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We’ve finally gotten our hands on the device so let’s go ahead and see what the buzz about the device is all about
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Unboxing
The box of the Redmi Note 7 looks pretty simple like previous smartphones from Xiaomi. It has an all-white colour package with a little bit of orange accent at the bottom with the “Redmi Note 7” written on it and the Xiaomi Logo (Mi) sitting comfortably at the top right corner of the box.
At the back of the box are Specifications about the device as well other details like IMEI number and the rest. There is also no mention of Xiaomi on the box, except on the device back where it is written “Redmi By Xiaomi” which we will get to in a second.
Opening the box reveals the phone in its glory. Asides the phone, there is also a slightly transparent blackish silicone case in the box for protection of the device.
There is also a charging brick rated for 10W (5V/2A) with a Type-A to Type-C USB cable for file transfer and charging.
A SIM ejector tool for swapping SIM cards and/or MicroSD cards and the user guide manual which is in English as this is the Global Version of the device.
Sadly, there is no earpiece in the box. Now, Before we get on with the phone itself, let’s refresh your memory with the specifications of the device.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 key specs
- Body: Glass Front/back (Corning Gorilla Glass 5), Polycarbonate Frame
- Screen: 6.3-inch IPS LCD, 1080p (409ppi)
- Chipset: Snapdragon 660, Octa-Core 4×2.2 GHz Kryo 260 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260, Adreno 512
- Memory: 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage, microSD slot up to 256GB (Uses SIM 2 Slot)
- Camera: 48MP with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF support and a 5MP depth sensor with LED flash;
- [email protected]/60/120fps video recording, EIS.
- Selfie camera: 13MP, 1080p video recording @30fps
- OS: Android 9.0 Pie, MIUI 10 on top
- Battery: 4,000mAh (non-removable), Quick Charge 4.0 (18W)
- Connectivity: Dual-SIM; LTE Cat.12 download/ Cat.13 upload, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band MIMO, 2×2 antennas, GPS; Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C 2.0.
Design
The design of the Redmi Note 7 is nothing short of amazing and brings that Premium feeling when held thanks to the front and back glass with the front glass being a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The frame is made of Polycarbonate which is made from plastic. The device comes in three colours which are Black, Gold and Twilight. The unit we have here is the Black colour which reflects light in a subtle way.
On top of the display is a sticker with a brief specs sheet of the device. As usual, the volume buttons as well as the power button sit at the right side of the device and are very clicky while the Hybrid SIM slot sits at the left side.
On top of the device is where the 3.5mm jack is located alongside the IR blaster or Infrared Port which can be used to control other electronics like TVs, Decoders etc.
At the bottom of the device are the two speakers grills with the USB Type-C port in the middle. The back of the device is occupied by the dual rear facing the camera, a fingerprint sensor and has “Redmi by Xiaomi” written on it towards the bottom. Overall, the device looks and feels like a premium device in hand.
The Display
Redmi Note 7 has a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with an FHD resolution (1080 x 2340) and a pixel per inch density of 409. The display uses the new and trendy 19.5:9 aspect ratio with a water drop notch at the top which houses the front-facing camera.
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Reaching all corners of the device display might be a little bit challenging if you have small hands but turning on the one-handed ( there is an option for that in the settings menu) cuts down the display a little, making the one-handed operation of this device a lot easier and better.
The whole display is covered by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection but if you aren’t convinced by that, you can still slap on a tempered glass on it for an extra layer of protection. Colour reproduction is as good as an IPS LCD display can get which pretty impressive and definitely among the best LCD displays we’ve seen.
Not as good as an AMOLED obviously, but good nonetheless. There is also a night light mode that warms up the display and removes the harmful blue light which can be toggled on and off from the pull-down navigation bar.
Software and Hardware
Redmi opted for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC here which is one of the best Snapdragon 600 series processors and only second to the newly released Snapdragon 675 SoC which can be found on the pro version of the Redmi Note 7. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 on the Redmi Note 7 is packing an octa-core processor which consists of 8 Kyro 260 Cores, 4 of which has a clocking speed of up to 2.2GHz for performance and the other 4 reaching 1.8GHz for efficient.
As for RAM and Storage, The one we have here has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage however there are other RAM and Storage options to choose from which includes 3GB/32GB and 4GB/128GB, all of which come with a Hybrid SIM card slot which means you can either use Two SIM cards or One SIM card and One MicroSD card for additional storage.
In everyday life, the Redmi Note 7 always proved to be responsive and snappy, except in games with high graphics demands. Don’t expect to play Asphalt 9 or Fortnite without running into some frame drops here and there but even at maximum graphics, it still delivers to a manageable proportion.
As expected, Redmi Note 7 runs the Xiaomi MIUI 10 Skin on top of the latest Android 9.0 Pie operating system. This is the Global Version like I mentioned earlier so all of Google suites are available – Gmail, YouTube, Chrome etc with no Chinese apps in sight.
When it comes to software (Android Skins In Particular), it all boils down to personal preference as all software come with their pros and cons. Personally, I am a stock Android kinda person but there are some things I like about the MIUI Skin on top of the Android operating system.
First off, there is a security app through which you can manage permission, keep an eye on your data usage and block some apps from accessing both data connection or WiFi if you wish and many more. There is also a remote app which can be used to control supported household appliances through the IR blaster like TVs, Washing machine, Air-conditioners etc.
