Full review of Xiaomi Redmi 5

Xiaomi is undeniably one of the most dynamic players in the high-tech device market. Their product range is extensive, covering everything from CCTV cameras and headphones to smartphones, which have enjoyed immense popularity among domestic consumers. For a long time, Xiaomi had no rivals when it came to the price-quality ratio. Nevertheless, the company continues to maintain its strong brand presence. A prime illustration of this is the recently launched flagship budget smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi 5.

Specifications

• The smartphone features a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1440×720 pixels and a pixel density of 282 ppi.
• Under the hood, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor platform with 8 cores clocked at a maximum frequency of 1.8 GHz.
• Handling graphics processing is the Adreno 506 GPU.
• It offers up to 4 GB of RAM and storage options of up to 64 GB, depending on the model.
• For photography, it is equipped with a 12 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera, both accompanied by a flash.
• It supports dual SIM cards or a single SIM card with expandable memory via a memory card.
• Other notable features include a fingerprint scanner, infrared port, FM receiver, and a non-removable 3300 mAh battery.
• It boasts an all-metal body, adding to its premium look and feel.

The communication features are virtually the norm for high-end devices. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 smartphone functions on 4G and 3G networks, and it supports CDMA and GSM standards. It also offers GPS, BeiDou, and GLONASS navigation capabilities. The wireless data transfer protocols available include WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2.

When you purchase a Xiaomi Redmi 5 smartphone, you will receive the following items: the smartphone itself, a charger, a cable, a silicone case, a multilingual manual (including Russian), and a paper clip to open the card tray.

Appearance

The developers of the Redmi 5 smartphone have created a highly anticipated design. It perfectly embodies the latest trends in ergonomics. The smartphone features rounded corners and a screen that covers approximately 76% of the front area.

The power button and volume control are conveniently located at the top of the right side edge. However, some users accustomed to older phones may find this positioning inconvenient. On the top of the left edge, there is a tray where you can insert two SIM cards or a SIM card and a memory card. The lower edge houses the speaker output holes, the charger port, and the main microphone. The top edge is equipped with an infrared port, a noise-canceling microphone, and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The smartphone’s front panel deviates from the norm by not having traditional control buttons located at the bottom. Instead, users can navigate to the main screen, go back, or access the list of running applications by pressing on designated touch areas. Despite not being visually highlighted, these touch controls activate the overall backlighting when pressed.

All the expected components can be found in the upper part of the front panel. These include:

• Speaker
• Camera eye
• Flash LED
• A block of sensors for proximity and lighting

The back part of the smartphone is made entirely of metal. It prominently displays a raised camera module. In contrast, the fingerprint sensor is recessed. The positioning of the company’s logo follows the usual style seen in their products, placed in the lower third of the smartphone’s rear cover.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 smartphone has a stylish and modern appearance with an aristocratic touch. The engineers at the company have successfully incorporated two contrasting trends into the design of the device: it is both sleek and minimalist, without any flashy details, yet it also manages to catch the eye with its standout features. This is achieved through the combination of a matte metal back, a protruding camera, and a utilitarian display frame that is colored in a monotonous hue.

Usability

The description of all the impressive features of the Redmi 5 will be provided later. However, there is one particularly notable feature that must not be overlooked when discussing the device’s appearance. The smartphone boasts a unique 18:9 aspect ratio screen. On one hand, this provides ample space to display more information. On the other hand, users may encounter certain quirks when using the product.

1. Due to the slightly longer design of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 compared to its counterparts with the same screen size, it can be challenging to reach all the icons on the screen with just one finger.
2. When watching videos in horizontal orientation, black bars appear on the sides of the screen.

By utilizing the specific configuration of this particular display, the maker was able to attain a more expansive viewing space while only slightly augmenting the device’s width. In accordance with the technical particulars of the Xiaomi Redmi 5, the measurements for the model are 152x73x7.7 mm (height, width, thickness, respectively) with a weight of 157 g. The device is effortlessly cradled in an average-sized hand, providing a comfortable grip that minimizes the risk of accidental drops, thanks to the matte texture on the back cover preventing slippage.

The fingerprint scanner of the Xiaomi cell phone is known for its excellent response speed and overall high reliability. The sensor is also highly durable, ensuring that it will last a long time. One of the advantages of this phone is the convenient placement of the scanner, which allows users to easily place their finger on it without having to adjust the position of the device in their hand.

The description of Redmi 5 can’t go without mentioning the company’s cautiousness in selecting the headphone interface. All wired models that use a 3.5 mm jack are connected to the smartphone. This characteristic really sets the device apart from phones that lack any interface or employ less common Type B, Type C connectors.

Screen

The Redmi 5’s display does not have an exceptionally high resolution or pixel density. However, the smartphone comes with a high-quality matrix that offers excellent visibility and accurate color reproduction at almost 180-degree viewing angles. Additionally:

• The smartphone package includes tempered Gorilla Glass.
• An oleophobic layer is applied to the display surface to prevent fingerprints from appearing quickly.
• The display has low levels of glare and reflection, making it comfortable to use even in bright light.

