10 things you need to know about the Xiaomi Redmi Pro


Xiaomi finally announced the much awaited (and even more leaked) Redmi Pro.

Like the rest of the internet world, if you’ve been left wondering about the Redmi Pro, this post here should tell you a thing or ten about this new mid-range killer!

1. The Xiaomi Redmi Pro is powered by the top-of-the-line 10-core Mediatek technology.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro features the most powerful Mediatek 10-core processor on the market, clocked at 2.5GHz.

It also includes the excellent Mali-880 GPU and ensures a 30% improved efficiency over other chipsets with similar technology.

2. The Redmi Pro is Xiaomi’s first phone with dual rear cameras.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro features two cameras at the rear in order to create photos with shallow depth of field and thus have a blurry background, which is called bokeh in photography lingo.

This result is achieved by using a primary camera, the 13-megapixel Sony IMX258 equipped with an aperture of F/2.0 in this case, and a secondary 5-megapixel Samsung camera for depth information logging.

Then a dedicated ImagiQ image processor does the magic.

3. It is the first Xiaomi phone to have an OLED display.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

Redmi Pro will be the first Xiaomi smartphone to boast a 5.5-inch Full HD OLED display. The OLED technology allows the display to have a very high contrast ratio (60000:1) and vivid colors.

Surely a great addition in a mid-range smartphone!

4. …and a front-facing fingerprint sensor.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

The Redmi Pro is the first device of the Redmi product line with a fingerprint sensor on the front. This may not seem very important by itself, but overall it shows how Xiaomi are keen on getting their ergonomics right.

Completely redesigning the device in order to fit the second camera on the back, while keeping such an important feature as the fingerprint sensor.

5. The Xiaomi Redmi Pro will be the first new Xiaomi phone to ship with MIUI 8.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

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The Xiaomi Redmi Pro will be the first device to run MIUI 8 out of the box. The new MIUI OS which was announced last month, is still in beta on a great amount of Redmi devices, so this is something that should make you happy.

6. It boasts a USB Type-C charging connector.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

As the market seems to be getting away from the Micro-USB standard, also Xiaomi decided to drop it and boast a new USB Type-C port. Which allows for reversible plug orientation and thus making your life easier.

7. The Xiaomi Redmi Pro features CNC chamfered edges, 2.5D curved glass, and more.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

The Redmi Pro features a full metal unibody design with a brushed metal finish and CNC chamfered edges, the OLED display is covered with a 2.5D shaped glass which improves both the look and feel of the device.

8. There are three variants of the Xiaomi Redmi Pro.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro will be available in three different variants, so that you can decide between saving money or having better performance overall.

The least powerful Redmi Pro comes with a Mediatek Helio X20, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

While the most powerful Redmi Pro’s featuring a Mediatek Helio X25, come in two configurations, one with 3GB and 64GB of storage, the other one 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

More info about the variants here.

9. You can either use Dual SIM or Single SIM + Micro SD on the Redmi Pro.

Xiaomi Redmi pro

You might not need two SIMs, but I’m pretty sure you will like the possibility of adding a Micro SD to store your movies and what else. Not that many smartphones still give you this choice, so I thought you’ll find it a useful info!

10. And finally, Pricing & Availability.

Xiaomi Redmi pro
The Redmi Pro starts selling at 1499 Yuan ($225) for the 3GB RAM + 32GB (Helio X20) version, rising to 1699 Yuan ($255) for the 3GB RAM + 64GB Mediatek Helio X25 powered model, while the flagship 4GB RAM + 128GB variant will cost 1999 Yuan ($300).

It’ll be on sale in China from August 6th. Stay tuned to Redmi Pro news on GizChina!

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

Previous #ChineseLaptopWars: Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air vs Lenovo Air 13 Pro
Next Xiaomi Redmi 3S launching in India 3rd August

378 Comments

  1. vijay sud
    July 30, 2016

    While specs are all very good, for a mid range priced phone, final verdict will only depend upon the execution of amalgamation of hardware and software in this , much hyped phone.

    • Duri
      July 30, 2016

      Indeed, I agree and waiting for first review

    • benoita74
      July 30, 2016

      Indeed the Mi 5 turned out not to be the bargain its spec sheet suggested

      • balcobomber25
        July 30, 2016

        The Mi5 suffered from software issues in the first few months of launch, most of those have been ironed out and now it is a great bargain.

        • SnowyCat
          July 30, 2016

          the zuk z2 also lookss good for 4/64, 3500mah and 270€ price tag atleast for my market with everything included..sure for 30€ more i can get the mi 5 with a better camera probably but also less storage and ram..even tho its ufs 2 storage

          i guess everyone can pick a great device nowadays..there are so many options

        • Simon
          July 30, 2016

          Will the Mi Note 2 Pro have software issues at launch ?

          • balcobomber25
            July 30, 2016

            Who knows

            • Simon
              July 31, 2016

              Would that deter you from buying it at launch or would you wait 6 – 8 weeks then purchase it ?

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              With some companies yes. Xiaomi most likely not as I know they will fix whatever is wrong with it (as long as it is software based).

          • balcobomber25
            July 30, 2016

            Maybe, maybe not. You never know if a phone will or won’t.

          • MattD
            July 30, 2016

            It’s usual from xiaomi having sw issues at first, especially in battery department. Maybe it’s safer to say “not perfectly optimized and at its full potential” more than “issues”, but the thing stays the same. So probably even mi note 2 will have something which needs a couple of update to be fixed… The thing is: with xiaomi you’re sure they’ll fix that sooner or later…

  2. roni24
    July 30, 2016

    does it have FM radio
    does it have gorilla glass 3 or 4

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 30, 2016

      No mention of protection

    • Kamui
      July 30, 2016

      FM radio is a standar feature for Mediatek’s SoCs until now. So I think the same applies to this one.

  3. Muhammad Yasir
    July 30, 2016

    Fantastic PHONE *_*

  4. vijay sud
    July 30, 2016

    While specs are all very good, for a mid range priced phone, final verdict will only depend upon the execution of amalgamation of hardware and software in this , much hyped phone.

    • Duri
      July 30, 2016

      Indeed, I agree and waiting for first review

    • benoita74
      July 30, 2016

      Indeed the Mi 5 turned out not to be the bargain its spec sheet suggested

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      The Mi5 suffered from software issues in the first few months of launch, most of those have been ironed out and now it is a great bargain.

    • SnowyCat
      July 30, 2016

      the zuk z2 also lookss good for 4/64, 3500mah and 270€ price tag atleast for my market with everything included..sure for 30€ more i can get the mi 5 with a better camera probably but also less storage and ram..even tho its ufs 2 storage

      i guess everyone can pick a great device nowadays..there are so many options

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Will the Mi Note 2 Pro have software issues at launch ?

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Who knows

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Maybe, maybe not. You never know if a phone will or won’t.

    • MattD
      July 30, 2016

      It’s usual from xiaomi having sw issues at first, especially in battery department. Maybe it’s safer to say “not perfectly optimized and at its full potential” more than “issues”, but the thing stays the same. So probably even mi note 2 will have something which needs a couple of update to be fixed… The thing is: with xiaomi you’re sure they’ll fix that sooner or later…

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      Would that deter you from buying it at launch or would you wait 6 – 8 weeks then purchase it ?

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      With some companies yes. Xiaomi most likely not as I know they will fix whatever is wrong with it (as long as it is software based).

  5. Guest
    July 30, 2016

    does it have FM radio
    does it have gorilla glass 3 or 4

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 30, 2016

      No mention of protection

    • Kamui
      July 30, 2016

      FM radio is a standar feature for Mediatek’s SoCs until now. So I think the same applies to this one.

  6. ohad
    July 30, 2016

    Do you think that this phone is better choise than the mi5?

    • Ricardo Alonso
      July 30, 2016

      No way!

  7. Misto
    July 30, 2016

    I have read about heating issue with X20 and X25? Is that for real or it depends on the software? I am really interested to get the Redmi Pro but can’t decide which one to buy.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      from what i read they do have heating issues, i saw the qiku n4s reaching 49 degrees even the apollo lite get hot but not too hot tho so i guess it depends on the individual phone’s optimization but maybe generalizing of it having heat issues isnt far off

      • Misto
        July 30, 2016

        Thanks, I think that some CPU are heating because the system/software isn’t exploiting the processor’s power well. I mean heavy system can cause heating. I really hope that Redmi Pro will not present that kind of problem.

      • Jiraya Ziane
        July 30, 2016

        I saw it too 49°degree it is insanely hot .mediatek processor are shit.it is always better to use qualcomm processors

        • balcobomber25
          July 30, 2016

          49 isn’t overheating that is normal operating temperature. Most SD phones run even hotter than that. My Nextbit Robin with a SD808 is currently running at 47 and it’s just sitting on my desk. The SD820 can reach over 90 when pushed to it’s limit.

          • Jiraya Ziane
            July 30, 2016

            SD 808 isn’t a powerfull prossesor but let’s wait for a review

        • jonscravit
          July 30, 2016

          see these videos below

          Exynos 8 Octa 8890 vs MTK6797 Helio X20 Deca Core”
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI41-PyuaP4


          Vernee Apollo Lite Multi-task Test: Fast and Smooth”
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCH5GHtOESQ


          Apollo Lite CPU Real Time Status Demonstration”
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaapPMqoFvk

          • Wolfenstein
            July 30, 2016

            I’ll buy a MediaTek phone only if it can exceed an SD 820 based phone (i.e. a prime flagship) on every real-world as well as synthetic test, graphics included, by HUGE margins (as in enough to make it look like a two or three generation leap) while costing half the price.

            Otherwise, like Vince McMahon says – “No chance”. 😉 My fat money is reserved STRICTLY for QualComm or Samsung, meanwhile the nickels and dimes are always available for a cheap-ass MediaTek.

          • Jiraya Ziane
            July 30, 2016

            It is true that mediatek x20 and x25 are fast but they hit up and not freindly with battery.but just wait for a review the redmi seem good on paper

      • realjjj
        July 30, 2016

        The plastic back is worse at dissipating heat and that’s a factor.

        And,just in case, the SoC overheating and the back of the phone heating up are 2 very diff things. The back is about your comfort,nothing more. The SoC overheating is about throttling , in general they have diff limits. Lets say at 90C they start to throttle, at 100C they take more drastic measures and shut some cores off and at 110C the device turns off. That’s just a simplified example,there is more going on and the limits will differ from SoC to SoC and device to device. Haven’t found yet good info on how this thing throttles so can’t help with that.

