Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Worth bearing the MIUI ads?

Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi recently launched the Redmi Note 7 series in India. The most expensive of all of them is the Redmi Note 7 Pro. The smartphone comes with a 48-megapixel camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor. But how do these specifications convert to real-world performance? Let's find out in our full review of the Redmi Note 7 Pro.

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Specifications

Redmi Note 7 Pro sports a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels and a waterdrop style notch. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. The device comes with 64GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable using a microSD card. It runs on Android 9.0 Pie based MIUI 10 out of the box. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.

As for the optics, it features a dual camera set up at the back, consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor along with a 5-megapixel lens for depth sensing. For selfies, it sports a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Design

Out of all the smartphones available in this price segment, the Redmi Note 7 Pro gives a more premium in-hand feel when compared to others. The premium feel comes from the metal-glass sandwich design and a nearly bezel-less display upfront. Though the Black colour looks stealth, the company even has more flashy Neptune Blue and Nebula Red colour options.

As far as the placements are concerned, front of the smartphone gets a notched display with a speaker grille right above it. Coming to the back, Redmi Note 7 Pro sports a dual-camera setup paired with an LED flash aligned vertically on the top-left corner. It is worth noting that the camera setup has a bump and we highly recommend slapping a case on to avoid scratching the lens. Also, the fingerprint sensor is towards the top middle of the device. At last, there is a "Redmi by Xiaomi" branding at the bottom.

Also Read: Redmi Note 7 Review: Is it no more the budget king?

As for the sides, the volume rocker and the power button sit on the right edge, whereas, the left edge only gets the hybrid SIM tray. The bottom edge sports the USB Type-C port along with the speaker and main microphone and the top edge holds the headphone jack and a secondary microphone.

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Software

Just like all other Xiaomi phones, Redmi Note 7 Pro runs on a customised Android skin called MIUI. The smartphone comes with Android 9 Pie based MIUI 10 operating system. While the UI offers tons of great features along with a high level of customizability, it makes things heavy on the RAM.

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Performance

Redmi Note 7 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor. We had the 4GB RAM variant to test out and did not face any issues while playing heavy games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9. Even the daily tasks were a breeze on the smartphone, thanks to the optimisations made to MIUI. However, I did face a system crash once, which is not that big of an issue.

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Camera

The camera section is something most of you must have been excited about, as the Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with a 48-megapixel primary sensor at the back. While 2018, was the year of notches, 2019 is all about maximising the camera megapixel count. This is why Redmi decided to go in with the Sony IMX586 48-megapixel sensor.

With the help of a huge pixel count, the phone manages to capture some highly detailed images even in the dark. Though it is not the best camera phones out there, it surely manages to beat the most in the price range. As for the selfies, there is a 13-megapixel selfie shooter, which also does a decent job.

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Battery

The battery is where the Redmi Note phones tend to really shine. The Redmi Note 7 Pro, is the combination of the MIUI optimisations and the 4,000mAh battery, both of which combined make it last for more than a day.

During my time with the device, I usually pulled out the charger at around 8 AM and by 11:30 PM, I still had around 25 percent juice left most of the days. With light to moderate usage, one can easily pull off a two-day battery backup.

Also Read: Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro First Impressions: The real deal?

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Verdict

Redmi Note 7 Pro is one of the best smartphones under Rs. 15,000. It manages to bring the perfect balance between design, performance and price. While there are options like Samsung Galaxy M30s and Realme 5 Pro, the Redmi Note 7 Pro still outperforms them in most of the areas.

However, Xiaomi also recently announced a price drop for the Poco F1, making it a much better deal when compared to the 6GB RAM variant of the Redmi Note 7 Pro.

In a nutshell, if you are looking for a decent smartphone that can fulfil most of your needs without burning a hole in your pocket, you should go for the Redmi Note 7 Pro.