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Introducing the new Xiaomi Redmi note 8 Pro
Permit me to say that the Redmi lineup has been one of the most sought-after budget smartphones for years now, but with competition heating up in the segment, Xioami needed to step up its game to stay afloat. The Redmi Note 8 Pro is an attempt to do that and has a lot to offer for the price delivering new hardware and a set of much-needed features.
Packing the brand new Helio G90T chipset along with a huge 4,500 mAh battery with fast charging and a quad-camera setup on the back, the Redmi Note 8 Pro has all that it takes to be a competitive handset. At first glance, performance is comparable to flagships from last year while the camera setup aims to provide a versatile experience on the cheap.
Moreover, Note 8 Pro is one of the first devices to incorporate the brand new 64MP sensor from Samsung with native pixel-binning technology. We are expecting good low-light performance and competent Night mode to complement the overall camera performance
Body: 161.4 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, 200g; plastic frame, Gorilla Glass 5 front and back.
Display: 6.53" IPS LCD, HDR support, 1080 x 2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
Rear camera: Primary: 64MP, f/1.9 aperture, 1/1.7" sensor size, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF. Ultra wide: 8MP, f/2.2, 1/4", 1.12µm pixels. Macro camera: 2MP, f/2.4, 1/5", 1.75µm Depth sensor:2MP; 2160p@30fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@960fps video recording.
Front camera: 20MP, f/2.0 aperture, 0.9µm pixels. 1080p/30fps video recording.
OS: Android 9 Pie; MIUI 10.
Chipset: Mediatek Helio G90T (12nm): Octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G76 MC4 GPU.
Memory: 6GB of RAM; 64/128GB storage; shared microSD slot.
Battery: 4,500mAh; 18W MediaTek Pump Express and USB Power Delivery support.
Connectivity: Dual-SIM; LTE-A, 4-Band carrier aggregation, LTE Cat-12/ Cat-13; USB-C; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; dual-band GPS; Bluetooth 5.0;
Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader; single down-firing speaker; NFC; FM radio.
Skimming through the specs sheet reveals only one drawback so far, and that's the choice of cameras. In the quad-camera array on the back, a telephoto unit is missing. Instead, you get a dedicated macro lens, and it remains to be seen whether the macro camera makes any difference compared to taking a standard close-up shot with the main camera and then cropping. Those 64MP can be put to work.
Then again, you can say the same for the telephoto. The 64MP sensor could very well be enough for more than decent 2x stills, so why would anyone need a dedicated lens when you have so many pixels to work with? Let's delve deep into the phone itself and try to answer the questions at hand
Unboxing the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
Unfortunately, our unit came barebones so we can't be sure what the original package contains, but we can confirm that it ships with the appropriate fast charger in the box. Or that's at least what Xiaomi's official website says. The charging brick is capped at 18W and supports USB Power Delivery, which in turn means that you get a USB-C to USB-C cable for data transfer and charging in the box.
In terms of design, the Redmi Note 8 Pro isn't a big departure from its predecessor, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Redmi Note 7 Pro had Gorilla Glass 5 for its front and back, and the new Note 8 Pro has the same configuration. The side frame is made of plastic, which is more shock-absorbent than metal if you look on the bright side of things. Also, at roughly the same dimensions (the Redmi 8 Pro is negligibly wider and taller, of course), the new Note offers more screen - 6.53" vs. 6.3".
However, the same cannot be said about the weight. The Note 8 Pro is measurably heavier, and it's easy to notice. At 200 grams, the handset is one of the heftiest around, and it's top-heavy too. It interferes with the grip a little as the phone tends to lean to the front when holding it with one hand. Perhaps the camera stack adds to the weight more than the 4,500 mAh battery does.
Speaking of grip, as one would expect, the Redmi Note 8 Pro doesn't receive any bonus points here. The glass back is slippery like any other glossy back, and while the frame successfully imitates metal, it doesn't help with the grip either. The curved panel to the sides does help with ergonomics and usability with one hand though.
The camera bump on the back makes a strong impression, though. It sticks out more than we would like, and the phone wobbles when lying flat on its back. Interestingly enough, the macro lens isn't on the bump, but it keeps the company to the LED flash on the right side of the array. Also, the highlighted camera is the 2MP depth sensor, and then comes the main 64MP shooter and then the ultra-wide. Finally, the fingerprint reader is sitting on the same bump.
It does make sense to put it there in a way as the bump helps you find the scanner by touch, but it also forces you to stretch your finger a bit higher to reach it, and you can sometimes smudge the ultra-wide camera with your attempts to unlock the phone.
