Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: Build and Design compared

By Hardik Singh | Updated Mar 13 2021

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is a fitting return for Xiaomi after what has been a pretty long slumber. But does it hold up against competitors like the LeEco Le 1s and Honor 5X? While we're working on a detailed comparison as well, here's how they compare in form.

The three phones in question are powered by different SoCs and as you may have seen our review, when it comes to performance, the Redmi Note 3 leaves the other two behind in the dust. However, all three feature a 5.5-inch display at the front and a full metal unibody design.

Note: You can check our spec comparison here.

Starting with the display, all three phones have a 5.5-inch display and they all use an IPS panel. But, if you compare screen to body ratio, the Le 1s comes at the top. The viewing angles on the three phones are quite good as well and the Redmi Note 3 has the brightest display amongst the three.

The metal build of all three phones is quite good. However, the Le 1s offers better grip, making it more ergonomic. It is also thinner than the other two smartphones.

The fingerprint sensor on all three phones are at the back. As you can see, the Le 1s and the Redmi Note 3 have a circular sensor, the one of the Honor 5X is square. However, that doesn't hinder the functionality.

The build of the phones is mostly metal, but there are plastic strips on the top and bottom for radio antennas. You can also see that the rear camera on the Le 1s sits on the top right, unlike the other two, which have their respective cameras in the centre.

While the Honor 5X and the Le 1s have speakers at the bottom of the phone, Xiaomi has gone for a more traditional approach and has put the speaker at the back.

All three phones have dual SIM support, but their microSD card support functionality is different. The Le 1s does not support a microSD card. The Redmi Note 3 does support a microSD card slot, but it loses its secondary SIM slot, while the Honor 5X offers a dedicated SD card slot.