Last but not least, there is an abundance of themes to choose from in the themes app to give your device a unique and more personal look. There are also other things to like about MIUI but like I said, it all boils down to personal preference and I’m more into stock Android.
There are occasions where ads were served in the app Vaunt which is something that may get in the way of the user. This is something we complained about on TECNO and Infinix phones. Hopefully just like on the Transsion’s owned devices you can deactivate ads or apps suggestion as the case may be. There is an option to toggle this off when setting up the phone for the first time.
You can as well swipe the screen to the left, then click on customize and toggle off all that you don’t want to show on your phone.
Benchmark Scores
- Antutu 7-140129
- Geek bench 4.1 Single core-1692
- Geek bench 4.1 multi core-5629
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Camera
The Redmi Note 7 is among the first smartphone to sport the 48MP camera and quite possibly the first mid-range device has that high of a camera sensor. The 48MP rear which has an f/1.8 aperture and PDAF is accompanied by a secondary 5MP depth sensor camera with an f/2.4 aperture for depth sensing in portrait photos. Now, while the 48MP camera here doesn’t produce actually 48MP photos (It takes 48MP shots and downscales it to or outputs 12MP photos), it makes the final photos look more detailed and sharper than a photo an ordinary 12MP camera would take.
By default, pictures are captured using 12MP but you can activate 48MP camera by going to the pro mode under the camera app. Other features of the rear camera include a dual-LED flash, HDR and Panorama with support for 1080p video recording at 30/60/120fps.
Photos take with Redmi Note 7 rear camera both in daylight/well-lit environment and Low light environment come out quite good and I’m quite impressed at the results. As for selfies, the single 13MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture does the job and does it well. It also has HDR and can shoot 1080p videos at 30fps as well. Overall, it’s a great camera with great results as long as you keep your expectations in check. Nothing to complain about here.
If you want to take your camera experience to a whole new level on the Redmi Note 7, you can instal Google Pixel 3 apk on the phone. Below are pictures I took with GCam and the Stock camera app on the device under the same condition
Note stock app pictures are watermarked
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- Selfie sample from the Redmi Camera
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- Selfie sample from the Redmi Camera
The Redmi Note 7 comes with both Face Unlock and Fingerprint scanner at the back. Unfortunately, Face unlock doesn’t work unless you change your region to India. I don’t know why this is so, maybe the Redmi smartphones were originally made for the India market. The Fingerprint sensor, on the other hand, works great and should be all you need to unlock the device as the Face Unlock on the device isn’t as secure as the former.
Battery Performance
A 4,000mAh battery powers the Redmi Note 7 and thanks to the 12nm process technology of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC here, power consumption should be pretty low which should translate to good battery performance.
The brick in the box provides only 10W(5V/2A) of power to the battery which is understandable given the price, however, the device itself supports up to Quick Charge 4.0 so getting a compatible Quick Charge 3.0 or 4.0 charger will lead lower charging time by a considerable amount. We were able to get a full day’s use with about 10 hours screen on time and still had 10% left. Pretty impressive for a midranger if you ask me.
Connectivity
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 comes with all the needed connectivity options. You also get a 4G LTE that works on all the major networks providers in Nigeria except on Glo Network. The device also ticks all the boxes when it comes to the sensor and they include an accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, rotation vector, step counter, motion detector, orientation, light sensor, gravity, proximity, pedometer, compass etc
Charging is done through the Type-C port and there is a 3.5mm audio jack at the top as well together with a notification LED. There’s even an infrared LED so you can use your phone as a remote control. Bluetooth 5.0 and the Wi-Fi 5 protocol are also present.
Call Quality
In terms of call quality, the device is not a slot, calls are clear and you will have no problem hearing what the other person is saying even in a crowded environment. There is an additional amplification level as when making a call. Pressing the Volume+button during a speaker call when the volume is already at its maximum will activate a specific mode that, according to Xiaomi, will raise the output level by an additional 40 percent! All this will do is make you regret the fact that there is only one speaker.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: Availability
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 will go sale on Jumia starting April 29th and on Slot and Pointek starting May 6. The 3GB/32GB configuration will cost N58,000, 4GB/64GB will go for N66,900 and the 4GB/128GB goes for N74,900.
Pros
- Big Display
- Superb Battery
- Great Camera
- Excellent Build Quality/Design
Cons
- Hybrid SIM
- No Quick Charger (QC3.0 or QC4.0) included in the box.
- No earphones
- Ads in the app’s suggestion area
- Does not Support Glo 4G Band
Verdict
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is probably the most bang for buck midrange smartphone you can get right now at N58,000 for the base model with 3GB/32GB and N66,900 for the 4GB/64GB, No other midrange comes close to this.
It also checks all the boxes with the cons being something you can fix except for the Hybrid SIM. If 32GB or 64GB won’t be enough and you really want to use Two SIM cards, you can go for the 4GB/128GB which should be more than enough for your files. You can also get a Qualcomm Quick Charge compatible charger for faster charger speeds and earphones.
There you have it guys, the review of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7. What is your opinion about the device? If there is one thing you don’t like about the phone, what could that thing be?
Awesome
A stylish beasty Phone with an Unbeatable Price tag. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 with an octa-core CPU (4x Kryo 260 2.2GHz and 4x Kryo 260 1.8GHz) and Adreno 512 GPU paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of Storage. Capable 4000mAh battery and a dual camera rear camera that delivers. The Redmi Note 7 is a champ among midrange devices
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Design
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Display
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Camera
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Performance
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Battery
