Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Snapdragon review Dragon fire

Introduction

Theres no way you have missed the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. Its been the bang-for-buck benchmark for a while now, delivering a feature set and performance way above what its price tag suggests.

To refresh your memory Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 3 at the turn of last year and it was powered by a MediaTek Helio X10. In the spring of 2016, a Qualcomm-driven Redmi Note 3 followed and broke the companys sales record in India. Now this full review admittedly comes a little late, but the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is still on many peoples radar, so we figured a way to compare the Mediatek-powered original and the Snapdragon edition might come in handy.

Besides the chipset, theres also a new camera sensor, a 16MP unit even if it is limited to 1080p video recording. Another difference is the second SIM card tray can now take microSD car ds. Its the hybrid kind, which isnt ideal for people who want to have it all. Other than that, the hardware is perfectly familiar.

Key Features

• Aluminum unibody design
• 5.5" IPS display of 1080p resolution; 403ppi
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 650; 2x 1.8GHz Cortex-A72 + 4x 1.2GHz Cortex-A53; Adreno 510
• Android 5.1.1 with MIUI 8 (Global 6.7.5 Beta)
• 2GB RAM with 16GB of storage/3GB RAM with 32GB storage; microSD support, hybrid slot shared with 2nd SIM
• Dual SIM, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, IR, microUSB
• 16 megapixel rear camera with PDAF, f2.0 aperture, dual LED flash
• 5 megapixel front camera, f2.0 aperture
• Fingerprint sensor
• 4000mAh battery

Main Disadvantages

• Runs Lollipop
< li>Non-removable battery
• Cannot have 2 SIMs and a microSD card
• No fast charging

Like sealed batteries, the shared card slot is the compromise were only going to see more often, like it or not. Anyway, even this less-than-perfect solution makes an already popular and capable phone better than before.

The near perfect balance of price and specs should be no news but lets check out the rest of the Redmi Note 3 with the dragon fire at medium heat.

Unboxing

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes in plain box that holds a 2A charging adapter, a microUSB cable and some user guides. Traditionally for Xiaomi, there are no headphones included.

The Redmi Note 3 retail package is modest

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 360-degree spin

The Snapdragon version of the Redmi Note 3 has exactly the same size and design as the MediaTek-powered original. Xiaomi didnt have to change the phones thickness to fit the new 16MP sensor and the phone measures the identical 150 x 75 x 8.7mm. The weight is the same as well at 164g.

Design and build quality

The Redmi Note 3s exterior for the Snapdragon version repeats the original. The design can even be traced back to the Redmi Note 2, except that plastic has been replaced by aluminum. The fit and finish is quite good and the phone feels durable.

A metal-clad unibody is a cool thing to have on a mid-range handset and we are certainly happy Xiaomi chose it for the Redmi Note 3.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 sports a full metal jacket

As usual, the front is covered by an entire piece of black glass. The signature red accent on the capacitive keys is gone and instead Xiaomi made them invisible blending into the black glass until they come alive with white backlighting.

The fingerprint sensor is placed just below the main camera at the rear, where your index finger falls naturally. Its the always-on k ind and will unlock the screen upon a touch.

Two plastic strips at the back top and bottom make sure the phones antennas work, but on a positive note Xiaomi made them very well, covered with the same silver paint as the rest of the body, so you can barely spot them.

The plastic bands are impossible to escape in a metal phone

The metal finish of the Redmi Note 3 allows good enough handling, but not as great as on the matte Redmi Note 2. Opting for metal inst ead of matte plastic may have made the phone more slippery, but it boosted its looks by a mile, so wed call it a smart compromise.

Handling the Redmi Note 3

Controls

Little about the control set has changed since the Redmi Note 2. Above the screen is the earpiece flanked by a couple of sensors and the selfie camera. Below the 5.5" display is the capacitive Android trio, and you can assign those keys additional quick actions at double tap and tap-and-hold.

Whats above the screen • the three Android keys below the display

The left of the Redmi Note 3 accommodates the ejectable SIM tray. You can either use two microSIM cards or opt for a microSD card - it takes the second SIM card slot. The volume rocker and power/lock key are on the right.