        If you are curious,in the device thermals section towards the bottom of the page you can see how a few diff phones with SD810 throttled in diff ways- don’t have a more recent link to illustrate the point http://www.anandtech.com/show/9878/the-huawei-mate-8-review/5

        Edit: that doesn’t mean in any way that i condone throttling. if there is a ” turbo” mode where the SoC goes to speeds it can’t sustained,it should be properly defined.

        • Assefa Hanson
          July 30, 2016

          oh i see, yeah i forgot this too is a reason why glass backs gets so hot

          • realjjj
            July 30, 2016

            One weird thing about the Redmi Pro ,they don’t list wifi ac.If you plan to buy it and if wifi ac matters,better make sure it’s there.

            • Assefa Hanson
              July 30, 2016

              hmm alright im kinda iffy because redmi cameras arent usually good

            • realjjj
              July 31, 2016

              a short look at the cam, not easy to understand much with Google Translate but info is scarce for now http://news.mydrivers.com/1/493/493086_1.htm

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Depends on a lot of factors: software, build materials, other components used. After the disaster of the SD810/615 overheating is an issue that was never even thought of before. Most people mistake normal operating temperature with overheating because of that fiasco last year. They report overheating anytime the phone gets hot even when it’s normal. All phones will get hot under stress, it’s the nature of the product. The tests I have seen of various X20/25 phones has them in normal operating range.

      • SnowyCat
        July 30, 2016

        also for people that think that the Snapdragon version is superior people complained about the idol 4s inr eviews that while the day 2 day performance is fine when recording videos it throttles down a lot..just like the sony phone….

        so while i think that the 652 is great even it can get to its limits especially in such hot summer days

  8. Assefa Hanson
    July 30, 2016

    this competes with the apollo lite and qiku n4s kinda hard o pick one XD, sensors is one thing but what is the lens architecture how many elements and are these elements glass or plastic and lastly the BIG daddy software what dem algorithms looking like, ziaomi’s histroy of cameras is subpar but lets see

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 30, 2016

      360 n4s 5000mah ,16 mpx rear camera and cheaper

      • balcobomber25
        July 30, 2016

        16mp camera means next to nothing without the rest of the camera specs and a full review. More MP’s doesn’t mean a better camera.

        • Jiraya Ziane
          July 30, 2016

          I agree but mediatek chips are crap trust me .this phone is awesome only if it has snapdragon ship. But wait for a real review

          • balcobomber25
            July 30, 2016

            “trust me”. Who are you exactly? And why would I “trust” you and not my own experience? I have used every one of the current Mediatek chips. The X20/25 is far from “crap”, it is an excellent all around chip.

            • Jiraya Ziane
              August 16, 2016

              ok, i will trust you even if i don’t know you but wait until review come!!

            • balcobomber25
              August 16, 2016

              I never said to trust me. I just know from my own experience the X20 used in this phone is a good chip.

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      If I was picking between those 3 I would go with Xiaomi just because I trust the company more with future updates.

      • Assefa Hanson
        July 30, 2016

        valid point

      • Assefa Hanson
        July 30, 2016

        valid point and there maybe more reasons i doubt qiku will have a international rom so it google services gambling if it will work properly or not, one thing i realize too is if i get a vernee since i dont have that EURO type socket ill probably get a non quick charge charger just like what ahppened to me with my cubot h1… and the thing will take almost 8 HOURS!!!!! to fully charge without quick charge

  9. newphoenix
    July 30, 2016

    Love the specs, hate the overpriced product.

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Just curious why you think it is overpriced?

      • Assefa Hanson
        July 30, 2016

        i dont understand why people say its overpriced

        • a
          July 30, 2016

          Maybe because it costs almost like mi5 (at least the price that the resellers are asking for it right now)

          • Assefa Hanson
            July 30, 2016

            maybe after the hype dies down the pricing between the two will stabilize

        • balcobomber25
          July 30, 2016

          Because it has a Mediatek chip I am guessing. Many people are still suck in 2012 when MTK produced cheap chips with terrible GPS and performance. I read comments all the time on other sites that are so misinformed and clueless. Many people only look at the SoC and then say X phone is too overpriced, they forget about the other dozen components.

          • Assefa Hanson
            July 30, 2016

            i really believe its the SOC thing, ” why buy a mtk phone for 250″ etc it doenst matter if the phone has 64gb memory good camera etc etc its juts MTK phone must be cheap because we are just buying a chip

            • realjjj
              July 30, 2016

              vs the 360 N4 and N4S? This one is two thirds more than the N4 for the base model. 899CNY vs 1499CNY. And you get less RAM and lower resolution screen. Same cam but this one has the depth of field gimmick that doesn’t work well from what i’ve seen in the Chinese press.
              You also got the LeEco devices with X20 and X25 and even the Redmi Note 3 Pro 3GB at 1099CNY can be considered a competitor. At least you don’t get the pseudo-1080p display with that one.
              In China the expectations were for a lower price too. When they announced pricing people got stuck for a bit instead of the usual cheers.

            • Assefa Hanson
              July 30, 2016

              i might just go for the n4s

            • realjjj
              July 30, 2016

              360 might also have the Q4 or Q5 Lite soon.That might be with SD652 and dual cam. We’ll see.
              ZUK Z2 Rio is at 1499CNY too with 5inch 108p LCD and SD820.
              If you go higher, Huawei, LeEco got interesting things,better value than MI5.
              Whatever floats your boat.

            • Assefa Hanson
              July 30, 2016

              lol everytime i end up confused maybe i should wait till the end of the year XD

            • realjjj
              July 30, 2016

              What do you care about? CPU,GPU,cam,VR?
              Kirin 950 is the best in CPU,SD820 in GPU for the most part but you can do with less at 1080p, X20 is flagship like CPU perf and good enough GPU for1080p at good value.
              If you don’t care about perf you go with A53x8 for good battery. -P10 or better like Kirin 650 or SD625.

              If you want VR,better wait for Daydream compatible devices. ZTE claims the Axon 7 will support Daydream,the only such device so far.

            • Assefa Hanson
              July 30, 2016

              good gaming performance, alright camera in artificial lighting and daylight, and a big battery if it doesnt have a big battery then ok sized battey with nice quick charge on a budget 270 max

          • Calnic
            July 30, 2016

            Dear friend, past with expensive phone (280 dollars) I to download MediaTek Uncle Tools for GPS and tried everything not still work. Sometime their EPO file server not reachable, so no way to update EPO. 🙁 So GPS problems is true. Performance was ok.

            Sorry for bad english.

            • balcobomber25
              July 30, 2016

              What phone did you have? Mediatek used to have terrible GPS but all their current products are fine.

            • MattD
              July 30, 2016

              What was the phone? Does the gps works at all?

          • Lazar Prodanovic
            July 31, 2016

            They still produce bad SoC’s regarding your user experience & their is no much difference in pricing per gate compared to QC.
            Tought you don’t like horrible pen tile based AMOLEDS & gimmick rather bad dual camera’s?
            All do they are the reason why it costs more, personally I do like AMOLEDS…

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              I have no issue with AMOLED’s…. That is realjjj you are thinking. I prefer LCD but I don’t have an issue with AMOLED.

      • newphoenix
        July 31, 2016

        take a look at zuk z2 Rio with SD820, MTK X20 and the redmi pro is not in the same category but cost the same $225. Why? for one extra 5MP camera buyers should pay extra $$$ as the phone is unique, it is not.

        • balcobomber25
          July 31, 2016

          Because you are only looking at one component, the CPU. A lot more goes into the price of a phone than just the CPU. The Redmi Pro has a bigger battery, better camera, Micro SD support and it comes from a better brand. Zuk is good but they don’t have the reputation that Xiaomi does. Both phones are good value for the money, but they each offer something different. The Zuk is better for hardcore gamers, the Redmi Pro is better for people who value the camera.

        • MattD
          July 31, 2016

          Instead for z2 you’ll pay for smaller battery, no microsd, cheap build quality, weak camera and screen… There are still chances redmi pro to be even worse than this, we’ll have to see when the sw will be on point in actual reviews, but for now that’s what we know about z2, and it doesn’t seems like the best deal in the world even with that soc at that price

    • EpicDiss
      July 30, 2016

      Spot on and same feelings here.

      For a phone with that X25, I was expecting the price to be around US$ 159.99 and no more. However, at the mentioned prices, I might as well have gone for a Snapdragon based phone?

      It seems MediaTek doesn’t have a price advantage anymore, or maybe it’s the phone manufacturers who have decided to overprice their phones? I dunno, but these prices for MediaTek phones is insane.

  10. Guest
    July 30, 2016

    Fantastic PHONE *_*

  11. Stef
    July 30, 2016

    I never understood why/how having the fingertip sensor in the front is thought as ergonomically correct. It needs two hands (one to hold the phone and another to unlock) + it makes the profile bigger by making the “chin” of the phone unnecessarily bigger.

    To me it’s clearly the wrong position, chosen in the sorry attempt to imitate Apple without thinking that Apple actually had a good reason to put the sensor there (it already doubles as their home button).

    Google tried to make phones simpler by removing dedicating keys, and now we see their return for silly reasons, that I don’t get. Especially ergonomically speaking it’s the worse route. What’s good for the small iPhone does not translate well to the big androids…

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      I sit at my desk with my phone facing me, reach over with one thumb I can unlock it and see who texted, called or emailed me. All while still typing on my computer or talking on the phone. With the back sensor it always requires you to pick up the phone. Now do you understand?

      • SnowyCat
        July 30, 2016

        on smaller like 5-5,3″ atleast for me it is now issue to reach the button with a finger with jsut one hand..like thats the point o.o if i couldnt reach the bottom anyway with a hand it would feel wierd to me…actually even on my le max 2 with 5,7″ i can reach the bottom mid easily with one hand and my thumb

      • Stef
        July 31, 2016

        Or you know double tap the screen and do the same thing, by glancing the lock screen.

        Like I said, unergonomic position employed by some in a sorry attempt to imitate Apple. Now all phones finally achived the kind of chins that Apple has on their phones, Apple won, not by making ergonomical their phone, but by making everybody else’s less ergonomical.

        • balcobomber25
          July 31, 2016

          Double tap doesnt work when my phone is locked with a fingerprint.

          What this really comes down to is Stef doesn’t like front buttons. Everything else you said was pure nonsense.

          • Stef
            July 31, 2016

            Heh, unlocking your phone for quick glances are nonsense. That is what lock screens are for. Eliminating the locks creep is the kind of nonsense that new Apple pulls.

