Which is the better bang-for-the-buck midrange?
With much anticipation, Xiaomi has finally unveiled its successor to the Redmi Note 4 line with the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Our focus is on the latter, as it has one of the best specs in any Redmi phone as of this writing.
Because the Redmi Note 5 Pro uses a Snapdragon 636 processor, it’s quite challenging to find a phone that can closely match its specs and price. From our research with 2018’s releases, we figured that Nokia’s Nokia 6 (2018) is its closest competitor. Let’s take a quick look at their spec sheet:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor
- 4GB/6GB RAM
- 5.99-inch Full HD+ IPS display
- 64GB expandable storage, via microSD (up to 128GB)
- 12-megapixel f/2.2 Sony IMX486 and 5-megapixel f/2.0 Samsung rear cameras with LED Flash
- 20-megapixel front camera with LED Flash, Sony IMX376 sensor
- Dual-SIM
- 4G LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth
- GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS, Fingerprint scanner
- Android Nougat with MIUI 9
- 4000mAh battery
Nokia 6 (2018) Specifications
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core processor
- 5.5-inch full HD display, 2.5D glass, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 4GB RAM
- 32GB/64GB internal storage expandable storage up to 128GB via microSD
- 16-megapixel rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, Laser AF, Dual-tone LED flash
- 8-megapixel front camera, f/2.0 aperture
- Dual SIM (Hybrid Tray)
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner
- Bothie mode, OZO audio
- 3000mAh battery with fast charging
- Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Internals: Snapdragon 636 is Superior
While both offer a 32GB/64GB internal storage option and at least 4GB of RAM, the Redmi Note 5 Pro edges a bit over the Nokia 6 (2018) with is newer Snapdragon 636 processor. On the spec sheet, the Snapdragon 636 uses Kryo cores, which Qualcomm claims gives it up to 40% better performance over the Snapdragon 630.
Display: Bigger display on the Redmi Pro
While both offer a Full HD display, the Redmi Note 5 Pro wins here because it uses a bigger 5.99-inch display, and because it has the trendier 18:9 aspect ratio, resulting to slimmer bezels.
Camera: Mixed bag
While the Redmi Note 5 Pro has a dual rear camera setup, the Nokia 6 (2018) has a better-specced single rear camera as it has a higher megapixel count (16-megapixel vs. 13-megapixel on the Redmi Note 5 Pro) and a brighter aperture opening (f/2.0 vs f/2.2 on the Redmi Note 5 Pro). However, the Redmi Note 5 Pro uses a new Sony IMX486 sensor, and we can’t wait to try out both phones to see which produces better shots.
As for the front camera, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is the clear winner with its Sony IMX376-equipped 20-megapixel snapper.
Battery: Bigger battery on the Redmi Pro but…
When it comes to capacity, the Redmi Note 5 Pro clearly has a bigger battery with its 4000mAh unit (compared to 3000mAh on the Nokia 6 (2018)). However, the Nokia 6 (2018) has an added fast charging feature, which should juice it up faster.
As for battery life, we cannot give a definite verdict yet as we have yet got our hands on both phones.
Verdict: The Redmi Note 5 is definitely something
Early this year, we thought that the launch of the Nokia 6 (2018) was the definite value-for-money mid-range phone, until the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro came around. Aside from having a dual rear camera setup and an 18:9 display, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is one of the few phones out there that uses a Snapdragon 636 processor. Being a new processor, we can’t wait to get our hands on a unit and see how the Snapdragon 636 fares in our tests.