We had no such trouble with the power button and the volume rocker, though. Both seem adequately placed on the right side, within thumb's reach.
The bottom offers the usual speaker grille, USB-C connector, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The left side of the frame is reserved only to the SIM card tray while the top houses an IR blast - neat feature.
Which brings us finally to the front of the phone. It's not something out of the ordinary as it houses a familiar screen design with a minimalist waterdrop-style notch and rather thin bezels around. At least considering the price range.
Battery life
Having a generous 4,500 mAh battery and a rather power-efficient SoC, one would expect good battery life. However, we were even more surprised with the results. The handset got stellar results on the screen-on tests as well as on the standby and 3G talk time. The phone's overall rating is 114 hours, which puts it in top 20 in our battery ranking.
Perhaps the chipset is more efficient than we thought it was in the first place because phones with similar scores usually carry at least 5,000 mAh units.
When it comes to fast charging, though, the phone didn't impress. Of course, given the price range, it's a huge advantage to support USB Power Delivery but the 18W standard can take you only so far. In 30 minutes, the phone charged from flat to 39% using a compatible PD charger with USB-C to USB-C cable. We are pretty sure that the original charger will be performing similarly.
We tried to investigate whether the chipset also supports Quick Charge 4.0+ since MediaTek's Pump Express charging tech and Qualcomm's QC 4.0+ are based on USB Power Delivery, but we weren't able to confirm for sure. All of the compatible chargers in our office support Power Delivery and Quick Charge 4.0+ simultaneously and perhaps you won't be able to find a pure QC 4.0+ as well. One thing is for sure, though, if you are near a PD-capable charger, you can use it for quick top-ups for your Redmi Note 8 Pro.
Audio quality
The Redmi Note 8 Pro performed brilliantly with an active amplifier, delivering the perfectly accurate output you can expect in this scenario at some of the highest volume levels we've measured. And we are not taking just its price range here - it's louder than most flagships too.
Unfortunately the clarity of the output takes a significant hit when headphones come into play - stereo crosstalk spikes a lot, intermodulation distortion comes into the picture and the frequency response gets a slight shakiness to it. Volume drops a bit, but the Redmi Note 8 Pro remains one of the loudest handsets out there, so nothing to worry there, at least.
Permit me to say that the Redmi lineup has been one of the most sought-after budget smartphones for years now, but with competition heating up in the segment, Xioami needed to step up its game to stay afloat. The Redmi Note 8 Pro is an attempt to do that and has a lot to offer for the price delivering new hardware and a set of much-needed features.
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| The new Xiaomi Redmi note 8 pro mygistpoint |
Packing the brand new Helio G90T chipset along with a huge 4,500 mAh battery with fast charging and a quad-camera setup on the back, the Redmi Note 8 Pro has all that it takes to be a competitive handset. At first glance, performance is comparable to flagships from last year while the camera setup aims to provide a versatile experience on the cheap.
Moreover, Note 8 Pro is one of the first devices to incorporate the brand new 64MP sensor from Samsung with native pixel-binning technology. We are expecting good low-light performance and competent Night mode to complement the overall camera performance
Body: 161.4 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, 200g; plastic frame, Gorilla Glass 5 front and back.
Display: 6.53" IPS LCD, HDR support, 1080 x 2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
Rear camera: Primary: 64MP, f/1.9 aperture, 1/1.7" sensor size, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF. Ultra wide: 8MP, f/2.2, 1/4", 1.12µm pixels. Macro camera: 2MP, f/2.4, 1/5", 1.75µm Depth sensor:2MP; 2160p@30fps, 1080p@120fps, 720p@960fps video recording.
Front camera: 20MP, f/2.0 aperture, 0.9µm pixels. 1080p/30fps video recording.
OS: Android 9 Pie; MIUI 10.
Chipset: Mediatek Helio G90T (12nm): Octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G76 MC4 GPU.
Memory: 6GB of RAM; 64/128GB storage; shared microSD slot.
Battery: 4,500mAh; 18W MediaTek Pump Express and USB Power Delivery support.
Connectivity: Dual-SIM; LTE-A, 4-Band carrier aggregation, LTE Cat-12/ Cat-13; USB-C; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; dual-band GPS; Bluetooth 5.0;
Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader; single down-firing speaker; NFC; FM radio.
Skimming through the specs sheet reveals only one drawback so far, and that's the choice of cameras. In the quad-camera array on the back, a telephoto unit is missing. Instead, you get a dedicated macro lens, and it remains to be seen whether the macro camera makes any difference compared to taking a standard close-up shot with the main camera and then cropping. Those 64MP can be put to work.
