This year, things are a little different. The Moto E3 doesn’t exist in the Indian market ( for now) and even in places where it has been displayed, like in the UK, it doesn’t exactly dazzle. Xiaomi’s Redmi 3S Prime on the other hand, instantly strikes you as a greatest hit of the budget segment. And once you start using it, the impression only gains in strength. In fact, the Redmi 3S is so good that it makes you want to question the existence of the Redmi Note 3.
Design and build quality
Not long ago, Xiaomi sized-up the Redmi Note 3 to make the gigantic Mi Max. Now, it just shrunk the Redmi Note 3 down to make the Redmi 3S Prime. The Redmi 3S Prime is simply the Redmi Note 3, only scaled down to fit the Redmi 2 Prime’s cute and comfy form factor. 5-inch phones are hard to come by these days. The Redmi 3S Prime belongs to that rare category of smartphones. And to me, that’s a huge thing. You see, I just love 4.7-5-inch phones. They just have the right size. The Redmi 3S Prime, as expected, feels right in the hands. It’s not as small as last year’s Redmi 2 Prime ( which was 4.7-inch) and yet not as phablet-sized as the Redmi Note 3 ( which is 5.5-inch) .
Size is not the only big highlight of Xiaomi’s new ultra-budget smartphone. The Redmi 3S Prime boasts of a full-metal body: a first for any smartphone in and around this product category. The top and bottom ends are of course plastic with brushed metal finish and have a slightly different hue as compared to the rest of the body, but given its low price, I think you should give it the benefit of doubt. An all-metal smartphone at just under Rs 9, 000 was a sight for soar eyes, until now.