The left side • The SIM & amp; microSD slot combo • The right side • The metal keys

The Redmi Note 3 has the audio jack, the IR blaster, and the secondary microphone on top. The microUSB port and the primary mic are over at the bottom.

The top • The audio jack and IR blaster • The bottom • The USB port and primary mic

Finally, around the metal cover, the dual-LED flash sits next to the new 16MP snapper and the fingerprint scanner. The loudspeaker grille is also around, close to the bottom antenna strip.

The back of the Redmi Note 3

Display

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5" Full HD IPS, the same as on the Redmi Note 2, which has 401ppi for pleasantly sharp imagery. Unfortunately, there is no information on the glass covering the display and there is a good chance it isnt of the scratch-resistant kind.

Taking a closer look at it under our digital microscope reveals a standard RGB arrangement of the sub-pixels that make up the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 LCD panel.

The display on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 seems to be identical with the one on the Redmi Note 2. It has about the same maximum brightness.

The screens contrast ratio is average at 953:1. The color rendering accuracy is passable as well with an average deviation of DeltaE 6.8 and max deviation DeltaE 13. We managed to improve the color rendering by shifting the screen setting to a warmer preset (there is an option for changing the color temperature) and by doing so we got a more accurate color rendering with an Avg DeltaE of 5.2 and a Max DeltaE of 9.1. However at this setting the screen takes a 10% hit in the maximum brightness output.

Display test	50% brightness	100% brightness
	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3	0.16	152	927	0.42	403	953
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2	0.17	162	953	0.492	467	953
Xiaomi Redmi Note	0.30	305	1001	0.52	536	1016
Meizu m1 metal	0.08	54	720	0.50	390	780
Meizu m1 note	-	-	-	0.65	562	867
Meizu MX5	0.00	117	∞	0	346.00	∞
Lenovo K3 Note	0.13	230	1742	0.24	432	1793
Xiaomi Mi 4c	0.08	121	1613	0.28	452	1609
Sony Xperia M5	0.08	110	1392	0.63	527	839

The sunlight legibility is just average. The screen glass is rather reflective and while you will be able to see whats happening on the screen under bright sunlight, youll need the maximum brightness and all the colors will be washed out.