            Like I said, look a their sales , there is not a single category of theirs that does well compared to last year. Apple TV is toast, Apple watch, don’t ever talk about that, iPad have losing sales for years by now, iPhonesjust posted a 2nd fail quarter in row.

            If this is where you get your ideas good luck. Nobody likes big chins , it makes phones more uncomfortable to use, that is the point of ergonomics, finding common ground on what is comfortable or not. Ben AAffect chins are hugely uncomfortable.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              “Unlocking for quick glances is nonsense”. Maybe for you it is, for anyone who uses their phone for business it is far from “nonsense”, it is a necessity.

              This argument has nothing to do with Apple or their Sales.

              “Nobody likes big chins”. Do you have anything to back that up other than your opinion? I have evidence that suggests otherwise. All of them following sites did polls about fingerprint location and here are the % of those who prefer front:

              Android Authority – 37%
              Droid Life – 30%
              Pocket Now – 60%
              Phone Arena – 40% (tied with side for first)

              I guess you missed all these polls, it seems a lot of people do like them. Once again you think your opinion speaks for everyone.

            • Stef
              July 31, 2016

              I’m using my phone for business, I can’t be bothered with a full unlock, it takes way too much of my precious time. Instead I glance the lockscreen like a normal human being and then unlock if necessary…

              Hehe, online polls. Like I said “nobody likes big chins”, it has nothing to do with what looks good, it has to do with how easily one can store/use a phone. Big bezeled phones like iPhone plus take a thumbs down , almost universally, for their bad ergonomics. Good luck in proving that a giant chin is good for ergonomics.

              People may prefer the FF fingertip because they are accustomed to the look, that tells me nothing, it is still a bad idea.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              When I am in a meeting, on the phone, typing something on my computer and I get an email or text on my phone, I can’t be bothered to pick it up, but I can quickly check to see what the message was.

              So basically you have nothing to prove your theory of “nobody likes big chins” other than your opinion? Those polls tell you that people like front bezels with a fingerprint scanner, it tells you everything, most importantly it proves you wrong. You have nothing but opinion to counterpoint it. I offered actual physical data from consumers.

            • Stef
              July 31, 2016

              I never pick up my phone either. I double tap it and since it doesn’t do the full unlock I can see if it is actually an email I care about or something irrelevant, then I unlock. Damn, I’m trying to imagine how it would be if I had to unlock for every little thing, losing immense time in the meanwhike, it’s one of those things that Apple got *completely* wrong, and of course the good imitators overseas imitated even her bad ideas…

              Like I told, you, I don’t have the funds to run the studies. But there are studies showing that the the bigger the phone is, the slower people are with it (I can link some if you will) as there are many reviews dissing the giant bezels (including the chin) of iPhone plus as compared to other 5.5 inches (again I can link if you will).

              Online polls is/are hardly data. According to them Ron Paul would twice be president of the United States. They are silly really as they are exceptionally biased in their sampling.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Now you’re going off topic again by mentioning Apple and people being slower. Neither of those have anything to do with you’re original comment about big chins. I can prove that comment wrong with three words actually: i like them.

            • Stef
              July 31, 2016

              Personal beliefs are irrelevant. When I say people don’t like big chins I mean that they prefer ergonomy, not necessarily over other things but they do prefer ergonomy on its own. The studies showing that things get slower with extra large sizes basically show how less ergonomic a phone gets the bigger it gets, and giving it a double chin sure makes it bigger.

              Heh good luck making out what my notficatons mean without actually unlocking my phone. They’re purposefully less detailed so that only I can understand their conteXT (what merit’s unlocking the phone and which doesn’t; guess what, half doesn’t, especially if I’m in a busy environment)

            • balcobomber25
              August 1, 2016

              “When I say people don’t like big chins I mean that they prefer ergonomy,” Again you have nothing but your opinion to back this up. You like to offer your opinions as facts, you do that often.

              At the end of the day you like picking up your phone to unlock it, I love being able to have it laying down.

            • Stef
              August 1, 2016

              Heh, you marketing people always think that opinion creates the world, whilSt the world merely is and all you do is understand its properties, you cannot dictate what a person likes, at best you can reveal it to him/her.

              Ergonomy is one of those things, going back to paleolithic, you cannot choose to dislike ergonomy, you are programmed to like it, that is one of the basic differences between homo sapiens and the rest of the hominids. A greater sense for ergonomics which led to better stone tools which -in part- led to being the only surviving member of the hominids out of the last (lengthy) ice age.

              People like ergonomy, because they do. Double chins go against it, so better they counteract the loss of ergonomy with something better. But they don’t do even that, thumb cannot reach there in bigger phones in mid-grip, which is why you see a lot of the people unlocking their phones with a second hand, even on ads.

              So it’s actually bad in both function and form. One reason that I lament Jobs’ “departure” is that he would not allow such travesty, and the rest of the copycats would actually have good ideas to copy…

            • balcobomber25
              August 1, 2016

              So once again you have nothing but your opinion? Go it.

              Whatever you just babbled about, had nothing to do with your original point. You still have yet to offer up any proof of your original point that “nobody likes big chins”. Each one of your replies is some new ramble about lord knows what or you start talking about some other phone or company.

            • Stef
              August 2, 2016

              I did multiple times, you continuously sidestep them. Do you want me to actually give you papers showing people preferring ergonomy and how ergonomy goes down the bigger a phone is (big chins make a phone bigger you know).

              What do you mean by proof? There is no “proof” in science, only studies. I’m not going to bust my a$$ trying to find those studies for you (many are behind paywalls) if you’re not to read them. Are you going to read them? If yes, I am going to lose about 30 minutes to find the papers for you, if not do your own research…

            • balcobomber25
              August 2, 2016

              I want you to show me proof that “nobody cares about big chins” but you can’t because I already proved you wrong in the fact that I like them. Now if you said “some people don’t like them” that is another story.

            • Stef
              August 2, 2016

              OK, I was obviously exagerrating for effect. It’s still true that people are inconvenienced by it, even those that don’t know it, like you, and that’s because of our ingrained need for ergonomics (our hands are probably our most valuable external organ and they are incredible sensitive to even minor differences…)

            • balcobomber25
              August 2, 2016

              It’s true that people like them, even those that don’t know it, like you.

              The skin is our most important external organ, without it we wouldn’t function or survive.

            • Stef
              August 2, 2016

              Every creature has skin, few have (usable) hands…

              There are studies showing that people prefer ergonomics, there are no studies showing that they prefer big chins…

            • balcobomber25
              August 2, 2016

              Every creature does have skin, not all is the same. Without Skin our hands would be useless. Skin is what gives us our sense of touch.

              We don’t need studies we have opinions of actual smartphone users who say they like it. It would be a waste of money to conduct a study like that because we already know the results there are people who like who big chins on phones. Stef doesn’t like them. That’s all this boils down to, it;s not about ergonomics or chins, its about you not being able to realize people have different views and opinions than you. You’re brain can’t fathom that people think differently than you and have a different ideal than yours.

    • Kamui
      July 30, 2016

      “I never understood why/how having the fingertip sensor in the front is thought as ergonomically correct.It needs two hands (one to hold the phone and another to unlock)”

      If I understand correctly you are missing a thumb so you can not assign it to unlock your phone. I am sorry man.

      • Assefa Hanson
        July 30, 2016

        he is right that the finger print on the front is GENERALLY less ergonomic especially as the phone size increases, while the phone is in the air its harder to fall out of your hand if your hand is on a back fingerprint than on the front, your index finger will behave like a spine also it essentially makes the phone smaller since it doesnt need extra bezel like a home fingerprint, but home is more functional on a Table and it is also superior if your using your phone upright on a holder for navigation etc

      • Stef
        July 31, 2016

        Thumb does not reach down there on 5.5 phones unless you hold them too low. Also the chin remains as big as ever and you have to leave with it.

        • balcobomber25
          July 31, 2016

          I hold all my phones low, never had any issues with it being unsafe and the thumb is in perfect position to unlock it.

          With phones I have used that had rear fingerprint sensors, anything over 5 inches I am forced to stretch my finger unnaturally to unlock it.

          • Stef
            July 31, 2016

            Rear fingertip sensors can be in the middle of the phone’s back, no unnatural stretching (you have the whole back to place them). Front facing fingertip scanner has just one position, and it needs low grip which is the number 1 reason for broken screens.

            I’m happy that you have not broken yours, but you’re a sample of 1… A good majority of the broken screens I’ve seen are caused by low grips, I always recommend people to hold their phone higher, it’s a far safer grip… I guess OEMs make more money with more broken phones, no wonder they push use cases where low grip is preferable.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Except they are not always put in the middle, so there is stretching on some phones. I never have to stretch with a front button it’s always in the same place which is where my thumb naturally rests to begin with. It is much more ergonomic for me.

              You are also a sample of 1. You’re “majority” means very little because it can’t be proven true. I could say a majority of broken phones I have seen are from people stretching to reach the back fingerprint sensor and dropping it. But like your “majority” neither can be proven. We’ve had this discussion before the only thing that it boils down to is “Stef doesn’t like front finger buttons”. Nothing more, nothing less.

            • Stef
              July 31, 2016

              Just notice how people who get their phones broken alot hold them as contrasted to the people who don’t. Ever since I started noticing that it was a revelation for me. I’m sure that of I had the funds I would find a corelation between the two…

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              I notice people who get their phones broken hold them a variety of ways and usually the breaking has little to do with how they hold it.

            • Stef
              July 31, 2016

              Notice better from now on :p…. it makes sense too, holding anything away from its center of gravity is disastrous in the long run…

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Depends on the item, a rifles center of gravity is usually somewhere on the barrel, good look holding it there when you shooting. Better wear thick gloves lol.

            • Stef
              July 31, 2016

              Rifles have their center of gravity moved when shooting, veeery different situation. Unless you shoot with your phones too (dunno, phones are getting exceedingly … smart lately :p)

  12. ohad
    July 30, 2016

    Do you think that this phone is better choise than the mi5?

    • Ricardo A.
      July 30, 2016

      No way!

  13. Ionut Johnny
    July 30, 2016

    Really an amazing phone for a good price.

  14. Eric PK
    July 30, 2016

    I’d rather see a Snapdragon 65x version like Redmi Note 3 Pro.
    It would allow Quick Charge 3.0 and also opens the way for a Taiwan Special Edition with LTE B20 & B28 (800MHz & 700MHz, useful for Europe too)
    http://en.miui.com/thread-299743-1-1.html

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      They could make a Mediatek version with both of those bands. In fact it would make more sense for Taiwan given that Mediatek is based in Taiwan.

