Well, after using Redmi Note 4 for about 2 weeks now I can certainly say that this device will awe one for the price it comes. Yeah, sure there are problems with Redmi Note 4 but which smartphone is perfect, I guess no device. So, I will boil down the review in Pros & Cons. FYI, this review is for 2 gb ram model.
PROS:-
BATTERY LIFE- It comes with a massive battery 4100 maH and it delivers very well to the purpose. While it’s predecessor Redmi Note 3 had 4050maH still Redmi Note 4 would give you upto 20% of more life in comparison.
LOOKS AND FEELS:- Absolute premium. 2.5D curved glass is grace to hold on and the chamfered back panel and edges even add more to the style statement of the device.
DISPLAY:-It’s nothing to boast about but 1080p IPS LCD display has been a definite improvement from Redmi Note 3.
GAMING:-The powerful Snapdragon 625 chipset easily handles the gaming performance.ASPHALT, NOVA, MK X etc. all runs fine on this device. While extended gaming could result in frame drops but system tends not to lag and also doesn’t overheat.
Fingerprint sensor works fine. IR blaster may come in handy to the smart device users. Dual app let’s one keep two accounts of same app in one device thanks to MIUI 8. There’s even one-handed mode which let’s you operate on three different smaller screen orientation for one handed ergonomics. Navigation buttons are backlit. There’s a READ MODE which is very good feature if you want to use the device in night/dark conditions.
CONS:-
CAMERA:- While camera has improved and comes with CMOS sensor and PDAF but still in LOW LIGHT and MACRO SHOTS you will be left dissapointed. There’s a noticable noise in the low light photos. Video recording is good enough but again the mic kind of distorts the voice.
SPEAKER:- Speakers are good enough but single speaker is a bit dissapointment. They are loud but there’s a chance to miss notifications and call if you’re in next room.
MIUI:- MIUI 8 gives plethora of customizable settings for users but it’s also on a heavier side. So, it takes up a lot of RAM . For 2GB RAM model after first boot you would only get about 820 MB of RAM free. So, I would advice you to opt for at least a 3GB model.
CHARGING:-The massive 4100 maH battery would last you a full day but charging the battery is also time consuming. It took me around 2hrs and 45 minutes to charge device fully and phone DOESN’T SUPPORT QUICK CHARGE. This would be a nitpicking but the device has plastic at top and bottom of it’s back and it’s also slippery. Also MI never clarifies on the glass protection provided by the company. So, a BACK COVER and TAMPERED GLASS is a MUST for safety for this device.
Still, these cons cannot overpower the features that this device provides in this budget. It can handle HEAVY usage, thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 625 Octa-core chipset and long lasting battery. So, it will definitely be a win-win to opt for this device.