Sunlight contrast ratio

• Nokia 808 PureView
  4.698
• Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
  4.615
• Samsung Galaxy E7
  4.485
• HTC One A9
  4.274
• Samsung Galaxy A3
  4.241
• Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
  4.124
• Samsung Galaxy S6
  4.124
• Samsung Galaxy Note5
  4.09
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4
  4.033
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3
  3.997
• Apple iPhone 5
  3.997
• OnePlus X
  3.983
• Oppo R7s
  3.964
• Samsung Galaxy A5
  3.895
• Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
  3.879
• Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
  3.873
• Samsung Galaxy A8
  3.859
• Apple iPhone 6
  3.838
• Microsoft Lumia 950XL
  3.837
• Motorola Moto X (2014)
  3.816
• Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
  3.799
• Apple iPhone 6s
  3.783
• Meizu Pro 5
  3.781
• Vivo X5Pro
  3.706
• Samsung Galaxy A7
  3.679
• Oppo R5
  3.678
• Samsung Galaxy K zoom
  3.675
• BlackBerry Priv
  3.645
• Nokia Lumia 930
  3.567
• Apple iPhone 5s
  3.565
• Samsung Galaxy S5
  3.549
• Nokia Lumia 735
  3.547
• Motorola Nexus 6
  3.543
• Apple iPhone 6s Plus
  3.53
• Alcatel Idol X+
  3.527
• Microsoft Lumia 950
  3.512
• Apple iPhone 5c
  3.512
• Samsung Galaxy Alpha
  3.509
• Oppo R7 Plus
  3.499
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo
  3.487
• vivo X5Max
  3.472
• LG G Flex2
  3.465
• YotaPhone 2
  3.453
• Samsung Galaxy J7
  3.422
• Motorola RAZR MAXX
  3.42
• Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
  3.419
• Meizu MX5
  3.416
• Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
  3.406
• Nokia Lumia 925
  3.402
• Gionee Elife S5.5
  3.386
• Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4
  3.352
• Oppo R7
  3.32
• Samsung Omnia W
  3.301
• Samsung Galaxy J2
  3.235
• Motorola Moto X Play
  3.222
• Samsung Galaxy S5 mini
  3.174
• Samsung I9000 Galaxy S
  3.155
• Samsung Ativ S
  3.129
• Samsung I9190 Galaxy S4 mini
  3.127
• Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom
  3.118
• LG Nexus 5X
  3.092
• Huawei Mate S
  3.073
• Nokia N9
  3.069
• Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
  3.065
• Apple iPhone 6 Plus
  3.023
• Samsung Galaxy Note
  2.97
• Samsung Galaxy Premier
  2.958
• Sony Xperia Z1
  2.95
• HTC One S
  2.901
• Lenovo S90 Sisley
  2.892
• Sony Xperia Z5
  2.876
• Samsung I8730 Galaxy Ex press
  2.861
• BlackBerry Q10
  2.856
• Microsoft Lumia 550
  2.851
• Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II
  2.832
• Sony Xperia Z3+
  2.824
• HTC Desire Eye
  2.815
• Gionee Elife S5.1
  2.812
• Samsung Galaxy S II Plus
  2.801
• BlackBerry Z30
  2.79
• Sony Xperia Z5 compact
  2.784
• Meizu MX4 Pro
  2.765
• LG V10
  2.744
• Sony Xperia M5
  2.69
• Sony Xperia ZR
  2.672
• Huawei Ascend P1
  2.655
• Xiaomi Mi 4i
  2.641
• Sony Xperia Z3
  2.618
• Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
  2.616
• Sony Xperia T3
  2.609
• BlackBerry Passport
  2.595
• Xiaomi Mi 4c
  2.574
• Microsoft Lumia 640
  2.563
• Nokia Lumia 900
  2.562
• Motorola Moto G 4G
  2.546
• HTC One Max
  2.537
• Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
  2.525
• Nokia Lumia 720
  2.512
• HTC One
  2.504
• Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
  2.503
• Motorola Moto G
  2.477
• Huawei G8
  2.471
• vivo Xshot
  2.465
• Sony Xperia Z
  2.462
• Xiaomi Mi 4
  2.424
• Samsung Galaxy S III mini
  2.422
• Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro
  2.416
• LG G Flex
  2.407
• Huawei Honor 7
  2.406
• ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
  2.382
• HTC Desire 820
  2.372
• HTC One (M8)
  2.371
• Meizu MX4
  2.366
• Motorola RAZR i
  2.366
• Meizu m1 note
  2.362
• Sony Xperia ZL
  2.352
• HTC One M9
  2.334
• LG G4
  2.317
• HTC One E9+
  2.305
• HTC One (M8) for Windows
  2.291
• Oppo R1x
  2.281
• Oppo Find 7a
  2.279
• Alcatel One Touch Hero
  2.272
• Apple iPhone 4S
  2.269
• HTC Desire 600 dual sim
  2.262
• Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
  2.253
• Nokia Asha 311
  2.25
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
  2.249
• Sony Xperia C4 Dual
  2.235
• Xiaomi Mi Note
  2.234
• Motorola Moto G (2014)
  2.233
• LG Nexus 5
  2.228
• Huawei P8
  2.196
• Nokia Lumia 820
  2.193
• HTC One (E8)
  2.185
• Oppo N3
  2.181
• Nokia Lumia 920
  2.17
• Huawei Honor 6