      • Misto
        July 30, 2016

        Hi Balco, which version of the Redmi Pro you would suggest in terms of specs? I am asking this because I have read around that X20 has heating issue. Also some users says that Meizu Pro 6 with X25 is heating a lot in intense usage. That being said, I don’t know if those allegations are true or not.

        • MattD
          July 30, 2016

          No tech device (and I mean, NO one) does not heat up while in use, especially under heavy use… So, it has to be seen: actually my phone is at 39°C (seeing it through an app), but I’m not complaining since there are 40+°C outside right now

      • Misto
        July 30, 2016

        I have seen your comment below regarding the heating issue, thanks for the reply. Redmi Pro has sd card slot but the middle version with X25 and 64GB cost 30$ more than the basic model. Just wondering if X25 is really optimized compared to X20.

        • balcobomber25
          July 30, 2016

          They are essentially the same chip, the X25 is just clocked slightly higher.

        • Lazar Prodanovic
          July 31, 2016

          Neither of them are optimized, they are clocked insanely high.

    • KittyPride
      July 30, 2016

      Me too 🙁
      I was really hoping they release an SD variant, and now this.

      Maybe I’ll just pull in a little more and get the Mi5 3gig version like someone suggested.

      • Zhou
        July 30, 2016

        Maybe you could wait for sometime? (A month or two?) Xiaomi might release one, and you should be able to tell much earlier,(than 2 months) depending on the sales of this device.

  15. Guest
    July 30, 2016

    I have read about heating issue with X20 and X25? Is that for real or it depends on the software? I am really interested to get the Redmi Pro but can’t decide which one to buy.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      from what i read they do have heating issues, i saw the qiku n4s reaching 49 degrees even the apollo lite get hot but not too hot tho so i guess it depends on the individual phone’s optimization but maybe generalizing of it having heat issues isnt far off

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Thanks, I think that some CPU are heating because the system/software isn’t exploiting the processor’s power well. I mean heavy system can cause heating. I really hope that Redmi Pro will not present that kind of problem.

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 30, 2016

      I saw it too 49°degree it is insanely hot .mediatek processor are shit.it is always better to use qualcomm processors

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      49 isn’t overheating that is normal operating temperature. Most SD phones run even hotter than that. My Nextbit Robin with a SD808 is currently running at 47 and it’s just sitting on my desk. The SD820 can reach over 90 when pushed to it’s limit.

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Depends on a lot of factors: software, build materials, other components used. After the disaster of the SD810/615 overheating is an issue that was never even thought of before. Most people mistake normal operating temperature with overheating because of that fiasco last year. They report overheating anytime the phone gets hot even when it’s normal. All phones will get hot under stress, it’s the nature of the product. The tests I have seen of various X20/25 phones has them in normal operating range.

    • SnowyCat
      July 30, 2016

      also for people that think that the Snapdragon version is superior people complained about the idol 4s inr eviews that while the day 2 day performance is fine when recording videos it throttles down a lot..just like the sony phone….

      so while i think that the 652 is great even it can get to its limits especially in such hot summer days

    • jonscravit
      July 30, 2016

      Exynos 8 Octa 8890 vs MTK6797 Helio X20 Deca Core”

    • jonscravit
      July 30, 2016


      Vernee Apollo Lite Multi-task Test: Fast and Smooth”

    • jonscravit
      July 30, 2016


      Apollo Lite CPU Real Time Status Demonstration”

    • jonscravit
      July 30, 2016

      see these videos below

      Exynos 8 Octa 8890 vs MTK6797 Helio X20 Deca Core”

    • jonscravit
      July 30, 2016


      Vernee Apollo Lite Multi-task Test: Fast and Smooth”

    • jonscravit
      July 30, 2016


      Apollo Lite CPU Real Time Status Demonstration”

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      The plastic back is worse at dissipating heat and that’s a factor.

      And,just in case, the SoC overheating and the back of the phone heating up are 2 very diff things. The back is about your comfort,nothing more. The SoC overheating is about throttling , in general they have diff limits. Lets say at 90C they start to throttle, at 100C they take more drastic measures and shut some cores off and at 110C the device turns off. That’s just a simplified example,there is more going on and the limits will differ from SoC to SoC and device to device. Haven’t found yet good info on how this thing throttles so can’t help with that.

      If you are curious,in the device thermals section towards the bottom of the page you can see how a few diff phones with SD810 throttled in diff ways- don’t have a more recent link to illustrate the point http://www.anandtech.com/show/9878/the-huawei-mate-8-review/5

      Edit: that doesn’t mean in any way that i condone throttling. if there is a ” turbo” mode where the SoC goes to speeds it can’t sustain for long ,it should be properly defined and explained.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      oh i see, yeah i forgot this too is a reason why glass backs gets so hot

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      I’ll buy a MediaTek phone only if it can exceed an SD 820 based phone (i.e. a prime flagship) on every real-world as well as synthetic test, graphics included, by HUGE margins (as in enough to make it look like a two or three generation leap) while costing half the price.

      Otherwise, like Vince McMahon says – “No chance”. 😉 My fat money is reserved STRICTLY for QualComm or Samsung, meanwhile the nickels and dimes are always available for a cheap-ass MediaTek.

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      One weird thing about the Redmi Pro ,they don’t list wifi ac.If you plan to buy it and if wifi ac matters,better make sure it’s there.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      hmm alright im kinda iffy because redmi cameras arent usually good

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 31, 2016

      It is true that mediatek x20 and x25 are fast but they hit up and not freindly with battery.but just wait for a review the redmi seem good on paper

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 31, 2016

      SD 808 isn’t a powerfull prossesor but let’s wait for a review

    • realjjj
      July 31, 2016

      a short look at the cam, not easy to understand much with Google Translate but info is scarce for now http://news.mydrivers.com/1/493/493086_1.htm

  16. Assefa Hanson
    July 30, 2016

    this competes with the apollo lite and qiku n4s kinda hard o pick one XD, sensors is one thing but what is the lens architecture how many elements and are these elements glass or plastic and lastly the BIG daddy software what dem algorithms looking like, ziaomi’s histroy of cameras is subpar but lets see

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 30, 2016

      360 n4s 5000mah ,16 mpx rear camera and cheaper

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      If I was picking between those 3 I would go with Xiaomi just because I trust the company more with future updates.

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      16mp camera means next to nothing without the rest of the camera specs and a full review. More MP’s doesn’t mean a better camera.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      valid point and there maybe more reasons i doubt qiku will have a international rom so it google services gambling if it will work properly or not, one thing i realize too is if i get a vernee since i dont have that EURO type socket ill probably get a non quick charge charger just like what ahppened to me with my cubot h1… and the thing will take almost 8 HOURS!!!!! to fully charge without quick charge

    • Jiraya Ziane
      July 31, 2016

      I agree but mediatek chips are crap trust me .this phone is awesome only if it has snapdragon ship. But wait for a real review

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      “trust me”. Who are you exactly? And why would I “trust” you and not my own experience? I have used every one of the current Mediatek chips. The X20/25 is far from “crap”, it is an excellent all around chip.

    • Jiraya Ziane
      August 16, 2016

      ok, i will trust you even if i don’t know you but wait until review come!!

    • balcobomber25
      August 16, 2016

      I never said to trust me. I just know from my own experience the X20 used in this phone is a good chip.

  17. Guest
    July 30, 2016

    Love the specs, hate the overpriced product.

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Just curious why you think it is overpriced?

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      i dont understand why people say its overpriced

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Maybe because it costs almost like mi5 (at least the price that the resellers are asking for it right now)

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      Because it has a Mediatek chip I am guessing. Many people are still suck in 2012 when MTK produced cheap chips with terrible GPS and performance. I read comments all the time on other sites that are so misinformed and clueless. Many people only look at the SoC and then say X phone is too overpriced, they forget about the other dozen components.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      i really believe its the SOC thing, ” why buy a mtk phone for 250″ etc it doenst matter if the phone has 64gb memory good camera etc etc its juts MTK phone must be cheap because we are just buying a chip

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Spot on and same feelings here.

      For a phone with that X25, I was expecting the price to be around US$ 159.99 and no more. However, at the mentioned prices, I might as well have gone for a Snapdragon based phone?

      It seems MediaTek doesn’t have a price advantage anymore, or maybe it’s the phone manufacturers who have decided to overprice their phones? I dunno, but these prices for MediaTek phones is insane.

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      vs the 360 N4 and N4S? This one is two thirds more than the N4 for the base model. 899CNY vs 1499CNY. And you get less RAM and lower resolution screen. Same cam but this one has the depth of field gimmick that doesn’t work well from what i’ve seen in the Chinese press.
      You also got the LeEco devices with X20 and X25 and even the Redmi Note 3 Pro 3GB at 1099CNY can be considered a competitor. At least you don’t get the pseudo-1080p display with that one.
      In China the expectations were for a lower price too. When they announced pricing people got stuck for a bit instead of the usual cheers.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      maybe after the hype dies down the pricing between the two will stabilize

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      i might just go for the n4s

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      360 might also have the Q4 or Q5 Lite soon.That might be with SD652 and dual cam. We’ll see.
      ZUK Z2 Rio is at 1499CNY too with 5inch 1080p LCD and SD820.
      If you go higher, Huawei, LeEco got interesting things,better value than MI5.
      Whatever floats your boat. This Redmi Pro is not terrible value but not Xaiomi value either.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      lol everytime i end up confused maybe i should wait till the end of the year XD

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      What do you care about? CPU,GPU,cam,VR?
      Kirin 950 is the best in CPU,SD820 in GPU for the most part but you can do with less at 1080p, X20 is flagship like CPU perf and good enough GPU for1080p at good value.
      If you don’t care about perf you go with A53x8 for good battery. -P10 or better like Kirin 650 or SD625.

      If you want VR,better wait for Daydream compatible devices. ZTE claims the Axon 7 will support Daydream,the only such device so far.
      For the cam,that’s hard,you can find some China flagships here

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      but few others do decent camera reviews,not easy to find reliable info.

      Edit:forgot about the Xiaomi Max in the value comparison.That one starts at 1499CNY too.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Dear friend, past with expensive phone (280 dollars) I to download MediaTek Uncle Tools for GPS and tried everything not still work. Sometime their EPO file server not reachable, so no way to update EPO. 🙁 So GPS problems is true. Performance was ok.

      Sorry for bad english.

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      What phone did you have? Mediatek used to have terrible GPS but all their current products are fine.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      good gaming performance, alright camera in artificial lighting and daylight, and a big battery if it doesnt have a big battery then ok sized battey with nice quick charge on a budget 270 max

    • MattD
      July 31, 2016

      What was the phone? Does the gps works at all?

