Redmi note 5 - Review and specifications

After a long anticipation Redmi note 5 is finally here in the market. Unlike the previous versions it has been launched in two versions - Redmi note 5 and the Redmi note 5 pro. The first sale of the smartphone is scheduled on 22nd Feb @ 12 P.M. IST. Like its predecessors it also came creating a huge buzz in the budget smartphone market especially in India. People were eagerly waiting for the smartphone launch since its leaked images went viral on the web. 
In the recent updates from Xiaomi, the Redmi note 5 has been customized with touch Gestures similar to Apple (IPhoneX)replacing the Android capacitive keys in the smartphone. 

Aesthetics 

Both devices i.e, the Redmi note 5 and the Redmi note 5 pro come with a full aluminium body with rounded edges and a 5.99" IPS panel with 1080 x 2160 resolution with 403 ppi pixel density, 18:9 screen aspect ratio and 450 nits of brightness. The screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass with a 2.5D front panel. There were expectations of a separate MicroSD card slot like its Y series brethren but the same Hybrid sim tray has been used like its predecessors. Also there is no USB Type-C connectivity but the standard Micro USB 2.0 therefore not anything special.

Performance

The standard Redmi note 5 has the same processor like its predecessor, Redmi note 4 i.e. snapdragon 625 with Adreno 506 which gives it the similar processing power. But it is the pro version of Redmi note 5 that packs the punch. With snapdragon 636 packed with Adreno 509 the pro version comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 with dual connectivity which allows you to connect two devices at the same time. It also comes with UFS 2.0 storage solution with faster data transfer rate and browsing speed. It also has the 8 x kryo 260 cores like snapdragon 820 which makes all the processing like a crisp with great speeds and efficiency. 
Here's how it holds in Antutu benchmark:-

Camera

There is no fancy about the camera in standard Redmi note 5 with a 12MP(f/2.2,1.25 μm) rear camera with 5MP front camera, But the pro version takes all the shine, with the dual setup of 12MP(f/2.2,1.25 μm) and 5MP(f/2.0,1.12 μm) the rear camera takes some excellent pictures while the front 20MP(f/2.2,1/2.8",1μm) Camera with SONY IMX376 sensor and selfie light takes awesome selfies. Really, the Redmi note 5 pro is a camera beast. 

The video capture quality is 1080p@30fps overall but Xiaomi has also added 4K capture which also shoots at 30fps in the Redmi note 5 and not in the pro variant. 

CONCLUSION

Overall when it comes to bang for buck it is the Redmi note 5 pro who has the edge over the standard version by far due to its better tech and qualities. But for me I was expecting SD 660 to be introduced in the higher model, SD636 still is ok but SD660 would have been a very compelling option due to its much better performance over SD636 thanks to its A72 cores over the A53 cores of SD636. Addition of MicroSD card slot and USB Type-C would also have been great following the Y- Series. Still with current features both the Redmi Note 5 variants are still good but not to the expectations.