  2.169
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
  2.166
• OnePlus Two
  2.165
• HTC One X
  2.158
• Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML
  2.149
• LG Aka
  2.145
• Nokia N8
  2.144
• Nokia Lumia 620
  2.142
• Archos 50 Diamond
  2.134
• Nokia 515
  2.134
• HTC Desire 500
  2.129
• Sony Xperia C3 Dual
  2.12
• Sony Xperia acro S
  2.119
• Xiaomi Redmi Note
  2.119
• Nokia Lumia 1020
  2.103
• Oppo Find 5
  2.088
• Sony Xperia SL
  2.078
• Huawei P8lite
  2.078
• Nokia Lumia 630
  2.056
• BlackBerry Z10
  2.051
• Moto G 3rd gen max manual
  2.026
• Huawei Ascend Mate7
  2.024
• Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active
  2.022
• Apple iPhone 4
  2.016
• HTC One mini
  2.003
• Xiaomi Mi 3
  2.001
• Huawei Ascend P7
  1.992
• LG G2
  1.976
• Sony Xperia E4g
  1.972
• OnePlus One
  1.961
• Oppo R819
  1.957
• Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
  1.955
• Lenovo Vibe X2
  1.952
• Sony Xperia Z2
  1.944
• Sony Xperia E3
  1.943
• Nokia Lumia 1320
  1.941
• HTC One mini 2
  1.94
• Samsung Galaxy Camera
  1.938
• Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime
  1.935
• Sony Xperia J
  1.932
• Acer CloudMobile S500
  1.931
• ZTE Blade S6
  1.927
• LG Nexus 4
  1.926
• LG G Pro 2
  1.922
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
  1.913
• Nokia Asha 308
  1.911
• HTC Butterfly 2
  1.905
• Sony Xperia T
  1.894
• Meizu m2 note
  1.892
• BlackBerry Leap
  1.892
• Nokia Lumia 830
  1.887
• HTC Desire X
  1.878
• HTC Butterfly
  1.873
• HTC Windows Phone 8X
  1.873
• HTC Butterfly S
  1.867
• Huawei Ascend P6
  1.865
• Huawei Ascend Mate
  1.845
• LG G2 mini
  1.838
• LG G3
  1.82
• Nokia Lumia 1520
  1.813
• HTC Desire 616 dual sim
  1.797
• Sony Xperia V
  1.792
• HTC Desire 816
  1.783
• Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
  1.772
• HTC Desire 700 dual sim
  1.769
• ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
  1.759
• Sony Xperia U
  1.758
• Meizu MX3
  1.754
• LG Optimus G
  1.753
• Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
  1.74
• Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
  1.735
• Acer Liquid Jade S
  1.734
• Sony Xperia SP
  1.733
• LG Optimus 4X HD
  1.691
• Oppo Find 7
  1.691
• HTC One V
  1.685
• BlackBerry Q5
  1.682
• LG Optimus Vu
  1.68
• Asus Zenfone Selfie
  1.68
• Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
  1.675
• Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9
  1.672
• LG Optimus GJ
  1.666
• ZTE Nubia Z9
  1.659
• LG Optimus 3D Max
  1.658
• HTC Desire V
  1.646
• Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
  1.632
• Samsung Galaxy Ace 3
  1.622
• Microsoft Lumia 532
  1.615
• Jolla Jolla
  1.605
• Microsoft Lumia 435
  1.598
• Sony Xperia Z Ultra
  1.578
• Sony Xperia go
  1.577
• Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160
  1.566
• Samsung Galaxy Core
  1.563
• LG Optimus G Pro
  1.552
• Motorola Moto E
  1.545
• LG Optimus 3D
  1.542
• Nokia Asha 302
  1.537
• Samsung Galaxy Core Prime
  1.507
• BlackBerry Curve 9320
  1.488
• Sony Xperia M
  1.473
• Oppo N1
  1.47
• Sony Xperia E4
  1.467
• Meizu MX 4-core
  1.462
• Nokia Lumia 610
  1.432
• Samsung Galaxy S Duos
  1.4
• Sony Xperia M2
  1.393
• Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo
  1.393
• Microsoft Lumia 535
  1.393
• Samsung Galaxy Grand 2
  1.38
• Sony Xperia E1
  1.372
• Nokia Lumia 625
  1.371
• Gigabyte GSmart G1355
  1.361
• Sony Xperia L
  1.351
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8
  1.35
• Xiaomi Redmi 1S
  1.35
• HTC Desire 510
  1.34
• Sony Xperia M2 Aqua
  1.331
• Sony Xperia miro
  1.324
• Samsung I9082 Galaxy Grand
  1.321
• Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam
  1.315
• Xiaomi Redmi 2
  1.311
• HTC Desire C
  1.3
• Nokia X
  1.291
• Sony Xperia C
  1.283
• Nokia Asha 503
  1.281
• Nokia Asha 501
  1.27
• LG Optimus L7
  1.269
• Nokia Lumia 510
  1.268
• Samsung Galaxy Fame
  1.245
• LG Optimus L9
  1.227
• Meizu MX
  1.221
• Samsung Galaxy Young
  1.22
• Sony Xperia E
  1.215
• Nokia XL
  1.204
• Sony Xperia E dual
  1.203
• Asus Memo Pad 7 ME176C
  1.198
• Samsung Galaxy Pocket
  1.18
• Nokia Asha 305
  1.178
• Nokia Asha 306
  1.175
• Sony Xperia neo L
  1.169
• Sony Xperia tipo
  1.166
• Nokia Lumia 520
  1.161
• Samsung S6802 Galaxy Ace Duos
  1.148
• Samsung Galaxy mini 2
  1.114