    • Lazar Prodanovic
      July 31, 2016

      They still produce bad SoC’s regarding your user experience & their is no much difference in pricing per gate compared to QC.
      Tought you don’t like horrible pen tile based AMOLEDS & gimmick rather bad dual camera’s?
      All do they are the reason why it costs more, personally I do like AMOLEDS…

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      I have no issue with AMOLED’s…. That is realjjj you are thinking. I prefer LCD but I don’t have an issue with AMOLED.

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      take a look at zuk z2 Rio with SD820, MTK X20 and the redmi pro is not in the same category but cost the same $225. Why? for one extra 5MP camera buyers should pay extra $$$ as the phone is unique, it is not.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Because you are only looking at one component, the CPU. A lot more goes into the price of a phone than just the CPU. The Redmi Pro has a bigger battery, better camera, Micro SD support and it comes from a better brand. Zuk is good but they don’t have the reputation that Xiaomi does. Both phones are good value for the money, but they each offer something different. The Zuk is better for hardcore gamers, the Redmi Pro is better for people who value the camera.

    • MattD
      July 31, 2016

      Instead for z2 you’ll pay for smaller battery, no microsd, cheap build quality, weak camera and screen… There are still chances redmi pro to be even worse than this, we’ll have to see when the sw will be on point in actual reviews, but for now that’s what we know about z2, and it doesn’t seems like the best deal in the world even with that soc at that price

  18. Stef
    July 30, 2016

    I never understood why/how having the fingertip sensor in the front is thought as ergonomically correct. It needs two hands (one to hold the phone and another to unlock) + it makes the profile bigger by making the “chin” of the phone unnecessarily bigger.

    To me it’s clearly the wrong position, chosen in the sorry attempt to imitate Apple without thinking that Apple actually had a good reason to put the sensor there (it already doubles as their home button).

    Google tried to make phones simpler by removing dedicating keys, and now we see their return for silly reasons, that I don’t get. Especially ergonomically speaking it’s the worse route. What’s good for the small iPhone does not translate well to the big androids…

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      I sit at my desk with my phone facing me, reach over with one thumb I can unlock it and see who texted, called or emailed me. All while still typing on my computer or talking on the phone. With the back sensor it always requires you to pick up the phone. Now do you understand?

    • Kamui
      July 30, 2016

      “I never understood why/how having the fingertip sensor in the front is thought as ergonomically correct.It needs two hands (one to hold the phone and another to unlock)”

      If I understand correctly you are missing a thumb, so you can not assign it to unlock your phone with the same hand you are holding it. I am sorry man.

    • SnowyCat
      July 30, 2016

      on smaller like 5-5,3″ atleast for me it is now issue to reach the button with a finger with jsut one hand..like thats the point o.o if i couldnt reach the bottom anyway with a hand it would feel wierd to me…actually even on my le max 2 with 5,7″ i can reach the bottom mid easily with one hand and my thumb

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      he is right that the finger print on the front is GENERALLY less ergonomic especially as the phone size increases, while the phone is in the air its harder to fall out of your hand if your hand is on a back fingerprint than on the front, your index finger will behave like a spine also it essentially makes the phone smaller since it doesnt need extra bezel like a home fingerprint, but home is more functional on a Table and it is also superior if your using your phone upright on a holder for navigation etc

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      Thumb does not reach down there on 5.5 phones unless you hold them too low (unsafe grip). Also the chin remains as big as ever and you have to live with it…

      Apple won by forcing their inferior ideas to the rest. Jobs era Apple had good ideas, so it made sense to imitate them. Cook’s era Apple is a disaster, no wonder they are falling in YoY sales pretty much everywhere. Less and less people want to be associated with that company, yet Chinese vendors do … oh well.

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      Or you know double tap the screen and do the same thing, by glancing the lock screen.

      Like I said, unergonomic position employed by some in a sorry attempt to imitate Apple. Now all phones finally achived the kind of chins that Apple has on their phones, Apple won, not by making ergonomical their phone, but by making everybody else’s less ergonomical.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Double tap doesnt work when my phone is locked with a fingerprint.

      What this really comes down to is Stef doesn’t like front buttons. Everything else you said was pure nonsense.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      I hold all my phones low, never had any issues with it being unsafe and the thumb is in perfect position to unlock it.

      With phones I have used that had rear fingerprint sensors, anything over 5 inches I am forced to stretch my finger unnaturally to unlock it.

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      Heh, unlocking your phone for quick glances is nonsense. That is what lock screens are for. Eliminating the locks screen is the kind of nonsense that new Apple pulls.

      Like I said, look at their sales , there is not a single category of theirs that does well compared to last year. Apple TV is toast, Apple watch, don’t ever talk about that, iPad have losing sales for years by now, iPhones just posted a 2nd fail quarter in a row.

      If this is where you get your ideas good luck. Nobody likes big chins , it makes phones more uncomfortable to use, that is the point of ergonomics, finding common ground on what is comfortable or not. Ben Affleck chins are hugely uncomfortable.

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      Rear fingertip sensors can be in the middle of the phone’s back, no unnatural stretching (you have the whole back to place them). Front facing fingertip scanner has just one position, and it needs low grip which is the number 1 reason for broken screens.

      I’m happy that you have not broken yours, but you’re a sample of 1… A good majority of the broken screens I’ve seen are caused by low grips, I always recommend people to hold their phone higher, it’s a far safer grip… I guess OEMs make more money with more broken phones, no wonder they push use cases where low grip is preferable.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Except they are not always put in the middle, so there is stretching on some phones. I never have to stretch with a front button it’s always in the same place which is where my thumb naturally rests to begin with. It is much more ergonomic for me.

      You are also a sample of 1. You’re “majority” means very little because it can’t be proven true. I could say a majority of broken phones I have seen are from people stretching to reach the back fingerprint sensor and dropping it. But like your “majority” neither can be proven. We’ve had this discussion before the only thing that it boils down to is “Stef doesn’t like front finger buttons”. Nothing more, nothing less.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      “Unlocking for quick glances is nonsense”. Maybe for you it is, for anyone who uses their phone for business it is far from “nonsense”, it is a necessity.

      This argument has nothing to do with Apple or their Sales.

      “Nobody likes big chins”. Do you have anything to back that up other than your opinion? I have evidence that suggests otherwise. All of them following sites did polls about fingerprint location and here are the % of those who prefer front:

      Android Authority – 37%
      Droid Life – 30%
      Pocket Now – 60%
      Phone Arena – 40% (tied with side for first)

      I guess you missed all these polls, it seems a lot of people do like them. Once again you think your opinion speaks for everyone.

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      Just notice how people who get their phones broken alot hold them as contrasted to the people who don’t. Ever since I started noticing that it was a revelation for me. I’m sure that of I had the funds I would find a corelation between the two…

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      I notice people who get their phones broken hold them a variety of ways and usually the breaking has little to do with how they hold it.

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      I’m using my phone for business, I can’t be bothered with a full unlock, it takes way too much of my precious time. Instead I glance the lockscreen like a normal human being and then unlock if necessary…

      Hehe, online polls. Like I said “nobody likes big chins”, it has nothing to do with what looks good, it has to do with how easily one can store/use a phone. Big bezeled phones like iPhone plus take a thumbs down , almost universally, for their bad ergonomics. Good luck in proving that a giant chin is good for ergonomics.

      People may prefer the FF fingertip because they are accustomed to the look, that tells me nothing, it is still a bad idea.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      When I am in a meeting, on the phone, typing something on my computer and I get an email or text on my phone, I can’t be bothered to pick it up, but I can quickly check to see what the message was.

      So basically you have nothing to prove your theory of “nobody likes big chins” other than your opinion? Those polls tell you that people like front bezels with a fingerprint scanner, it tells you everything, most importantly it proves you wrong. You have nothing but opinion to counterpoint it. I offered actual physical data from consumers.

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      Notice better from now on :p…. it makes sense too, holding anything away from its center of gravity is disastrous in the long run…

    • Stef
      July 31, 2016

      I never pick up my phone either. I double tap it and since it doesn’t do the full unlock I can see if it is actually an email I care about or something irrelevant, then I unlock. Damn, I’m trying to imagine how it would be if I had to unlock for every little thing, losing immense time in the meanwhike, it’s one of those things that Apple got *completely* wrong, and of course the good imitators overseas imitated even her bad ideas…

      Like I told, you, I don’t have the funds to run the studies. But there are studies showing that the the bigger the phone is, the slower people are with it (I can link some if you will) as there are many reviews dissing the giant bezels (including the chin) of iPhone plus as compared to other 5.5 inches (again I can link if you will).

      Online polls is/are hardly data. According to them Ron Paul would twice be president of the United States. They are silly really as they are exceptionally biased in their sampling.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Double tap wouldn’t work for me because my notifications are set to be private. All I can see with double tapping is the type of notification, I have to actually unlock the phone to see what the message is. And I won’t change that because I value my privacy.

      Now you’re going off topic again by mentioning Apple and people being slower. Neither of those have anything to do with you’re original comment about big chins. I can prove that comment wrong with three words actually: i like them.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Depends on the item, a rifles center of gravity is usually somewhere on the barrel, good look holding it there when you shooting. Better wear thick gloves lol.

    • Stef
      August 1, 2016

      Personal beliefs are irrelevant. When I say people don’t like big chins I mean that they prefer ergonomy, not necessarily over other things but they do prefer ergonomy on its own. The studies showing that things get slower with extra large sizes basically show how less ergonomic a phone gets the bigger it gets, and giving it a double chin sure makes it bigger.

      Heh good luck making out what my notficatons mean without actually unlocking my phone. They’re purposefully less detailed so that only I can understand their conteXT (what merit’s unlocking the phone and which doesn’t; guess what, half doesn’t, especially if I’m in a busy environment)

    • Stef
      August 1, 2016

      Rifles have their center of gravity moved when shooting, veeery different situation. Unless you shoot with your phones too (dunno, phones are getting exceedingly … smart lately :p)

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      “When I say people don’t like big chins I mean that they prefer ergonomy,” Again you have nothing but your opinion to back this up. You like to offer your opinions as facts, you do that often.

      At the end of the day you like picking up your phone to unlock it, I love being able to have it laying down.

    • Stef
      August 1, 2016

      Heh, you marketing people always think that opinion creates the world, whilSt the world merely is and all you do is understand its properties, you cannot dictate what a person likes, at best you can reveal it to him/her.