It is worth noting the impressive contrast ratio of 1:988, as well as the exceptional color reproduction and saturation when conducting a comprehensive evaluation of Xiaomi Redmi 5’s display capabilities. Despite its modest resolution, the screen excels at displaying fine text and capturing intricate image details.

The backlight’s technical specifications are well-designed. With a maximum brightness of 414 cd/sqm, the device remains easily usable even in bright sunlight. On the other hand, a minimum brightness of 1 cd/sqm caters to those who enjoy reading at night. However, fully enjoying the display’s potential may be challenging due to the light sensor’s rough and stepwise operation, which limits the ability to achieve optimal comfort without manually adjusting the brightness settings.

A review of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 phone’s hardware platform brings mixed feelings. There are some positive points to note:

• The processing power of the CPU and GPU is sufficient for all applications and low-demand games. This makes even the base configuration with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage a convenient choice for basic users.
• The available configurations on the market offer options for almost any buyer to find their ideal phone. The 3GB RAM and 32GB version is the most popular, meeting the needs of most users.
• The built-in modem performs well and can achieve high transmission speeds on 4G networks.

However, there are concerns about several aspects of the hardware platform.

1. Despite the fact that the CPU is able to handle dual cameras up to 13MP or a single 21MP camera, the phone offers a modest 12MP single sensor.
2. The charging options are purposely restricted: the Xiaomi Redmi 5 has regular charging, even though it supports Quick Charge 3 at the processor level.
3. There is no NFC support, even though the Snapdragon 450 is capable of working with it.

The policy of limiting capabilities becomes understandable when you consider that the manufacturer uses the same hardware platform in their closest competing smartphones in the fifth generation. However, for most users, these shortcomings in the engineering solution do not appear to be significant. Overall, the Redmi 5 does not disappoint the owner in terms of performance or other critical characteristics.

Cameras

The camera performance of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 is predictably lackluster. The primary camera captures great photos under optimal lighting conditions, but the image quality noticeably degrades when faced with bright spots and other intricate details that are outside the normal statistical distribution.

Regarding the software supporting the camera, there are notable drawbacks. The image quality decreases significantly in low light conditions, resulting in a loss of detail. Additionally, bright areas cause a limited dynamic range, further impacting the overall picture negatively.

Furthermore, as the illumination decreases, the amount of noise significantly increases. Consequently, the main camera performs admirably in favorable weather conditions, but struggles to deliver satisfactory results in challenging environments.

The front-facing camera, on the other hand, has a more positive review. It performs well across the board, with only minor concerns regarding noise in low light. Fortunately, the built-in flash LED offers a reliable solution, ensuring consistently good results typical of 5 MP cameras.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 does not break any records when it comes to battery life. On a full charge, the device can last approximately 36 hours. However, this is only true if the phone is used for basic tasks such as making calls and checking messages. If you start using power-hungry features like Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G, and LTE, the battery level will drop at an alarming rate.

Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that the outlined image is representative of the majority of mobile devices. When conducting a direct comparison, the Redmi 5’s battery life appears superior to its market competitors. This is accomplished through a unique architecture and functioning mode of the processor platform: when not under a heavy load, the CPU lowers its frequency and enters power-saving mode.

Features and interesting things

It’s worth mentioning that the Xiaomi Redmi 5 is an impressively designed smartphone that not only pays attention to interesting details and features, but also ensures ease of use. Here is a brief rundown of its notable features:

1. The interface of the operating system utilizes a carefully crafted icon pack, featuring unique style and animations. For instance, the built-in Facebook client icon is represented by an animated opening and closing book.
2. Xiaomi has opted for the commonly used Type B charging interface, which is familiar to many users. While this may require Type C connector enthusiasts to take a moment to determine the correct orientation for inserting the cable, it allows the phone to be charged with almost any adapter, including those borrowed temporarily from friends.

Note: The key highlight of this smartphone is its highly stable operating system. All software solutions have been meticulously calibrated, debugged, and are known for their reliable and predictable performance.

Position in the market

Consumer opinion may not always align with how a manufacturer positions their product in the market. Xiaomi Redmi 5, despite being positioned in a specific price segment, faces stiff competition from other brands.

1. In the same price range, the Chinese brand LeEco LeTV offers a more powerful platform, a better display, and a 21MP camera. However, it lacks the unique display format of the Redmi 5 and has some issues with the operating system translation.
2. A relatively new player in the Chinese market, ChinaMobile, offers a smartphone with similar hardware to the Redmi 5 at a noticeably lower price. However, it falls short in terms of operating system stability and camera quality.

The Redmi 5 is facing competition from other players in the market. Some are offering similar performance at the same price, others have excellent cameras, and others have impressive battery life. However, when considering the overall balance of its merits, the Xiaomi smartphone is able to attract a larger number of consumers. This is especially true when taking into account the availability of service and other advantages from a reliable manufacturer.