Battery life

The Redmi Note 3 has a 4,000mAh battery. The battery is non-removable, but we dont think thats going to be a major issue with this phone.

In our extensive batte ry test, the Redmi Note 3 managed an excellent single-SIM endurance rating of 93 hours and just 2 hours less when you have the two SIM slots filled. The Snapdragon version managed to keep going for nearly 3 hours more when doing web browsing and video playback compared to the MediaTek one, as well.

The phone has a battery saver mode of sorts thats on by default, which cuts back the location and network access of background apps, but we didnt notice any adverse effects, such as apps not updating in the background, etc., so we decided to leave it on.

Our proprietary score also includes a standby battery draw test, which is not featured in our battery test scorecard but is calculated in the total endurance rating. The battery testing routine is described in detail in case you want to learn more about it.

Connectivity

A different c hipset implies different connectivity features and the Redmi Note 3 equipped with the Snapdragon 650 is compatible with more LTE bands compared to the MediaTek-powered original. You can tap to an LTE network on either SIM, but once you do, the second one will be limited to GSM connectivity only. As for that, the Redmi Note 3 offers tri-band GSM connectivity and quad-band 3G connectivity with HSPA support.

A microUSB 2.0 port handles charging and wired data transfers. Media transfer mode is supported for accessing the phones built-in memory over a USB connection. The microUSB port also supports USB On-the-go for connecting USB peripherals such as pen drives, keyboards or real USB hard drives.

Wireless screen mirroring is available via the Miracast protocol.

The IR blaster is located on the top and coupled with the right software, it can be used to operate pretty much any remotely controlled home appliance, turning the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 into a universal remote.

Xiaomi provides its own MiRemote app right out of the box.

User interface

Our Snapdragon-rocking Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 unit runs on a Global MIUI 8 beta, which is built on top of an Android 5.1.1 Lollipop core. The MIUI 8 brings its own take at the interface and improves on its performance.

According to Xiaomis changelog, MIUI 8 comes with better text rendering, enhanced Power saving mode, new Notes app and Enhanced video editing tools.

As usual Xiaomis customizations run very deep and replace everything including all Google services. In fact, the Mi phones sold in China dont have access to Googles services and those need to be sideloaded one way or the other (some resellers may even do that for you). The models sold officially on markets outside of China come with a preloaded Play Store app.

The lockscreen is unchanged from MIUI7 and has a clock in the top left corner - gone are the lockscreen widgets. To unlock the phone you swipe upwards and if you want a quick access to the camera - just swipe from the right side.

Fingerprint unlock is available and is handled in our favorite way - you just put your finger on the sensor at the back and the Redmi Note 3 unlocks immediately. The scanner is always on and you can unlock even when the screen is asleep.

The MIUI v8 lockscreen

Beyond the lockscreen is the Android homescreen with four customizable shortcuts docked at the bottom by default, but you can dock up to five items. You can have any app there or even folders with multiple items if you will.

The MIUI homescreens • there is no app drawer

There is no app drawer - anything you install pops up on your homescreen, which can have unlimited panes. Therere no shortcuts and the usual routine of removing icons (dragging them up to a recycle bin at the top of the screen) will uninstall the corresponding app. There is a pop-up for confirming the action though, so you cant accidentally uninstall apps.

Homescreen widgets are available, too - tap and hold on the homescreen, then choose Widgets. There are few options available, but of course, you can get even more from the Play Store.

Customizing the homescreen

Homescreen effec ts are available and you can change themes, too. A theme will change your homescreen wallpaper, lockscreen style, system icons, system font and the sound profile (you can disable changing the sound profile from settings).

MIUI v.8 has five default themes - MIUI, High Life, Pink Blush, Rose and Ocean Breeze. Theyve been handpicked by the MIUI team and you can choose your interface look right from the start, but you can always download new themes from the Mi Store.