      Ergonomy is one of those things, going back to paleolithic, you cannot choose to dislike ergonomy, you are programmed to like it, that is one of the basic differences between homo sapiens and the rest of the hominids. A greater sense for ergonomics which led to better stone tools which -in part- led to being the only surviving member of the hominids out of the last (lengthy) ice age.

      People like ergonomy, because they do. Double chins go against it, so better they counteract the loss of ergonomy with something better. But they don’t do even that, thumb cannot reach there in bigger phones in mid-grip, which is why you see a lot of the people unlocking their phones with a second hand, even on ads.

      So it’s actually bad in both function and form. One reason that I lament Jobs’ “departure” is that he would not allow such travesty, and the rest of the copycats would actually have good ideas to copy…

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      So once again you have nothing but your opinion? Go it.

      Whatever you just babbled about, had nothing to do with your original point. You still have yet to offer up any proof of your original point that “nobody likes big chins”. Each one of your replies is some new ramble about lord knows what or you start talking about some other phone or company.

    • Stef
      August 2, 2016

      I did multiple times, you continuously sidestep them. Do you want me to actually give you papers showing people preferring ergonomy and how ergonomy goes down the bigger a phone is (big chins make a phone bigger you know).

      What do you mean by proof? There is no “proof” in science, only studies. I’m not going to bust my a$$ trying to find those studies for you (many are behind paywalls) if you’re not to read them. Are you going to read them? If yes, I am going to lose about 30 minutes to find the papers for you, if not do your own research…

    • balcobomber25
      August 2, 2016

      I want you to show me proof that “nobody cares about big chins” but you can’t because I already proved you wrong in the fact that I like them. Now if you said “some people don’t like them” that is another story.

    • Stef
      August 2, 2016

      OK, I was obviously exagerrating for effect. It’s still true that people are inconvenienced by it, even those that don’t know it, like you, and that’s because of our ingrained need for ergonomics (our hands are probably our most valuable external organ and they are incredible sensitive to even minor differences…)

    • balcobomber25
      August 2, 2016

      It’s true that people like them, even those that don’t know it, like you.

      The skin is our most important external organ, without it we wouldn’t function or survive.

    • Stef
      August 2, 2016

      Every creature has skin, few have (usable) hands…

      There are studies showing that people prefer ergonomics, there are no studies showing that they prefer big chins…

    • balcobomber25
      August 2, 2016

      Every creature does have skin, not all is the same. Without Skin our hands would be useless. Skin is what gives us our sense of touch.

      We don’t need studies we have opinions of actual smartphone users who say they like it. It would be a waste of money to conduct a study like that because we already know the results there are people who like who big chins on phones. Stef doesn’t like them. That’s all this boils down to, it;s not about ergonomics or chins, its about you not being able to realize people have different views and opinions than you. You’re brain can’t fathom that people think differently than you and have a different ideal than yours.

  19. Ionut Johnny
    July 30, 2016

    Really an amazing phone for a good price.

  20. Eric PK
    July 30, 2016

    I’d rather see a Snapdragon 65x version like Redmi Note 3 Pro.
    It would allow Quick Charge 3.0 and also opens the way for a Taiwan Special Edition with LTE B20 & B28 (800MHz & 700MHz, useful for Europe too)
    http://en.miui.com/thread-299743-1-1.html

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      They could make a Mediatek version with both of those bands. In fact it would make more sense for Taiwan given that Mediatek is based in Taiwan.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Hi Balco, which version of the Redmi Pro you would suggest in terms of specs? I am asking this because I have read around that X20 has heating issue. Also some users says that Meizu Pro 6 with X25 is heating a lot in intense usage. That being said, I don’t know if those allegations are true or not.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      I have seen your comment below regarding the heating issue, thanks for the reply. Redmi Pro has sd card slot but the middle version with X25 and 64GB cost 30$ more than the basic model. Just wondering if X25 is really optimized compared to X20.

    • MattD
      July 30, 2016

      No tech device (and I mean, NO one) does not heat up while in use, especially under heavy use… So, it has to be seen: actually my phone is at 39°C (seeing it through an app), but I’m not complaining since there are 40+°C outside right now

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2016

      They are essentially the same chip, the X25 is just clocked slightly higher.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Me too 🙁
      I was really hoping they release an SD variant, and now this.

      Maybe I’ll just pull in a little more and get the Mi5 3gig version like someone suggested.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Maybe you could wait for sometime? (A month or two?) Xiaomi might release one, and you should be able to tell much earlier,(than 2 months) depending on the sales of this device.

    • Lazar Prodanovic
      July 31, 2016

      Neither of them are optimized, they are clocked insanely high.

  21. KittyPride
    July 30, 2016

    What no Snapdragon in a PRO model?
    Was really, really looking forward to this having an SD edition.

    Will have to look elsewhere now or wait for a slightly less expensive 820 phone. 🙁

    • CallItASpade
      July 30, 2016

      The Snapdragon 820 based Mi5 costs only a tad bit more, while having vastly superior graphics and better all round processing capability (real world multitasking, synthetics etc.).

      Unless someone is really, really hard pressed in the 1999 CNY price bracket, I don’t see a compelling reason why one wouldn’t spend a bit more for a much superior product.

      I say this because going by your requirement, I don’t think the Mi5 3GB model is that far above the Redmi Note Pro price?

      • Assefa Hanson
        July 30, 2016

        a little more?????? the mi 5 standard is going for 310 to 350, from resellers thats around roughly 70(with mark up) to 130(Price without mark up) extra versus the redmi pro and as usual people are not buying an SOC only but an entire phone they may prefer an amoled screen, larger battery, better build material, Larger screen, micro sd card support and maybe even dual cameras(if implemented well) i fail to see mi 5 being “much superior”

        • CallItASpade
          July 30, 2016

          Don’t get your panties in a bunch and your menstruation pad all soaked. Here are some facts for you:

          – This Note Pro X25 4GB costs $300 as marked by Xiaomi
          – When listed online, prices will be higher
          – The MI5 is already available for $310 – $340 (incl. markup)
          – One Mi5 is here: http://bit.ly/2aDc2gi (314 orders)

          So as I said:
          – The price isn’t just trivial, but also in favor of the Mi5 / SD820
          – The difference in the two SoCs is vast, the 820 is far better
          – The other differences you listed doesn’t make up for this

          One may prefer an OLED / AMOLED display, but it doesn’t have any significant impact on day to day operation, otherwise the marked for LCD based phones wouldn’t have dominated for so long.

          Build material? Are you joking? Have you even handled the Mi5? Same company, flagship grade build, beautiful finish.

          To see why the Mi5 is superior, you’d have to have one like I do. Try it out if you can before hypothesizing.

          My dad uses the Redmi Note 3 (SD 650 model), so going by that phone, it’s not too hard to extrapolate what the RN3 PRO will be like. No, it will not be graphene-enforced and the battery will not last till eternity. Marginal improvements of auxiliary features can never make up for a critical deficiency in an SoC, sorry.

          • KittyPride
            July 30, 2016

            OMG @ that price! I though it was going for some 370-380?

            Is AliExpress reliable? I’ve never ordered from there before and am tempted! CallIt… Please respond!

            • CallItASpade
              July 30, 2016

              Safe as long as you choose a reliable seller with a high reputation, and a large number of items sold (I mean the exact same item you are looking at), and you select DHL / UPS for shipping (costs around 20-25 bucks extra).

              That link I posted: 314 orders, 225 feedback @ 4.6 rating, looks great. Don’t hold me at gun point later though. However, not to scare you or anything, yes, it’s completely safe.

            • KittyPride
              July 30, 2016

              ORDERED! (From a different seller though).

              I’m nervous since this is my first time from AliExpress, but I checked the feedback and all. Excited to have an 820 phone 🙂

            • Jh1
              July 30, 2016

              Fastcardtech and geekbuying have the mi5 3/32 version listed for $316 including shipping

            • KittyPride
              July 30, 2016

              Thanks for letting me now, but I’ve just ordered from AliExpress for almost the same price 🙂

          • Assefa Hanson
            July 30, 2016

            ill continue to be objective, the reasoning behind the mi 5 having some build quality issues is because it uses glass by default making it more susceptible to breaking than the alloy in the redmi pro

            as for amoled i am not making a general statement for the technologies but a comparison between the individual phones, people also buy phones for form and in the eyes of the consumer preference is important regardless of critical function i was attemtping to show you an exclusive feature that the mi5 cannot offer

            continuing on that note the redmi pro has a larger screen, micro SD slot larger battery and dual cameras all reasonable reasons to pay less to get as for the SOC the x20 and 25 are strong enough to handle graphically intensive games etc being able to run 60 fps games at 42-45 and 30 at around 25

            the 820’s general performance isnt twice better or leagues ahead the average consumer will see no difference

            i still fail to see the mi 5 being “much superior”

            • CallItASpade
              July 30, 2016

              Are you really going to continue arguing for the sake of it?

              1. I own an Mi5 – zero build quality issues – it is phenomenal. So what are you talking about? Can you show some YouTube videos where reviewers point out the “build issues”? Or is this once again “up in the air” hypothesizing? More susceptible to breaking? Then one should only buy Aluminium chassis phones, that’s your argument? Sure, just Google bendgate.

              2. Consumers don’t give a crap about display technologies, unless the consumer happens to be an expert in the comments section of GizChina. 😉 So going by that, the fact that the Mi5 doesn’t offer an OLED display doesn’t doesn’t really mean anything to the average consumer, who’ll probably think – if it looks good and feels good, who cares? They’ll probably not even ask to be honest.

              3. Larger screen by how much? 0.35 inches? I’m guessing you can argue the other way as well? That the folks who prefer a smaller form factor will like it?

              I never claimed that the 820’s performance is twice as better as the X25’s, but let’s compare the two devices here, as you also said, it’s about phones, not SoCs.

              – One can buy a Mi5 right now for ~$310 (all inclusive)
              – One can wait a bit and buy this RN3P-X25 for ~320 / ~330
              – If the price of the RN3P-X25 is marked higher than the Mi5 by retailers, it’s a really, really shitty deal.

              I will stand by this argument, and I hope prospective phone buyers won’t be stupid enough to worry about “a beautiful glass body”, “a superb display” and a “beastly cpu + gpu bar none” that they can get for cheaper than the RN3P-X25 with X% performance of this and that with an OLED display and a card slot. No way.

