Xiaomi redmi note 5 review in Spanish (full analysis)

If the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus is already a great mid-range terminal, the Redmi Note 5 is cinnamon stick. It is not unusual, therefore, to see how the Chinese brand achieves more followers each year. They continue to demonstrate that quality does not have to be at odds with price. Among the different mid-range models that the company has launched in recent months, they have put all the meat on the grill with the Redmi Note 5. Not only does it outperform its younger brother in power, but it also mounts a high quality dual rear cameras. There are other sections improved with respect to shrub models that we will discuss in the analysis.

We appreciate the trust in the Infofreak store for the transfer of the product for its analysis:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 technical characteristics

After analyzing the Redmi 5 Plus, we found many similarities with respect to this Redmi 5 Note. The body made of aluminum with rounded corners gives it a soft touch. The also rounded edges offer a slim look but that makes it easier to slide out of your hands. Luckily, with the case included, you lose style, but you gain grip.

The design is marked by the 18: 9 screen ratio that is becoming fashionable. Leaving measures of 75.4 x 158.6 x 8.1 mm. We do not find one of the thinnest terminals and the small rim that incorporates the rear camera lens does not help. On the other hand, the 181 grams of weight, although they may seem somewhat excessive, are not too noticeable while holding the Redmi Note 5.

As is increasingly common, no physical buttons have been placed on the front. We will use the digital buttons on the screen. In the upper part of the front, not many new features stand out. We find the proximity sensor, speaker for calls, front camera and an LED flash. This last element is not so common to see it installed, but it is appreciated for scenes with poor lighting.

The upper edge offers, the typical infrared sensor that many Xiaomi terminals offer and that still resist leaving, and the noise canceling microphone. The volume buttons are mounted on the right edge at the top and just below, the power button. It is one of the most common and best-working positions. On the other hand, the buttons respond effectively without being too harsh.

The nanoSIM card tray is solitably located on the left edge and finally, on the bottom edge, there is the 3.5mm Jack connector for headphones, the microphone for calls, the microUSB type B charging port (Not yet decided to give way to type C) and the loudspeaker for multimedia content.

The rear is the one that has the biggest difference from other Redmi models. The double chamber is located in the upper right corner. Very inspired by Iphone.

Between each lens is the LED flash. As previously mentioned, it has a small rim. This causes the phone to rest slightly on the flat surface of the phone. Centered at the top rear is only the fingerprint sensor.

Enhanced display

The Redmi Note 5 mounts a 5.99-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD + resolution or what is the same: 2160 x 1080 pixels. That gives us a high density of 403 pixels per inch. We are facing one of the best screens that Xiaomi has mounted. With regard to image quality, emphasis should be placed on the possibility of choosing between various image display modes. By default, it is in Automatic Mode according to the ambient light.

By selecting the Standard Mode, the image quality is really good. The color gamut is faithfully displayed and the contrast is not that excessive. Despite the fame of IPS technology, you can see an evolution in blacks, although without reaching the level of AMOLED screens.

On the contrary, if we want the image to be more saturated and contrasted, we must choose the Increased Contrast mode.

The viewing angles continue without complaint. The same goes for brightness, it performs at a great level. Adjusted to the maximum it allows us to see the screen quite well outdoors. This terminal has 450 nits like its younger brothers.

A good sound

The sound is a section in which there are hardly any differences with the Redmi 5 Plus. The power and sound quality are well achieved aspect. Clear, distortion-free sound can be enjoyed.

The sound played by the headphones also maintains good quality. Extra equalization is possible if headphones from your own brand are used and selected in settings.

Xiaomi welcomes Oreo

Fortunately, Xiaomi has put the batteries in terms of updating some of its terminals to Android Oreo. With the Redmi Note 5, they have even jumped straight to the latest 8.1 version. On the other hand, the brand's own MIUI personalization layer is maintained in version 9.5.4.

In general, the interface with MIUI remains basically the same as in previous versions. The best thing about the system, as I commented in previous analyzes, is the large number of adjustments and options that it incorporates. Many of them, absent in Puro android versions. You can have dual apps, create a second space, add passwords to certain apps, use gestures to move around the system, etc.

On the contrary, the interface, although functional, begins to need a redesign. It is the point where stock Android does a great job.

It is necessary to note that in MIUI they still do not add an application drawer. On IOS they have never had a problem with that. Although the Redmi Note 5 incorporates a launcher selector, none of them has an application drawer. More of the same happens with notifications, which can not be expanded as Android stock has got us used to.