Applying a new theme

The notification area has two semi-transparent tabs - the first one hosts all notifications, while the second one (swipe left to access) offers customizable quick toggles and a Settings shortcut.

An enhanced task switcher with Clear All option is available, too.

Notifications • Task Switcher

Xiaomi provides its own cloud service for content syncing between devices. Each Mi Cloud account is granted 5GB of free storage. You can use it to backup contacts, messages, your entire gallery, calls log, note s, settings, voice recordings, Browser content (history, tabs, webapp data) and your music library.

The Do Not Disturb mode has been enhanced too - it supports better customization and scheduling options.

We did get our review unit with pre-installed Google Play Store plus Google sync for app data, contacts, and browser data but perhaps theyve been sideloaded by the reseller providing this review unit. Of course, you can sideload them yourself one way or the other if they dont come pre-installed on your unit. And once you have those, you can easily download all other Google apps such as Google Now straight from the Play Store.

Contacts and telephony

The dialer and the phonebook share a single app although there are two shortcuts, bringing you straight to the tab you need. The app has pleasant flat looks and its about the same as we remember it. It uses a tabbed interface - recent with dialer on the f irst and the contact list on the second.

The Phonebook

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 supports voice call recording and it can do it automatically on each call if you like. You can also assign an answer gesture, pre-define quick responses upon reject, there is even support for internet calling.

The Dailer

There are even more call settings if you dig deeper into the menu - flip to mute the ringer, turn on/off the proximity sensor, lock automatically once slipped in a pocket, it can even mute calls from unknown numbers.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 seems to feature the same speaker as the Note 2. It scored a Good mark on our loudness test, and outed pretty much the same results on all three tests as the Note 2. Produced sound is rather pleasant and deep enough. This means missed calls are unlikely in most environments.

Multimedia

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes with a custom Gallery app, slightly updated since the MIUI 6. It defaults to your camera roll, but it also supports Albums, Cloud and People. The People sorting, once chosen, sorts all of your photos by peoples faces. Everything is automatic. Here you can also create a new baby album, to put your newborn pics inside.

Gallery

The integrated editor offers various effects, frames, tools (crop, mirror, straighten, rotate, fisheye, doodle) plus light adjustments that let you bring out the shadows or the highlights.

Editing an image

The MIUI music player is a custom app with a well laid out, easy to navigate interface. The player has cool effects, transitions and transparent elements, especially on the expandable Now Playing section. It can also display lyrics, but the files you throw in have to be properly filled out with information.

FM Radio

An FM radio app is also available. The Redmi Note 3 does not require a headset to use as an antenna, so you can listen FM radio without any additional accessories. FM recording is a lso available.

Video player

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 features a separate video app, which offers a paid video service. Whether you will open your files from the Video app (Local setting) or File Explorer - it doesnt really matter.

The video player interface is very basic but there is rich video codec support. It managed to play everything we threw at it (including MKV and WMV files). The AC3 audio codec is surprisingly, supported too.

Video player

Subtitles and pop-up play are not supported by the MIUIs video player though, so you might want to look around the Play Store if you need a more capable alternative.

Audio output is mostly good

The Xiaomi Redmi N ote 3 started off great in our audio quality test. When connected to an active external amplifier, the smartphone showed high volume levels and perfectly clean output for one of the best showings out there.

When we plugged in a pair of headphones the stereo crosstalk rose only a moderate amount - unlike the Redmi Note 2, which saw a lot of damage in that case. Volume still dropped though and we got some intermodulation distortion and frequency response deviations. The overall results are still good and a notable step forward for the Xiaomi Redmi Note line, but not quite up there with the best.

