Redmi, a subsidiary brand of Xiaomi, focuses primarily on devices with an excellent price/performance ratio. After being separated into the parent company Xiaomi, the brand began to produce a number of products and new models of its smartphones.
Only half a year after the release of the seventh generation Redmi They introduced the next, eighth generation of the Note smartphone. Redmi The Note 8 has been on the market for some time now, and now it has reached us for a detailed review. So what is he like Redmi Grade 8?
Where to buy the best
Redmi Notes 8 we procured from the Gearbest e-shop, which offers a smartphone discount coupons. Discounted are all memory versions, ie 32,64 and 128 GB models.
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Thanks to EU Priority Line, we didn't pay any extra charges for delivery and only took 15 days to deliver.
Standard box, again with accessories
smartphone Redmi The Note 8 will arrive in a standard box with a picture of the device, which will also offer additional accessories. Right at the top of the package is a paper envelope containing instructions, a simple silicone cover to protect the smartphone or a needle for ejecting the SIM card and memory card slot.
Below you will find the smartphone itself covered with a protective foil, a charging cable with a USB Type-C connector and the European end of the fast charger. Although the smartphone as such supports 18W fast charging, the charger integrated in the package is a standard 5V / 2A. For fast charging, you need to purchase a supported charger tip.
The layout of the elements is practically identical
In the case of this smartphone, we cannot avoid multiple comparisons with its predecessor, the seventh generation of the model Redmi Notes. This will not be the case even in the case of the layout of the elements and the processing of the device, which is practically identical.
Protective glass on the front and back, metal frame and glossy plastic finish along the edges of the device. Quality and durable workmanship, which not only lasts, but the smartphone also gives a slightly more expensive impression. The weight increased to 190 grams.
The front is home to an identical 6,3 ″ IPS display, but this time it contains slightly wider frames and a thicker chin. Under the display, there is also a new manufacturer's logo, the color version in blue shades is also located on the front, on the frames around the display.
Above the display there is a front camera, a speaker for telephony (it also gently complements the "stereo" effect for a loudspeaker) and also a small LED for notifications.
The upper edge is home to the traditionally present infrared sensor. You can use it, for example, to control home electronics, in addition, it is supplemented with software in the form of the Mi Remote application directly from the factory.
There is also a secondary microphone for video recording. The bottom edge still retains the proven 3,5 mm audio connector, primary microphone, USB Type-C connector and loud but only average speaker.
The left side is empty, there is only a slot with a hybrid slot for a SIM card or memory card. It is a Dual SIM phone with a triple slot - for a pair of SIM cards and one microSD memory card (up to 256 GB).
The right side contains buttons for volume control and a button for turning the device off and on. Their location is good and also the size is exactly the same as the predecessor. The manufacturer did not change the practical things that work well.
The rear side contains a significant improvement over its predecessor, and thus there are four rear cameras. These protrude from the body of the device in one common module in the upper left part by approximately 1-2 mm.
Right next to it is a dual LED flash and a 48 MPx camera label, which is also present this time. There is a standard and verified fingerprint reader below. The manufacturer's logo is still missing on the modern, gradient back wall Redmi and mandatory information about production or recycling.
Verified 1080p IPS panel
The dimensions, as well as the resolution of the display, are also identical to the previous generation. The proven 6,3 ″ IPS panel offers a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (Full HD +) and an aspect ratio of 19,5: 9, while its upper part contains a rounded drop-shaped cutout. The display has a fineness of 401 ppi and covers almost 82% of the front wall. The colors of this display are true, the viewing angles are very good.
If you still want to fine-tune the color spectrum, this option is available in the settings. We would like to improve the maximum brightness. In particular, the user would benefit from direct daylight. However, legibility is not particularly poor and is a good result in terms of price. The minimum brightness was fine, even in complete darkness, he did not blind.
Slightly improved Snapdragon 665
This is a real improvement over its predecessor in the form of an updated CPU model. Specifically, where the eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 (4 x 2,0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold and 4 x 1,8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver), while in terms of performance, the smartphone worked quickly and reliably, even with simpler multitasking.
Players of basic mobile games will also not experience any loss of comfort, graphically demanding 3D game titles will already require a slight reduction in details. However, it is a good and battery-friendly processor, which in this case is coupled with the Adreno 610 graphics accelerator. You can see the results of the AnTuTu test in the gallery above.
