is no other go this time as far as they are concerned. At the time when Xiaomi announced the successors to its huge fan-oriented Redmi Note 4 series, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, everyone (yeah don’t stare, me too…) was excited about how will they hold up to the humungous success story of Note 4. But things don’t look so good for them in Q1 of 2018!. Fact it is. The real one. I mean why did they even think about it? Dunno…

They have played safe as far as Note 5 and Note 5 pro are concerned. Note 5 pro can be excused, but not Note 5. It’s the same Note 4 with a new costume… (not from Myntra I guess!). Yeah, it’s exactly the same. 18:9 display might be the only thing with which the customers will find any difference at all, if any. If you still don’t believe, then wait…

So, if you do the ‘autopsy’, you could find only some trivial changes between Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and the ‘all-new’ Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. One is the camera, and the other is the display – for the hardware section. It’s a shame that they didn’t opt for the Oreo version in the software section. But as far as Xiaomi is concerned, as someone said, “if it’s good, why break it?” tag might save them. They have done justice to the pricing though. But I reckon that the sales graph is gonna go down this time. They need to introduce another one with some really nice specs (and pocket-friendly too).

Xiaomi is claiming that the rear camera performance has been significantly improved this time, but I dunno whether only the camera will save them. The display is sharp and nearly accurate, not washed up, yes, the 18:9 display deserves a warm welcome but that too isn’t good when you are upgrading a mobile from what they gave as the best budget smartphone for the past year. Really they could have omitted the Note 5 pro and gone with the Redmi Note 5 with that 18:9 display, with a Qualcomm SD 630 processor, dual camera setup, selfie with front flash and a more powerful battery, say 4500 mAh to power up that huge 5.99” FHD+ bezel less display, USB type C port with quick charge support, Android Oreo combined with MIUI 9, all the basic sensors, etc. This would be the design, if they ask me.

So Xiaomi, better luck next time. Sony Xperia XA line-up is introducing their 3^rd successors this year, and it seems good in paper (of course not in pricing, as usual). Let’s catch up later with new gadgets next time. So guys, it’s over for this time and it’s me your own Arjun Sankar signing out. Ba-bye.