Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X Unboxing, First Impressions

Xiaomi recently announced a refreshed version of its popular Redmi Note 4. The update includes an upgrade to a Snapdragon chipset but unlike before with the Redmi Note 3, there’s also a slight cosmetic change. Fresh from its box, here’s our first impressions of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X.

The retail package of the new Redmi Note 4X is superbly minimalist as you can see with the image above. Although, there’s a nifty print to label it as the new handset with a large “4X” visible when the light strikes it. It’s kinda difficult to capture it but it’s visible in the image below.

The minimalism of Xiaomi continues inside the box. As always, you only get the unit itself along with an included micro-USB cable and a charging brick that’s rated at 5V=2A. There are the quick start guide and warranty but it’s in Chinese so the official warranty claims won’t apply here in the Philippines.

Now heading on to the handset. The Redmi Note 4X looks exactly the same as the Redmi Note 4 upfront. It still has a 5.5-inch Full HD display topped with a scratch-resistant glass that curves towards the edge. The glass also protects the 5-megapixel front-facing camera, the LED notification light, and the capacitive keys for UI navigation. Thankfully, the keys light up in the dark.

If you have held the Redmi Note 4, you’ll notice how the 4X feels different on hand. It’s because the 4X now has rounded edges. Unlike the chamfered sides of the former, that feels sharp and pointy, the new one has a more friendly grip.

On the left side, there’s the hybrid card slot while on right are the physical buttons for power/lock and volume. The buttons have good tactile feedback when pressed and feel premium too since it’s got chamfered edges.

The top side of the handset has a 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR blaster for remote control functions — a staple feature of Xiaomi handsets. There’s the noise-cancelling microphone on the side.

The bottom end shows the micro-USB port for charging and wired connectivity. The USB-C port is still reserved for the high-end Xiaomi phones but it makes sense to stick to the old micro port for compatibility with existing cables and accessories, especially USB-OTG thumb drives. The symmetrically drilled hole houses the main microphone and the mono loudspeaker that fires on the right.

As for the rear, it’s pretty familiar with other Xiaomi phones. We have the main 13-megapixel shooter flushed to the body along with the dual-tone LED flash and the rounded fingerprint scanner. The phone has a metal rear with plastic portions on the top and bottom to let radio signals pass.

Inside is where the main upgrade of the 4X and that’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset. The old Redmi Note 4 uses a MediaTek Helio X20 chipset which is not shabby but having a Snapdragon onboard is always a plus. The version we have comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. Our unit offers 22.69GB of free space.

The phone runs MIUI 8 with a Global ROM installed out of the box. This means you get Google services without the hassle of sideloading them on your own. To be specific, it boots version 8.1.10.0 (MCFMIDI) and it’s still based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X specs:
5.5-inch Full HD display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.5D curved glass on a metal unibody
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor
Adreno 506 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 256GB (uses SIM 2)
13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, dual-LED flash
5MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
Dual SIM
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS w/ A-GPS
Infrared
Fingerprint scanner
4100mAh battery with fast-charging
Android 6.0 Marshmallow w/ MIUI Global 8.1
151 x 76 x 8.4 mm
175 g

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X we have on hand is provided by Widget City that sells it for Php10,500. See listing here. At this price, it’s a steal to have this specification. We’ll be taking the Redmi Note 4X for a full spin in the coming days. If guys have any particular questions, hit the comments section below.