The applications incorporated by the default brand is another aspect that should try to minimize in international ROMS

Performance with Snapdragon 636

At the core of the Redmi Note 5 is where the biggest difference from other Redmi models lies. It is the first to incorporate the new Snapdragon 636 processor manufactured by Qualcomm. We are talking about 8 Kryo 260 cores mounted on two 4 + 4 clusters. Four of them are Cortex A73 (which we already saw in the Snapdragon 835) at 1.8GHz and the other four, more energy efficient, are Cortex A53 at 1.6GHz.

Overall the device's performance is really good overall, obviously beating its predecessors. During the terminal testing time, no obvious jerks have been noted. System navigation has been smooth. But not all the honor can be attributed to the processor, the 4 or 6 GB of LPDDR4X memory depending on the model purchased.

The Adreno 509 GPU works almost the same as the 506. While testing by eye, no difference could be seen. It is in the benchmarks where there is a slight improvement in graphic performance.

Amazing camera

For the first time a Redmi Note incorporates two rear cameras. Specifically, a 12-megapixel Sony IMX 486 and 2.2 focal length; and another 5-megapixel camera with a Samsung depth sensor and 2.0 focal length.

Honestly, it's surprising how well the Redmi Note 5 captures the images. The snapshots capture a lot of detail and both the colors and the white balance are displayed just as you expect. Thanks to the great image processing of the camera, many artifacts are not appreciated.

Although the software does not have automatic HDR, in some low contrast scenes, activating HDR will make a big difference. Dynamic range processing is well resolved and allows details that might otherwise be lost to emerge.

The Bokeh effect is another detail that has left me pleasantly surprised. The software perfectly detects the focused object and blurs the background, leaving almost professional photos.

In low light environments, the camera continues to behave well, displaying lots of detail. Only a little noise is appreciated, but nothing serious. The colors, on the other hand, appear somewhat washed out, but I don't think you could ask for much more from the mid-range.

The Sony IMX 376 selfie camera features 20 megapixels and a 2.2 focal aperture. Like the rear cameras, the quality offered with respect to what one is used to in the mid-range, can only be applauded. The camera takes photos with great sharpness and colorimetry.

Video recording on both cameras is limited to 1080p, not 4K. In recording mode the thing shines a little more. The result is quite correct but the details are not as accurate as in the photographs and more noise is displayed than expected. Contrast is also not as good as expected.

The camera interface has been updated and added a few more settings, but it's still missing options. Pro mode, for example, is still a little sparse in settings.

Great battery

After having previously tested the great battery of the Redmi 5 Plus, I expected similar results in that of the Redmi Note 5 and so it has been. You couldn't be more delighted with such a battery. To start, we must remember that the included battery is 4000mAh, a reasonable amount but less than that of the Note 4. However, it is still higher than that of most terminals.

After moderate use of web browsing and social networks, the battery lasted 3 days with 11 hours of screen. More than imagined.

Fast charging on the other hand was not as effective. Charging the terminal halfway took about 48 minutes and full charge in around 2 hours. It is a somewhat high amount compared to other terminals with fast charge.

Connectivity

Xiaomi is still betting on including the infrared sensor, in Spain it can be useful sometimes, but it seems that in China it has to be something essential. In addition, Bluetooth 5.0, dual SIM 4G + 3G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Dual band, GPS, GLONASS, RadioFM are included.

Final words and conclusion of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Xiaomi continues to demonstrate that it is a brand to keep in mind. They know which way to go, up high. They offer high quality terminals at a really reasonable price. The quality can be felt in the aluminum design, it can be felt when moving through the operating system, it can be seen when using the screen or the photos taken and it can be enjoyed if you have so much autonomy. Another important aspect is trust, because if they are able to update their terminal to Oreo where other brands have not done so or update a terminal from 5 years ago, that means that they can be trusted.

We recommend reading the best mid-range smartphones

The only area where they still can or need to improve is in polishing and optimizing the operating system. Also, to eliminate some of its default applications. For the rest, it is a smartphone to take into account for future purchases, since it can be obtained around € 250 in Spain with a 2-year warranty or you can choose to buy it in China for less than 200 euros.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ Great camera quality.	- MIUI needs to be renewed.
+ Reduced price.	- Too much blotware.
+ Great autonomy.
+ Good screen.
+ Multitude of system options.

The Professional Review team awards you the platinum medal and recommended product:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

DESIGN - 91%

PERFORMANCE - 86%

CAMERA - 90%

AUTONOMY - 95%

PRICE - 89%

90%