            • Assefa Hanson
              July 30, 2016

              no hypothesizing here if i break the glass on a mi 5 the body is gone, if i bend a metal body i maybe still be able to bend it back in place

              my argument is not that one should only buy metal chasis phones my argument is that there are features that the redmi pro has that the mi 5 lacks and you pay less at the same time

              “Unless someone is really, really hard pressed in the 1999 CNY price bracket, I don’t see a compelling reason why one wouldn’t spend a bit more for a much superior product”

              the features i showed maybe be compelling to others ill repeat them a micro sd slot, larger battey, Oled screen,dual cameras, 64 gb storage(redmi pro mid version), larger screen. i still fail to see the mi 5 being “a much superior product”

            • CallItASpade
              July 30, 2016

              You don’t pay less. Quit misinforming people. The price from Xiaomi for the top end model is at CNY 1999, roughly US$ 302.

              When listed, assuming a reasonable margin, the price will be around US $330.

              Very shitty deal compared to the lower priced better spec’d Mi5, as I have maintained throughout.

            • EpicDiss
              July 30, 2016

              Wrong, because for the flagship phone: X25 / 4GB etc. the listed price will be marked EVEN HIGHER, around $350-360.

              I’m expecting it to start at $350 – which, for a MediaTek phone, is basically impending doom.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              “impending doom”. Based on what? You do realize a phone is made up of about a dozen other components besides the SoC? All of them affect the price…

            • EpicDiss
              July 31, 2016

              We’ll see Balco. Knowing how much you defend MediaTek while claiming no allegiance or bias, your reply is sort of expected.

              But time will tell, and I hope you’re already aware of Xiaomi’s own figures of how many MTK vs QC devices they sell. The problem is, we’ll all forget this all too soon. This comment thread will become defunct, and 6 months down the line when Xiaomi will stop manufacturing this model due to piss poor sales, none of us will be willing to follow up and grill anyone who said otherwise.

              So let’s just hold our horses for now, and wait for the next 6 months.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              I defend all SoC’s, I don’t have a favorite. I just can’t stand the comments that say “X phone will be bad or overpriced because it has X SoC”. The SoC isn’t even the most expensive component in a phone, the display is. There have been terrible Mediatek SoC’s in the past, but there also have been terrible Qualcomm SoC’s. There have also been excellent SoC’s from both companies. And there is the Samsung Exnyos which is probably the best all around SoC.

            • Assefa Hanson
              July 31, 2016

              but i was talking about the low and mid version which are cheaper with mark up

              http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Pro-5-5inch-OLED-3GB-64GB-Smartphone—Gray-370473.html

              http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Pro-5-5inch-OLED-3GB-32GB-Smartphone—Gray-370485.html

              a very good deal seeing it has features the mi 5 cannot offer for less

            • MattD
              July 30, 2016

              To be fair, many of the reviews I’ve seen about mi5 pointed out build quality issues, like the one on gizchina. it (that’s one I remember for sure).

            • bojan radovanovic
              July 31, 2016

              No way… Xiaomi makes just flawless products… Ask anyine on gizchina…

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Just about every review of the Mi5 points out build quality issues…

              And you’re confusing phones this is the Redmi Pro. The RN3P is a completely different phone.

    • dutchgio
      July 30, 2016

      It can still come later, just kike with the Note 3. They may be waiting on a newer version of the Snap 65x series so that it is an actual upgrade of the Note 3, also in hardware.

      But for sale in india they need a Snapdragon as MediaTeks are forbidden there, so if they want to sell it there, they will.

      • balcobomber25
        July 31, 2016

        Mediatek isn’t forbidden in India, Xiaomi is forbidden from selling MTK phones there. Several companies in India sell MTK phones.

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      They have the Note 3 Pro and the Max with SD65x.

      • KittyPride
        July 30, 2016

        I’ve just ordered the Mi5 3GB for less than $320 🙂 (post below). No way I’d spend that kind of money on a MediaTek based phone, sorry.

        • balcobomber25
          July 31, 2016

          I buy phones based on the entire package not just the SoC.

          • KittyPride
            July 31, 2016

            That’s you and your decision, not me.

            I care a lot about the SoC and have major reservations about paying big money for MediaTek phones (never will), so?

            • bojan radovanovic
              July 31, 2016

              He is payed to write that… So on your personal opinion, he wrote you are wrong, as someone ask him. And he’ll get his new MTK phone, and a sandwich.

            • Frozen
              July 31, 2016

              With a $5 coupon and a bunch of food stamps for the family to go along with, ha ha. Amazing how much he defends MediaTek phones and will persuade anyone to “know better”.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              I correct people that are mistaken, I have no allegiance to a SoC company. I currently use two Qualcomm phones. I have also used Kirin and Exnyos phones. There are good Mediatek SoC’s and crap ones, there are good Qualcomm chips and crap ones.

              Funny thing is some of my favorite phones of all time had Qualcomm SoC’s, like Xiaomi Mi4 and Mi3, anyone who is a regular here can attest to that.

            • Frozen
              August 1, 2016

              It is clear that @KittyPride is clearly not enjoying your unnecessary, uncalled for corrections, and yet you persist in spite of it being mentioned, claiming “it is fun getting you all riled up, you Qualcomm fanboys are so easy to mess with”. Are you really an adult?

              What got you so engaged and worked up in the first place? That he/she was persuaded to buy a QC phone at a good price and you couldn’t persuade her otherwise? Or the fact that he/she chose not to argue with you (this is the likely one) and ignored your opinion.

              That’s reason for you to constantly subtly insult someone again, and again, on the correctness of their purchasing decisions?

              Quit trolling people and get a life, seriously.

            • Airyl
              August 1, 2016

              Here’s really just doing this for fun. You guys are easy to troll, you know?

            • NextHype
              August 1, 2016

              yeah mod, add fuel to the fire xD

            • Aaron
              August 1, 2016

              Wow, the honest admittance does reflect so nicely on you, you know. Somehow balco trolling others who have tried not to converse with him is ok, and going by the sound of what you just posted, you too enjoy it when it’s him attacking and making others miserable, right? Easy to troll? why, because they have a different opinion than yours, or different priorities which doesn’t match yours?

              Classy. On with the name calling now, but I’m out.

            • balcobomber25
              August 1, 2016

              Are you really an adult? Quit trolling me and get a life, seriously.

            • Frozen
              August 1, 2016

              You avoided the real question though – on why you engage with people and mock their decisions while having “fun”, even when they don’t want to argue with you?

            • balcobomber25
              August 1, 2016

              You avoided the real question though – why are you trying to be all “noble” while essentially doing the same thing with me?

            • Krisby
              August 1, 2016

              Read what @Nolan said up top, the part about not responding. Sensible advice.

            • NextHype
              August 1, 2016

              “I have no allegiance to a SoC company. I currently use two Qualcomm phones”

              This proves only that, despise the fact you work for MTK, you secretly know deep inside yourself that MTK suck ballz and QC is the way to go ! xD

            • balcobomber25
              August 1, 2016

              Actually if I had my choice I would choose Exnyos over all of them but they come in so few phones and I don’t like Samsung phones.

            • NextHype
              August 1, 2016

              I bet you had a Meizu Pro 5 !

              BTW this thread should be renamed “10 things you need to know about balco”

            • balcobomber25
              August 1, 2016

              Nope I have only owned one Meizu phone it was an MX5. Before that I had a Xiaomi Mi4.

            • KittyPride
              July 31, 2016

              Don’t know whether he’s paid or not, but certainly is opinionated and engages as such, unnecessarily.

              I mean, here I am, having spoken to another user who pointed me to a phone I was looking at for a while, on AliExpress, and I happily place an order at a superb price. So it’s a done deal, but no, let’s prove people wrong and engage in banter.

              So here he is, commenting on my buying decision, on what he’d base his decision on, and the slight jab with what “most reasonable” people would do – which is go for a MediaTek device, masqueraded more politely as “look at the overall phone instead of the SoC”. Well, I choose not to, so fuck off and mind your own business maybe? Yes, I thought so.

              Could very well be paid like you said, but I’ll still leave some benefit of doubt. Trolls like these are rarely taken seriously by any company, much less one that works at the scale of Xiaomi, MediaTek whatever.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Most reasonable people would go for the best value for the money. A fanboy such as yourself buys phones based only on the SoC, reasonable people buy phones based on the entire package.

              “Trolls like these” Considering I have been given free phones to both test out and keep by several companies, I don’t fit your definition of a troll. But it is fun getting you all riled up, you Qualcomm fanboys are so easy to mess with.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Not paid to write anything my comments are 100% original but my status in the Chinese community has got me free phones in the past. And both my current phones use a SD chip so nice try, but I will take that Sandwich!

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              So you buy a phone just for the SoC? Hypothetical scenario. You have $300 to spend on a phone and must decide between one of these two:

              A. Helio X25, 4GB RAM, 128GB Rom, Sony IMX 260 (same as used in S7) with f/1.7 aperture, hifi audio chip, 4000mAh.

              B. SD615, 3GB RAM, 16GB Rom, Sony IMX 220 with f/2.2 aperture, 3000mAh.

              By your logic you would choose the worse overall phone (B) just because it has a Qualcomm SoC. Even though that particular SoC is one of the worst ones Qualcomm ever made. Me and most reasonable people look at the entire package of the phone, not just the SoC.

            • KittyPride
              July 31, 2016

              Did you even read things properly? I ordered the Mi5, and that’s an SD 820 fitted phone, not an SD 615 phone. Your B. item would have to be an SD 820 phone, and yes, I’d choose that one blindfolded every time, irrespective of what the MediaTek based A. phone would offer.

              And by the way, if you want to pitch two price comparable phones together as a side by side, the Mi5 vs Redmi Pro would be an apt comparison (X25 vs 820 in terms of chipsets), given that the Mi5 costs lesser (~315 ish) now.

              I, or anyone else for that matter, surely don’t have to reasonable for “your” terms. I won’t use a MediaTek phone if I’m offered one for free.

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Did you read things properly it wasn’t about what you ordered, it was a hypothetical scenario. So you would chose the Sd820 phone with the terrible specs just because it has a SD820. That is fanboy status!

              The Mi5 is a good phone, but it doesn’t cost less. For the same spec’d version (3/32) the Redmi Pro costs $225, the Mi5 costs $300.

            • KittyPride
              July 31, 2016

              Yeah, resorting to calling someone a fanboy because they disagree with you or have different priorities while making a purchase, butting into conversations where your opinion wasn’t even needed in the first place (it was me and realjjj) but you felt compelled to, and generally being a dick to anyone that you have the slightest disagreement with.

              I didn’t even want to argue with you any further, and if you look up, I tried to not even have a conversation with you when I said your decision is yours and not mine.

              So why the fuck are you arguing and still carrying the conversation on? Why do you care a rat’s ass how people make their purchasing decisions, as irrational as they seem to you.

