We’ve recently gotten our hands with the Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 3 Pro. This version is equipped with a Snapdragon 650 chip and is more expensive than the Mediatek-powered Redmi Note 3 (notice the Pro moniker differentiation).
Priced at around Php 11,000 pesos in the Philippines, will it be better and faster than the cheaper model? Let’s find out in our comprehensive comparison and full review of the Redmi Note 3 Pro PH variant.
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The Redmi Note 3 Pro packs a similar design with the original. The very HTC-like look is quite uninteresting, with the handset delivering a smooth back feel into it.
The power button and volume rocker are conveniently placed on the right side of the device while the fingerprint scanner is neatly placed on the back of the phone, which we actually prefer. Speaker is also seen to be on the rear semi-bottom part of the handset, which is actually a pretty convenient placing for speakers.
The Redmi Note 3 Pro feels lightweight and is easy to handle. Its design is nevertheless a good one, but not entirely unique.
The Redmi Note 3 Pro packs a 5.5-inch 1080p FHD display, which is similar to its original variant. The color was seen to be really vibrant, with reddish castings and a bit off in the white balance department. Viewing angles on the Redmi Note 3 was actually satisfactorily, with its brightness level and capability at a very convenient level.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro has an upgraded 16MP rear shooting, which should deliver a better camera performance than its original variant. Through daylight shooting, the Redmi Note 3 Pro was able to deliver surprisingly good outputs, with pleasing colors and medium white balance and brightness on viewing.
See also: Best mid-range Android camera battle
Detail preservation was a huge letdown, though, which is ironically where the original variant flopped on. Night shots, on the other hand, was really brought down the Redmi Note 3 Pro’s camera performance. Outputs were a little off in the noise department and wasn’t that all appealing.
Selfie shots from its 5MP front camera were actually quite a saving grace on the device. It’s not entirely good, but it did deliver.
The Snapdragon 650 chip plus its 2GB or 3GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB internal storage expandable with up to 128GB microSD card. A fairly standard Adreno 510 graphics keeps things going for graphics, which is actually not that amazing though it still does its job. Overall hardware performance was actually smooth and it actually delivered a better performance than its original variant.
One thing to take notice though is the heating issue felt upon multitasking.
Benchmark score is at 65099, which is quite satisfactorily, but heating issues upon activating the camera app and shooting a bunch of photos were felt.
Benchmark scores for both Redmi Note 3 handsets
Like on the Redmi Note 3, the UI department wasn’t entirely one of our favourites.
The unproductive looking MIUI 7.0 was quite unbearable, to say the least. To add, we’re not actually enjoying the Mi store as much as the other Android app stores, because it lacked diversity in apps.
The Redmi Note 3 Pro packs a whopping 4050mAh battery capacity. With that amount of battery capacity, it was no surprise that the handset lasted for a day and a half upon moderate use. Charging time was rather pretty good, with a 1-hour and 39-minute charging length.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro Battery
Speaker output was seen to be rather average and volume power and quality was overall so and so. Quality was considered to be generic with manageable audio power, however, nothing really peek our interest in its generic rear speaker.
The budget Php 11-12K Redmi Note 3 Pro seems to an “almost exact copy” of its original variant with little-to-no changes seen exterior-wise. It’s Snapdragon 650 chip felt more of a performer than its MediaTek Helio X10 counterpart.
If you want to know whether to go for the upgraded Redmi Note 3 Pro or its original one, we can safely refer you over to the original. The more affordable Redmi Note 3 feels more of a bang-for-your-buck than the said upgraded variant.
Features that we loved on the Redmi Note 3 Pro
Features that we didn’t love on the Redmi Note 3 Pro
| Specs/PH price |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro specs, features, PH price |
| Display | 5.5-inch 1080 FHD display, 403ppi |
| Size | 8.7mm thick, 164g weight |
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Design | Aluminum unibody |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 chipset |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 & Dual-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A72 processor |
| Graphics | Adreno 510 GPU |
| Memory | 2GB/3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of ROM, microSD card up to 128GB |
| Main shooter | 16MP rear shooter, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection |
| Multimedia | 1080p video recorder |
| Front-facing shooter | 5MP selfie shooter, f/2.0 aperture |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, WiFi ac, BT 4.1, GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| OS | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, MIUI 7.0 |
| Software features | Ok google, Android TV |
| Ports and charging | microUSB v2.0, USB on-the-go |
| Battery capacity | 4050mAh battery |
| Release date | February 2016 |
| Official price | Php 11,000 – Php 12,000 online price |
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Kiko says:
Hi wala ba problem sa smart lte yung connectivity nya
qws says:
Hi, The Snapdragon 650 processor offers
many advantages:
+ 4K video capture and playback
+ 64-bit dual ARM® CortexTM-A72 CPU
and quad Cortex-A53 CPU
+ Integrated X8 LTE
• LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation
up to 2×20 MHz in the downlink and
uplink
• Cat 7 with support for peak speeds of
300 Mbps download/100 Mbps
upload
+ Next generation Qualcomm® AdrenoTM
510 GPU makes high-tier graphics and
gaming more immersive than ever
+ Quad HD (2K) displays and wireless
streaming full HD
+ Dual ISP (image signal processor)
offers support for up to 21MP zero
shutter lag (ZSL) photos at 24fps
+ Tight system integration and
optimization for superior performance
and power efficiency
Fast Charging
+ Qualcomm® Quick ChargeTM 3.0
NFC
Near Field Communications
Supported
Ronald Sergio says:
Hi Sir. May I just ask if you can transfer apps to the SD card?
Jade Jardinico says:
You can using a dedicated app. But I suggest not to this as Xiaomi does not fully support this yet. You may get some error if will not do it right.
Ronald Sergio says:
With all the constant updates from apps, do you think that the designated memory space out of the 32 GB is enough and would last me at least 2-3 years?
Jade Jardinico says:
it’s enough. I am pretty sure you wont play those hefty games on the next year or so. Plus there’s a storage management for your memory
Ladiesman247 says:
Hi. You wrote that it can be purchased via online stores for only 11k. Any specific site? I’m really considering this phone.
Jade Jardinico says:
hi Try checking widgetcity
Helmut Laudehr says:
Hi , any idea where i can buy it in Manila ?
Jade Jardinico says:
Hi. sorry for late rep. We searched from online stores it seems widgetcity is the only store that offers here in PH.