Redmi Note 3 vs Redmi 3S Prime

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 3 in Gold  colour on March 9, 2016 and was declared to be an instant hit. Probably they literally "struck" gold with this one.  You can read its review here : Redmi Note 3 (Gold) Review

However just 5 months later , Redmi has now launched a 3S Prime version of the Note 3.

However new is not always better and you may have to think twice before considering the 3S Prime over the Note 3

Why Redmi 3S Prime is Better 

• Price

The Note 3 was priced at Rs. 9,999(16GB ROM/2GB RAM) and 12K (for 32GB ROM/3GB RAM) version. Interestingly, the 3S Prime has been priced Rs.3000 cheaper at just 8,999 for a  32 GB/3GB variant .  This may immediately seem like a better deal in paper , to think you are getting a newer variant with a higher capacity for 3K cheaper(compared to a 2GB variant)

• Operating System

3S Prime comes with Android Marshmallow (v6) compared to Lollipop in Note 3 (no official word on a OS upgrade yet on the latter) .

• Screen Size 

Redmi Note 3, similar to its "Note" predecessors came with a 5.5 ' screen (which became a screen standard for similar brands like OnePlus ,Asus,LeEco, Motorola etc)3S prime however comes with a reduced 5' IPS display screen .  This could be an interesting strategy among a growing discontent of large screen phones, that's difficult to handle with a single hand or keep it securely in a shirt/jeans pocket.(On Similar lines Apple iPhone SE came up with a 4' screen for a 40K price tag,but it bombed heavily in the Indian market )

Why Redmi Note 3 is better ?

 

• Processor : 

Apart from the RAM, the processor is the key in ensuring that the phone can handle multiple applications at once, doesnt lag or hang , and can work a whole lot faster.  Quite disappointingly, Redmi 3S Prime has opted/downgraded for a " Snapdragon 430 Octa Core 1.4 GHz" processor when compared to a relatively powerful Snapdragon 650 64-bit 1.8 GHz. This can mean significantly poor performance in the 3S Prime and can handle only very basic apps

• Camera

The Redmi series have never enjoyed the brilliance of a Xiaomi Mi Series camera , but Note 3 offered  a very decent camera quality to the consumers and came with a 16MP/5MP camera
3S Prime, for reasons unknown comes with a reduced camera resolution of just 13MP in the rear while the front remains the same ( All early reports indicates a very poor photo clarity taken in the 3S prime)

• Resolution 

Source : ccm.net

Redmi Note 3 was on target with a Full HD, 1920 x 1080 Pixels resolution. The Redmi 3S prime on the other hand is just 1280 x 720 Pixels and doesnt offer a full HD resolution
(Again a significant downgrade from the Note 3 series)

Comparison Summary :

Redmi 3S Prime Redmi Note 3 Price 8999 11,999 Resolution HD, 1280 x 720 Pixels          Full HD, 1920 x 1080 Pixels Graphics Adreno 505 Adreno 510 Processor Snapdragon 430  1.4 GHz   Snapdragon 650  1.8 GHz Camera 13 megapixel  16 megapixel RAM 3GB 3GB Storage 32GB 32GB Verdict Redmi Note 3 overpowers the 3S Prime in all aspects including Camera, Resolution, Processor and even a bigger screen size. Even if the 3K price difference bothers you, you can still opt for the 2GB Ram variant of Redmi Note 3 at 9K and be content, than purchasing the 3S Prime With the 3S Prime, it clearly shows that the folks at Redmi and Xiaomi are just experimenting with their existing models without driving anything new. The mark of a Xiaomi brand is its innovation, quality and sturdiness. This is very clearly lacking in all departments when it comes to the 3S Prime. I'd sincerely hope Redmi discontinues the "Prime" series in future and stops experimenting on the Note series. Buy it here :  You can buy the Redmi 3S Prime here : http://fkrt.it/rFJ9RNNNNN Redmi Note 3 Purchase Link :   http://fkrt.it/VdzVNuuuuN

Redmi Note 3 (Gold) Review

Right from the onset, Xiaomi has set one objective quite clear. They want to emulate the iPhone models and someday try to be better than them. They began by pricing their phones (Starting with Mi3) nearly 30% of a usual iPhone . The phone had a rock solid metal body, a super fast OS without the Launcher (just like an iPhone) and a brilliant camera. Without any second guesses, stocks flew off the digital shelves, through the flash sales conducted by Flipkart

Launch of Redmi Note 3 however has grabbed some eyeballs definitely, not because of their hardware specifications, but primarily the "iPhone" like design . Even the colours weren't spared as they have launched the exact 3 colours of the iPhone 6/6S, namely Silver, Space Grey and wait for it, Rose Gold.

But nevertheless, the Redmi Note 3 definitely warrants a good rating

Price  (Rating : 10/ 10)

The price point is almost exactly similar to other recently launched models. The 10-13K price segment is the hottest in the industry and almost everyone prefers to get something in this budget. (Very few actually opt in for the 25K phones and there's a whole different segment that insists on getting only a 50K iPhone)
Redmi Note 3 is priced at 10K and should definitely admit that it is worth every penny for that price or even more. Good luck even finding a piece , as most pieces seem to fly out of the shelves every time it comes back in stock

Processor (Rating 8/10)


A Snapdragon 650 Processor easily does the trick for Redmi Note 3 . The apps loads very fast and doesn't seem to have any lagging issues

Battery (Rating : 10/ 10) :

One of the most impressive features about the phone is its humongous battery capacity. With a 4050mah battery, this easily gets to power for more than 1-1.5 days even with heavy usage. That to me is a single major advantage that tips the favour of this phone. Almost all phones in the 10-13K doesn't cross the 3000mah limit


 Storage (Rating : 8 / 10) 

