The most awaited Xiaomi smartphones have finally arrived in India last February 14. Now, the question is: What’s the difference? If you’re planning on buying one and confused if you should get the Note 5 or the Pro variant, which is more worth it?
The Note 5 and Note 5 pro are almost the same in the dimensions and weight category, the Note 5 coming with 158.5 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm, 180 grams, while the Note 5 Pro with 158.6 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm, 181 grams. It’s a very small difference on paper, so I think users wouldn’t find this a big deal.
Both Xiaomi phones feature a 5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+) IPS LCD display. In addition to their similarities, they both run on Android 7.1.2 Nougat, MIUI 9 and pack a 4000 mAh battery.
The main difference between the phones would be in the camera category and the chipset. The Note 5 comes with the Snapdragon 625 SoC which has been the most SoC of 2017 budget phones. Now, the Note 5 Pro comes with the new Snapdragon 636, which is more powerful than the latter.
In the camera department, the Redmi Note 5 has a single 12 MP rear camera, on the other hand, the Pro variant features a dual 12 MP + 5 MP rear cameras, and thanks to the additional 5MP camera, it can take better portrait photos or with bokeh effect. For the selfie snappers, the Note 5 carries a 5 MP camera, while the Pro has a 20MP selfie snapper.
| SPECS | Redmi Note 5 | Redmi Note 5 Pro |
| Display | 5.99-inch Full HD+ 2,160 x 1,080 resolution 403 ppi 18:9 aspect ratio 2.5D curved glass |
5.99-inch Full HD+ 2,160 x 1,080 resolution 403 ppi 18:9 aspect ratio 2.5D curved glass |
| Processor | 2.0 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 | 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Adreno 509 |
| RAM | 3/4 GB | 4/6 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB | 64 GB |
| Cameras | Rear: 12 MP sensor, 1.25 μm pixel size, f/2.2 apertureFront: 5 MP sensor, LED Selfie-light, Beautify 3.0 | Rear: Dual 12 MP + 5 MP – 12 MP sensor with 1.25μm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture –20 MP Sony IMX376 sensor, LED Selfie-light, Beautify 4.0 |
| Battery | 4000 mAh 5V/2A charging |
4,000 mAh 5V/2A charging |
| Software | Android 7.1.2 Nougat MIUI 9 |
Android 7.1.1 Nougat MIUI 9 |
| Dimensions and weight | 158.5 × 75.45 × 8.05 mm 180 g |
158.6 × 75.4 × 8.05 mm 181 g |
For the price, the difference between the two is huge. The Note 5 carries a price tag of €125/$155, and a €176/$218 for the Pro version. In our opinion, it’s best to purchase the Note 5 Pro if you want to capture better photos and if you want a phone with better performance too. But if you’re short on budget, the Note 5 is a good choice as well.
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