The Xiaomi Redmi Note was launched in India today and the company surprised us by launching a 4G LTE enabled version as well. The device is Xiaomi's first phablet in the country and will start selling from December 2, with the 4G version scheduled for the second half of December. The company had earlier launched the Xiaomi Mi3 and Xiaomi Redmi 1S.
Build
While the Redmi Note is a sturdily built device, it is big, thick and bulky. The size is a result of the 5.5 inch display, but it is definitely not the best looking or lightest phone in the market. The phone weighs all of 199 grams.
Rear Camera
The device has a 13 MP rear camera with an f/2.2 sensor and LED flash. The camera seemed to impress on first impressions, but it still can't compare to the Mi3's rear camera.
Front Camera
Keeping in mind the growing 'selfie' trend, the company has provided a 5 MP front camera for selfie lovers. Something selfie lovers will definitely like.
Buttons
The right side of the device has the volume rocker and power on/off buttons, while the left side has been left empty.
Body
The device has a 3.5 mm jack on the top, with a glossy rear cover, which gives it a somewhat low-end feel. Considering the price though, it shouldn't be a very big complaint.
Storage and USB
The micro-USB charging slot has been placed at the bottom of the device. The device has 8 GB of internal storage, with 32 GB expandable memory on the 3G version and 64 GB on the 4G version.
3G/4G
The company launched two versions of the device, one that is 4G enabled, while the other supports only 3G. The 3G version runs on the MediaTek MT6592 octa-core SoC along with MiUI 5 layered over Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The 4G version on the other hand has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC and KitKat with MiUI 5. Both devices support 2A fast charging, but the 4G device takes only one SIM. They both have 2 GB of RAM.