< td>+0.04, -0.08

Test	Frequency response	Noise level	Dynamic range	THD	IMD + Noise	Stereo crosstalk
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3	-96.0	92.3	0.0015	0.0076	-95.6
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (headphones attached)	+0.48, -0.09	-95.3	92.1	0.011	0.327	-70.2
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2	+0.02, -0.10	-96.1	92.4	0.0084	0.012	-94.8
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 (headphones attached)	+0.50, -0.09	-94.9	91.9	0.073	0.313	-54.0
Meizu m2 note	+0.08, -0.05	-93.1	92.7	0.0079	0.013	-92.4
Meizu m2 note (headphones attached)	+0.40, -0.62	-86.9	88.0	0.145	0.529	-50.8
Oppo R1x	+0.01, -0.04	-93.5	92.9	0.0010	0.400	-94.7
Oppo R1x (headphones attached)	+0.22, -0.03	-92.6	90.4	0.0029	1.144	-69.8
Motorola Moto E (2015)	+0.02 -0.06	-90.8	91.1	0.0026	0.097	-90.9
Motorola Moto E (2015) (headphones attached)	+0.05, -0.06	-90.2	90.7	0.0029	0.063	-51.4
Xiaomi Redmi 2	+0.06, -0.04	-94.8	95.9	0.026	0.016	-95.8
Xiaomi Redmi 2 (headphones attached)	+0.04, -0.06	-94.0	91.0	0.039	0.053	-70.0

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 frequency response

You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.

Upgraded camera

The Redmi Note 3 boasts a refreshed 16 megapixel camera on the back with phase detection autofocus, f2.0 aperture and a two-tone dual LED flash.

The camera interface is fairly simple and features toggles for the HDR mode, the flash and the video camera.

The camera interface is unchanged from MIUI v7

It has three panes - the default one shows the viewfinder with a virtual shutter, flash trigger and front camera key. A pull down from the top of the screen gets you a choice of 12 filters with live previews. A slide from the bottom displays the advanced modes such as Panorama, Beautify, Timer, Scenes, and Manual as well as the camera settings.

The Manual Mode offers you manual settings for white balance and ISO. The Face Detection switch is within the additional se ttings.

Were quite pleased with the camera performance of the Redmi Note 3 Snapdragon edition. The camera resolves a lot of detail with very little noise to be seen. The white balance is good too, although colors are a bit too dull.

Camera samples

The camera focused quickly and accurately and very few of the shots we took turned out blurry.

Turn the HDR mode on and the photos come to live. Not only are the mids and highlights cranked up, but the colors are become more saturated.

HDR off • HDR on • HDR off • HDR on

Panorama shots are available too. You can capture both landscape and portrait panoramic photos with a 180 degree field of view. Shooting is easy but the stitc hing takes a while to complete. The end result is rather disappointing though - the resolution is about 1720x808px and the image quality is quite poor.

Panorama shots are disappointingrom the Play Store.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 features a 5MP front-facing camera for high-res selfies. The images come out soft with average detail, but will do for Facebook or similar social networks.

Selfie camera in action

You can take a look at how the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S65) stacks up against similarly equipped smartphones in our Photo Compare Tool.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650) in our photo compare tool

1080p video recording

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 camcorder has the same UI as the still camera. It supports slow-mo (the result is a 720p@16fps video) and time-lapse videos with customizable snapping interval.

Camcorder UI

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is capable or recording up to 1080p@30fps. The bitrate of the video recordings is uninspiring at about 15 Mbps, while audio is captured at 128 Kbps with 2 channels (st ereo).

The resolved detail in the videos is good, just like the still images. The colors and contrast are better than the still photos and the framerate is smooth and consistent at 30fps. The dynamic range is about average.

And here is a 1080p video weve uploaded on YouTube.

You can also download the 1080p video sample (8s, 14.6MB) taken straight off the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (Snapdragon).

Here the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 enters our video comparison tool. There are plenty of 1080p camcorders you can compare it against. It resolves an average level of detail, but contrast and colors are good.

You can check out our Video Compare Tool to see how the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650) fares against the competition when it comes to video capturing.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650) in our video compare tool

MIUI Browser

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes with the feature-rich MIUI Browser. It has flat looking UI elements and does a great job at browsing. There is a native ad-block add-on and a data saver, it supports downloads, there is a night mode as well. It is as almost as fast as Chrome, and now supports Find on Page.

It also offers a built-in Reading mode, which isnt available in Chrome. It enlarges the text font and strips away unneeded elements, leaving only the article you are reading in focus.

The aforementioned Night Mode, which is something we really miss in Chrome. It inverts the background and font colors and is easier on the eyes at dark rooms. Not that the Redmi Note 3 really needs it as its minimum brightness level.

Finally, the browser supports some very handy features as scrolling with the volume keys, quick tab switching from the edge of the display, you can opt for different search engines, among others.

