Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Hands-on, First Impressions

Last August, Xiaomi has made official its Redmi Note 4 which is the first smartphone to have MIUI 8 to boot. Along with it come a Helio X20 processor and a 5.5-inch Full HD display encased in a metal unibody. Let’s take a look a closer look at this budget but capable handset in today’s hands-on.

The Redmi Note 4 flaunts a 5.5-inch display which is overlayed with a Full HD resolution panel. It has fairly thin bezels and employs three capacitive buttons namely: Recent Apps, Home, and Back. You’d be glad to know that these are backlit so you wouldn’t have to guess where to press when you’re in the dark.

Up top is the speaker for calls which is flanked by the sensor and the front 5-megapixel camera.

Turn it around and you’ll get acquainted with its metal unibody that feels smooth on the hands while it exudes a visually elegant presence. You’ll notice that the back panel is segmented by two antenna bands which allow for better signal reception. On the lower half is where you’ll see Xiaomi‘s branding.

Aligned with the fingerprint scanner is the main 13-megapixel shooter which is armed with an f/2.0 aperture, Phase Detection Autofocus, and is accompanied by dual LED lights. The fingerprint scanner has a shiny outline that positively accentuates the area.

On the right side are the only physical buttons you’ll see on the Redmi Note 4. Here we have the volume rocker above the power/lock button. From this angle, we also see the chamfered edge this handset sports.

Meanwhile, the opposite side houses the SIM card slots with a hybrid setup. You may choose to use two SIM cards or sacrifice the second slot for additional storage via microSD.

Up top, we have three circles that look like they’re lined up according to size. The biggest one is the 3.5mm audio jack, the middle is an IR blaster for controlling appliances, and the smallest is the pinhole for the microphone.

The Redmi Note 4 still rocks a microUSB port situated under it. There are holes on both sides that appear to be speaker grilles but that’s just half the truth since the right side are the only ones that throw sound.

There are currently two models of the Note 4 — the 2GB/16GB variant and the 3GB/64GB tandem. We have the latter which carries 3GB of RAM and a spacious 64GB of storage. From that, 55.72GB is available for use which still a lot. Browsing through its MIUI 8 is so far smooth and lag-free. This particular OS has unique features like Dual Apps and Quick Ball so we’ll be sure to try those out during our time with it.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 specs:
5.5-inch Full HD display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.5D curved glass on a metal unibody
2.1GHz MediaTek Helio X20 deca-core processor
2GB/3GB RAM
16GB/64GB internal storage
13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, dual-LED flash
5MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
Dual SIM
LTE
175 grams
4100mAh battery with support for fast-charging
MIUI 8 OS

We’ll be using this smartphone in the following days before we share our final thoughts about it. Are there any specific tasks you want us to try on it? Sound off in the comments section below. If you’d like to own one, you may check out Widget City’s listing here at Php9,500USD 162INR 13,724EUR 154CNY 1,179 (2GB/16GB) and Php10,800USD 184INR 15,602EUR 175CNY 1,340 (3GB/64GB).

Updated Pricing (December 8, 2016): Php8,500USD 145INR 12,279EUR 138CNY 1,055 2GB/16GB and Php10,500USD 179INR 15,168EUR 170CNY 1,303 for the 3GB/64GB variant.