  It comes with a default 16GB storage and a optional SD Card slot which relieve the phone of some of the large photo and music files a user wanna carry. Incidentally it also comes with a 32 GB version at 2K extra . On a practical note, the same 16gb SD card would cost you anywhere less than 300rs and better to spend on that instead of a 32gb version model


RAM (Rating : 6 /10) :


Slightly disappointing expectations on this front, the Note 3 comes with only a 2GB RAM and almost everyone would have second guessed and expected a 3GB RAM. The extra 1GB RAM if it had been there would have made a lot of difference to handle several applications and big graphic intensive games. However for a normal user who'd probably use it only for Music/FB/Calling/Whatsapp, 2GB is more than sufficient for the phone to handle its tasks.  You may tend to see some minor overheating now and then after a long call or playing a game, but it shouldn't be of any concern


Camera (Rating : 6 /10 )

The most important feature while selecting a phone is the camera. Xiaomi usually has excellent cameras in their phone , since their Mi3. However the Redmi series has always been a letdown in the camera perspective and never really had much focus on it.  Though they claim to have a 16MP camera rear and 5MP in front, the photos lack sharpness and not as bright in comparison with a similarly priced phone like the Moto G3/G4

OS , General Performance, Design & Overall Rating  :  8/10

Xiaomi 's MIUI is fantastic as always. Smooth , launcher less user interface and works like a charm. It never seems to hang even when multiple applications were opened . The design is also beautiful with the Golden colour to be the highlight of this launch.

Verdict : A definite buy and easily one among the top budget phones in the market

Xiaomi Mi 5 : A Pre - Review !

The much awaited day for Xiaomi loyalists is here. A breed , similar to Apple users, Xiaomi users have predominantly stuck to the brand quite fiercely since its launch in India.

Unlike Apple which saw it going back on the technology line to launch an  smaller 4' iPhone SE phone for a 40,000 INR pricetag, Xiaomi has held strong to launch a really fast powerful phone and from the features , it certainly doesn't disappoint. They certainly have delivered and even beaten expectations

Price : 25K INR
To begin with ,this is by far their most expensive phones at a price tag of 24,999 . Can it see a price drop after 4-5 months ?
Most probably yes, probably to compete with the likes of Nexus 5X and OnePlusTwo (both of them started at 25000 and now selling it at 23,000)

The Mi4 during its launch was priced at 20-21K price tag and now retailing at just 15K in Flipkart. Though the sales of Mi4 hadnt taken off like its predecessor Mi3 , they are high chances that the Mi5 might definitely a big hit

So what do we get new for the extra 10K in the Mi5, when compared with the Mi4 ?

Storage : 32GB (non expandable)
 

Mi5 now sports a 32 GB internal memory compared to 16GB internal space in Mi4
Again, there is no external SD card slot, but to a large segment of the population, 32 GB should be more than sufficient. It however supports OTG Pen drives which can be used to access external storage data

Battery : With no surprise, Mi5 comes with a 3100 mah non-removable battery , that can easily last more than a day or two depending on heavy your usage is and can definitely not leave you stranded with no battery to spare at a crucial time

Processor & Speed : One of the key points of Xiaomi phones are their minimalistic interfaces and fast response times. With a Snapdragon 820 Processor and 3GB RAM, this is definitely gonna be way faster than its predecessors

Camera :  MI claims that it has a special 4axis  optical image stabilization and a next gen 16MP sensor with a sony camera . This is one of their key selling points for Mi5 ,but early product reviewers claim it may not be the case. Though the images may definitely be way sharper and better than other Mi Phones, it may not really give a run for its money when compared to the raw images shots of Nexus , OnePlus 2 or the Iphone 6s (This is a point not personally tested and only mentioning from general reviews of product testers yet)

Other Miscellaneous Features :

• USB C connectivity
• Quick charge option
• Fingerprint Sensors
• 3D Glass Body (No more cheap plastics)

Verdict : Can someone consider ditching that expensive 50K iPhone and go for the Mi5?

A definite Yes without a moment's notice !!

Mi Earphones Basic Review

I have always admired the Xiaomi brand for delivering rock solid phones with excellent quality at a game changing price. Probably they were the ones who influenced other brands to sharply reduce the prices and gave Samsung and HTC's a run for their money. The MI 3 , MI 4 were a huge success when they were launched and the product's quality was proof enough that the brand was serious about quality

With this confidence, I happened to spot the Xiaomi In-Ear Earphones for 299 (+40 Deliver) in the MI.com site . With good descriptions and images, I was quite convinced that they will somehow become a super hit in the earhpones industry as well and challenge Sennheiser , Sony, SkullCandy and the likes. However my joy and expectation was shortlived when I was quite literally vastly disappointed at the earphones I had received.


For Rs.349 , this definitely was one of my biggest mistakes in trusting a brand without reading extensive reviews of it. The earphone was white in colour and had a flat wire which claimed to be non-tangled one.

The first time I heard a few songs , connected through my phone, I realized that this is a bad investment. Though the sound clarity was fine, the earphones provided absolutely no boost or any effect to the song. Both Bass and Treble was completely absent and I had the feeling of listening to a FM radio when in fact a a nice EDM track with 320 KBPS was playing in my phone.

The song was flat , with 0 bass and you could hear the thumping beats and punchy sounds getting dissolved in the background and what you could hear was an average audio quality of the song

Another key issue while buying directly through MI.com was the fact that there is no return policy on this one. They replace if there are any defects but no returns if you dont like the product

Verdict : Do not buy!!

There are plenty of phones in the 300-400 Range in Panasonic, Philips and Creative that offer . If you can go a little higher you can even get a Sennheiser brand :  Sennheiser MX170 for 600rs which is a fantastic buy