Mi Browser • Night Mode • Reading Mode

Other pre-installed apps

The Xiaomi R edmi Note 3 offers a great file managing app called Explorer, which lets you browse the files in its internal storage and groups them by type.

Explorer

The MIUI v8 also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blocklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, clean some RAM, it can also manage the permissions of your installed apps.

The custom and now flat Calendar looks good, syncs with your accounts including Google, and offers Day and Month views.

There are also the standard sound recorder, notes, flashlight, calcu lator, clock, and weather apps, among others, that are a given in any self-respecting Android package nowadays.

Voice recorder • Notes • Calculator • Weather

We really liked the Compass app. It has very nice and clean interface, shows the magnetic directions and doubles as level meter. If you lift the phone up then youll get a nice augmented reality view with real-time East/West/North/South overlay.

Compass app - compass, level

Once again, if Google Maps, Drive, or any other Google-related app isnt installed on your unit, you can get it for free from the Play Store.

Final words

So, the value to be had in the Redmi Note series is indisputable. A handful already of affordable midrangers have helped Xiaomi grow a loyal following in Asia but also raise brand awareness in old, established markets traditionally dominated by big-name brands.

Theres no difference on the outside whatsoever, as the Redmi Note 3 (Snapdragon) isnt a facelift, but the same device with a new engine. Not sure whether the two models will ever be offered side by side in the same market but if that happens, be sure to go with the Snapdragon-rocking Redmi Note 3.

The Qualcomm chipset is snappier than the MediaTek Helio X10 in the original release and runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with MIUI 8 trouble-free.

Apart from the chipset, were also delighted with the new 16MP sensor. Even before considering the extremely competitive price point of the phone, its imaging prowess is admirable. And this time even youll be easily able to transfer your photos and videos onto the microSD card slot - which is not an option in the MediaTek-powered original.

Key test findings

• Build quality is top-notch, the metal body is neat and sturdy.
• The display is decent: it isnt among the brightest weve seen, but offers deep blacks, good viewing angles and contrast. The sunlight legibility however is only average.
• Battery life is very good with an endurance rating of 72h.
• Rich wireless and wired connectivity options.
• MIUI 8 is a clean and light Android Lollipop launcher but with rich customization options; we wouldve liked to see a more recent version of Android, though
• The Snapdragon 650 is reasonably fast and efficient
• Video player supports every common video codec and AC3 sound but has no subtitle support.
• Audio quality is excellent with an external amplifier, but average with headphones plugged in.
• Camera photos are good, with average good detail and dynamic range.
• The 1080p video samples are of solid quality

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is priced as an open-box item, but make no mistake about it - the phone can easily stand comparison to more premium competitors. Speaking of, the first place to look for solid but equally affordable com petition is China.

Meizu can offer the excellent MX5 and m1 note metal. The latter is was the real threat to the original Note 3. It has virtually the same 5.5" IPS 1080p display, runs on the Helio X10 chip, the camera is 13MP with a dual-LED flash, the body is made of metal, and there is even a fingerprint sensor. However now that Xiaomi upped the processing and imaging power things are decidedly in its favor.

The battery is another advantage at 4,000mAh for the Note 3 and 3,140mAh for the m1 metal.

Meizu m1 metal • Meizu MX5

Thinking value, the Lenovo K5 Note and the Meizu m3 note spring to mind. Powered by a Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 each, the Lenovo and Meizu are rocking 13MP main camera units and that pretty much sums up the differences. The rest is nearly th e same and even the price shouldnt vary dramatically.

Lenovo K5 Note • Meizu m3 note

An equivalent package by a major brand will cost you considerably more. Still, the Galaxy J7 (2016) might be worth considering as it adds Android Marshmallow to the table and the vibrant colors of a Super AMOLED screen on a budget. It even has a superior battery life, but its not all metal, has a 720p screen and still costs a bit more.

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Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)

The way we see it, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has become an even better deal with the Snapdragon 650. Its one of the most popular phones in our database for a reason - no wonder Xiaomi are trying to get more mileage out of it. Not sure how the owners of the original MediaTek-powered version feel about it but soon enough the Redmi Note 4 will probably make the argument irrelevant.

! ( hope useful)