Up to 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage
Only 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage are available as standard. We received a version of 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage for testing, while other versions such as 4 GB of RAM and 128 storage are also on sale, plus 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage in selected markets. Which version to choose? It depends on how demanding the user is.
The previous generation in the basic version can now "breathe" slightly with the current system. With eight and 4GB of RAM, we did not see this and the smartphone was running smoothly. So if you are an undemanding user, you will probably be satisfied with the cheapest basic version.
If you want more from your smartphone and require advanced multitasking, choose a minimum version with 4 GB of RAM. And what about storage? When first turned on, Android with the MIUI extension will store more than 11 GB of internal storage.
Standard, verified and fast reader
The security of the device is solved by a standard sensor for fingerprints. It is located on the back, is fast and recognizes the fingerprint really in a hundred seconds.
It is a proven sensor and we are glad that Xiaomi maintains this alternative. Face unlocking with a front camera is also available, but the safety of this feature in these devices is questionable.
Android 9 Pie and already MIUI 11
The system is a relatively current, affordable model Redmi Notes 8 has Android 9 Pie, and should receive the latest Android 10. Very well in terms of security, the phone includes Google's October security packages and so far is missing only the November update, which should arrive in a moment.
However, what pleased us even more in the editorial office is the support of a new version of the superstructure from the manufacturer, specifically in the stable version MIUI 11.0.3.0. The update to version 11 arrived during our testing. It's a well-optimized device that now offers a new font, a full-fledged dark mode, and a digital balance or parental control feature from Google.
Four good cameras
There are four cameras on the back, each with its own primary role.
The main sensor is a well-proven 48 MPx (f / 1.8) sensor, seconded by a high-quality 8 MPx wide-angle (f / 2.2) sensor, a surprisingly useful 2 MPx macro lens (f / 2.4) and a 2 MPx blur sensor background resp. "Bokeh" effect (f / 2.4).
The video can be recorded up to 4K (30 fps), but 1080p resolution brings greater stability. The front camera has 13 MPx (f / 2.0), its location is still in the well-known viewport at the top of the display.
It is noticeable that the photographic equipment has been improved compared to its predecessor. Daylight photos are beautifully sharp, whether it's 12 MPx images captured by a 48 MPx pixel composition or a "macro" photo, and the wide-angle lens, which can add a really different angle of view to the photos, is not ashamed. The varied color spectrum and sufficient detail in such a low price category is really good news.
Full-size original photos are available at the following link.
In the gallery we bring you a preview of photos taken in daylight, photos taken in poor lighting conditions, full 48 MPx, but also wide-angle or "macro" photos.
Compromise of missing NFC
Model Redmi Notes 8 continues the established trend of its predecessor and in terms of connectivity, this time we are looking in vain for the NFC chip. It got up to the model designed for the European market with the label Redmi Notes 8T. With the standard eight, you will not pay via Google Pay.
However, the equipment includes Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, older Bluetooth 4.2 LE, pleases GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, infrared port, FM radio or, for example, support for the USB OTG function in the case of the USB Type connector -C.
If you buy a global version of your smartphone, there will also be local 4G networks for fast connections. Specifically, these frequencies will be: 1 (2100), 2 (1900), 3 (1800), 4 (1700/2100), 5 (850), 7 (2600), 8 (900), 20 (800), 38 ( 2600), 40 (2300).
Redmi Note 8 also includes a special speaker function - self-cleaning. You can find this function in the settings, in the section Clean the speaker.
Thanks to the high frequency tones, the function can clean the speaker of dirt such as dust. During this operation, the speaker emits a sound for 30 seconds that literally blows air out of the speaker. It can blow out a candle.
Preserved 4000 mAh + fast charging
Inside the device there is a battery with an unchanged capacity of 4000 mAh. The phone supports 18W fast charging, but an appropriate charger is required to use it. Nevertheless, we evaluate the battery life very positively. The smartphone not only lasts a full working day, but also keeps a reserve in the form of 30 - 40% of the battery capacity in the evening.
Our full-fledged business day included active social networking, approximately 70% brightness display, hourly phone calls, similar 1080p video viewing, and casual gaming.
Final rating: Lots of music for little money
For a low price, the user gets really well-designed and functional equipment with a compromise in the form of missing NFC. Nice photos are complemented by a fast MIUI system and good equipment, along with excellent endurance on a single charge.
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For more demanding use, we recommend choosing a version with a higher RAM value. In its price category, however, it is again a smartphone with an excellent price / performance ratio and will definitely attract a large number of customers in the pre-Christmas market.