Then again, you can say the same for the telephoto. The 64MP sensor could very well be enough for more than decent 2x stills, so why would anyone need a dedicated lens when you have so many pixels to work with? Let's delve deep into the phone itself and try to answer the questions at hand
Unboxing the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
Unfortunately, our unit came barebones so we can't be sure what the original package contains, but we can confirm that it ships with the appropriate fast charger in the box. Or that's at least what Xiaomi's official website says. The charging brick is capped at 18W and supports USB Power Delivery, which in turn means that you get a USB-C to USB-C cable for data transfer and charging in the box.
Design
In terms of design, the Redmi Note 8 Pro isn't a big departure from its predecessor, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Redmi Note 7 Pro had Gorilla Glass 5 for its front and back, and the new Note 8 Pro has the same configuration. The side frame is made of plastic, which is more shock-absorbent than metal if you look on the bright side of things. Also, at roughly the same dimensions (the Redmi 8 Pro is negligibly wider and taller, of course), the new Note offers more screen - 6.53" vs. 6.3".
However, the same cannot be said about the weight. The Note 8 Pro is measurably heavier, and it's easy to notice. At 200 grams, the handset is one of the heftiest around, and it's top-heavy too. It interferes with the grip a little as the phone tends to lean to the front when holding it with one hand. Perhaps the camera stack adds to the weight more than the 4,500 mAh battery does.
Speaking of grip, as one would expect, the Redmi Note 8 Pro doesn't receive any bonus points here. The glass back is slippery like any other glossy back, and while the frame successfully imitates metal, it doesn't help with the grip either. The curved panel to the sides does help with ergonomics and usability with one hand though.
The camera bump on the back makes a strong impression, though. It sticks out more than we would like, and the phone wobbles when lying flat on its back. Interestingly enough, the macro lens isn't on the bump, but it keeps the company to the LED flash on the right side of the array. Also, the highlighted camera is the 2MP depth sensor, and then comes the main 64MP shooter and then the ultra-wide. Finally, the fingerprint reader is sitting on the same bump.
It does make sense to put it there in a way as the bump helps you find the scanner by touch, but it also forces you to stretch your finger a bit higher to reach it, and you can sometimes smudge the ultra-wide camera with your attempts to unlock the phone.
We had no such trouble with the power button and the volume rocker, though. Both seem adequately placed on the right side, within thumb's reach.
The bottom offers the usual speaker grille, USB-C connector, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The left side of the frame is reserved only to the SIM card tray while the top houses an IR blast - neat feature.
Which brings us finally to the front of the phone. It's not something out of the ordinary as it houses a familiar screen design with a minimalist waterdrop-style notch and rather thin bezels around. At least considering the price range.
Battery life
Having a generous 4,500 mAh battery and a rather power-efficient SoC, one would expect good battery life. However, we were even more surprised with the results. The handset got stellar results on the screen-on tests as well as on the standby and 3G talk time. The phone's overall rating is 114 hours, which puts it in top 20 in our battery ranking.
Perhaps the chipset is more efficient than we thought it was in the first place because phones with similar scores usually carry at least 5,000 mAh units.
When it comes to fast charging, though, the phone didn't impress. Of course, given the price range, it's a huge advantage to support USB Power Delivery but the 18W standard can take you only so far. In 30 minutes, the phone charged from flat to 39% using a compatible PD charger with USB-C to USB-C cable. We are pretty sure that the original charger will be performing similarly.
We tried to investigate whether the chipset also supports Quick Charge 4.0+ since MediaTek's Pump Express charging tech and Qualcomm's QC 4.0+ are based on USB Power Delivery, but we weren't able to confirm for sure. All of the compatible chargers in our office support Power Delivery and Quick Charge 4.0+ simultaneously and perhaps you won't be able to find a pure QC 4.0+ as well. One thing is for sure, though, if you are near a PD-capable charger, you can use it for quick top-ups for your Redmi Note 8 Pro.
Audio quality
The Redmi Note 8 Pro performed brilliantly with an active amplifier, delivering the perfectly accurate output you can expect in this scenario at some of the highest volume levels we've measured. And we are not taking just its price range here - it's louder than most flagships too.
Unfortunately the clarity of the output takes a significant hit when headphones come into play - stereo crosstalk spikes a lot, intermodulation distortion comes into the picture and the frequency response gets a slight shakiness to it. Volume drops a bit, but the Redmi Note 8 Pro remains one of the loudest handsets out there, so nothing to worry there, at least.