              Unless of course, as Bojan pointed out, you’re paid to do this? I’m off this conversation. I’m not even sure why I chose to engage with a third grade troll like you on my first few comments at GizChina, some of which involved making a happy purchase where things should have ended.

              Fucking useless jerk.

            • Nolan
              July 31, 2016

              He has been doing this for a long time.

              He has disagreements with pretty much everyone, on almost everything (except MaxPower and Yasir, for obvious reasons).

              Even when it comes down to personal choices (like yours), he will still have a go at it, often trying to impose his standards as correct, dictating what constitutes rational thinking, what should be and what should not be, and how consumers should act. Just like he termed you a “fanboy” for prioritizing an SD 820 chipset based phone over whatever the other was.

              My advice: Don’t respond to a single comment on his in the future (if you’re still around). He’ll still rain piss on the comments threads, attacking you, displaying passive aggression for various kinds, name calling, but you just have to ignore things and scroll past it.

            • MattD
              July 31, 2016

              “He has disagreements with pretty much everyone, on almost everything (except MaxPower and Yasir, for obvious reasons).”

              What are those obvious reasons, if I may ask?

            • Airyl
              August 1, 2016

              What are these obvious reasons, pray tell?

            • balcobomber25
              July 31, 2016

              Swearing and name calling and you call someone else a “third grade troll”. I use the fanboy comment when it applies. Saying you would choose a worse phone just because it has a certain SoC, when every other component is worse is full fanboy.

              It’s okay to be a fanboy where all fanboys of something, I am a fanboy of Xiaomi, you are a fanboy of Qualcomm. Much easier to just admit it.

  22. realjjj
    July 30, 2016

    Vivid colors lol
    That’s how TVs were marketed in the 90’s. Vivid is marketing for oversaturated, it’s something you want to avoid.
    What you get with Pentile is fraud, it simply isn’t 1080p.There are no marketing standards for how to define a pixel and they shamelessly abuse that. At least we have marketing standards for bananas…
    You also get low brightness with OLED unless there is an overdrive mode (see the OnePlus 3 or the Meizu Pro 6) and contrast is only higher in theory, just because it is OLED it doesn’t mean the contrast is high.
    A far as i know, they source the display from 2 China display makers and remains to be seen if they’ve managed to get quality to reasonable levels.

    • GokuInTraining
      July 30, 2016

      This was confirmed on Weibo as well, but the content was quickly taken down after a heated exchange between the groups there (one of whom was representing the second display maker).

      Anyway, just get ready for flak – coz you know, MediaTek is the best there is and anyone who says otherwise on GizChina…… well 😉

      • balcobomber25
        July 31, 2016

        Mediatek isn’t the best but it’s not crap like most people make it out to be. On this site there is no consensus on what chip is best. Some say SD, some say Mediatek others say Exnyos.

        • bojan radovanovic
          July 31, 2016

          Well, this year it’s easy… SD820 don’t even have competitors… Then Exinos and few steps back Kirin and X20/25,followed by a little with SD65* (witch is even better solution for international markets, plus it’s more open to XDA).

          • realjjj
            July 31, 2016

            On the CPU side Kirin is better in both perf and efficiency at load. SD820 with all 4 cores fully loaded goes to about 6W (ideally you want to stay bellow 3.5W) so devices in general can sustain that load for 20-30 seconds.Then they would drop to about 1.5GHz for the higher clocked cores and 1.2-1.3 GHz for the other 2 cores and that might last for 1.5mins before it has to drop further.Ofc power management will differ from device to device,some like the Zuk Z2 Pro seem to throttle a lot harder.

            The Mate 8 can keep all 4 big cores fully loaded for1.5 mins and all cores are at 2.3GHz not 2+2 like SD820.It’s a much more honest offering.

            • Allanitomwesh
              July 31, 2016

              Adreno goes to town against Mali though

            • realjjj
              July 31, 2016

              For the most part but it can also throttle hard in some games and let Kirin almost catch up. It would be preferable if they would clock it at 400-500MHz but they push it a bit too far to win in benchmarks. The thing is that those don’t really matter. What a user needs is a certain FPS in actual games at on-screen resolution.
              In PC you don’t need the new Titan X at 1.2K$ if you have a 1080p screen. In phones, because nobody is testing the GPUs in actual games, people still aim for “the best”
              Anyway, Adreno is fast and likely they have an area advantage too , at least vs the current gen Mali, we’ll see how the G71 does next year.

          • balcobomber25
            July 31, 2016

            The SD820 has the best GPU but the Exnyos 8890 is the best overall chip, the Kirin 955 an Helio X25 aren’t too far behind. A SoC is made up of a lot more than just a GPU and that’s all most people look at, even if they don’t play the most demanding games that can take advantage of that GPU.

    • Razor
      July 31, 2016

      Newer generation Oled panel doesn’t have colour accuracy issue. Samsung super amoled panel now are highly colour accurate as modern led ips panel or even more. Brightness is also high on those panel, maybe not as high as led panel. Pentile matrix panel are a huge issue since they halves the ppi it usually has. Xiaomi must have used cheap Chinese Oled panel, Those Oled panel doesn’t have the true zero blacks and because of that contrast are lower but still higher than normal led IPS panel. I think vivo and meizu must have used same chinese panels on their phones. And Oled do have infinite contrast do to their near zero black level. Display calibrators do have one of those contrast detector machine that reads the ANSI contrast ratio and usually Oleds are unmeasurable.You can read about Oled panel on displaymate.com they have written a good article about Oled.

      • realjjj
        July 31, 2016

        I never said they have color accuracy issues,the article was saying “vivid colors” and found that funny. Some device makers do aim for vivid colors instead of accuracy though.Like OP3 before the update.But again,i never said that OLED has poor color accuracy, was just amused by the marketing term used here.

        Brightness is only high if they have a boost mode for outdoors and not everybody has that. Andi I was pretty clear about that. yes Samsung goes to above 550nits but many others have low brightness and this one is listed at 350nits.It’s fine for indoors and nothing unusual for mid range but it is low compared to the best screens.

        Contrast is higher on paper. It is higher for the best ones but many are only matching the best LCDs.So at about 3.5k while good ones go to 4.5k.

        Most people have the wrong image about OLED.They think they are better but they don’t know what Pentile is and these kind of claims about contrast and blacks are being spread without any realism.

        On paper OLED has some advantages but also has some disadvantages but one must remember that not all quality grades are created equal.Pentile is the big thing that ruins it and makes it fraud.- to be fair we are not 100% certain this one is Pentile but it’s 99% safe to assume it is.
        Most users think that OLED is better even when it isn’t. RGB OLED with reasonable power consumption would be nice but nobody is offering that anymore in phones.

        This matters today a lot more than yesterday because OLED is starting to see a wider adoption and people need to understand what they are buying while the industry needs to be forced to drop Pentile.

  23. Guest
    July 30, 2016

    What no Snapdragon in a PRO model?
    Was really, really looking forward to this having an SD edition.

    Will have to look elsewhere now or wait for a slightly less expensive 820 phone. 🙁

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      The Snapdragon 820 based Mi5 costs only a tad bit more, while having vastly superior graphics and better all round processing capability (real world multitasking, synthetics etc.).

      Unless someone is really, really hard pressed in the 1999 CNY price bracket, I don’t see a compelling reason why one wouldn’t spend a bit more for a much superior product.

      I say this because going by your requirement, I don’t think the Mi5 3GB model is that far above the Redmi Note Pro price?

    • dutchgio
      July 30, 2016

      It can still come later, just kike with the Note 3. They may be waiting on a newer version of the Snap 65x series so that it is an actual upgrade of the Note 3, also in hardware.

      But for sale in india they need a Snapdragon as MediaTeks are forbidden there, so if they want to sell it there, they will.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      a little more?????? the mi 5 standard is going for 310 to 350 or more, from resellers thats around roughly 70(without mark up) to 130(Price with mark up) extra versus the redmi pro and as usual people are not buying an SOC only but an entire phone they may prefer an amoled screen, larger battery, better build material, Larger screen, micro sd card support and maybe even dual cameras(if implemented well) i fail to see mi 5 being “much superior”

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Don’t get your panties in a bunch and your menstruation pad all soaked. Here are some facts for you:

      – This Note Pro X25 4GB costs $300 as marked by Xiaomi
      – When listed online, prices will be higher
      – The MI5 is already available for $310 – $340 (incl. markup)
      – One Mi5 is here: http://bit.ly/2aDc2gi (314 orders)

      So as I said:
      – The price isn’t just trivial, but also in favor of the Mi5 / SD820
      – The difference in the two SoCs is vast, the 820 is far better
      – The other differences you listed doesn’t make up for this

      One may prefer an OLED / AMOLED display, but it doesn’t have any significant impact on day to day operation, otherwise the marked for LCD based phones wouldn’t have dominated for so long.

      Build material? Are you joking? Have you even handled the Mi5? Same company, flagship grade build, beautiful finish.

      To see why the Mi5 is superior, you’d have to have one like I do. Try it out if you can before hypothesizing.

      My dad uses the Redmi Note 3 (SD 650 model), so going by that phone, it’s not too hard to extrapolate what the RN3 PRO will be like. No, it will not be graphene-enforced and the battery will not last till eternity. Marginal improvements of auxiliary features can never make up for a critical deficiency in an SoC, sorry.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      OMG @ that price! I though it was going for some 370-380?

      Is AliExpress reliable? I’ve never ordered from there before and am tempted! CallIt… Please respond!

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Safe as long as you choose a reliable seller with a high reputation, and a large number of items sold (I mean the exact same item you are looking at), and you select DHL / UPS for shipping (costs around 20-25 bucks extra).

      That link I posted: 314 orders, 225 feedback @ 4.6 rating, looks great. Don’t hold me at gun point later though. However, not to scare you or anything, yes, it’s completely safe.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      ill continue to be objective, the reasoning behind the mi 5 having some build quality issues is because it uses glass by default making it more susceptible to breaking than the alloy in the redmi pro

      as for amoled i am not making a general statement for the technologies but a comparison between the individual phones, people also buy phones for form and in the eyes of the consumer preference is important regardless of critical function i was attemtping to show you an exclusive feature that the mi5 cannot offer

      continuing on that note the redmi pro has a larger screen, micro SD slot larger battery and dual cameras, 64 GB storage all reasonable reasons to pay less to get as for the SOC the x20 and 25 are strong enough to handle graphically intensive games etc being able to run 60 fps games at 42-45 and 30 at around 25

      the 820’s general performance isnt twice better or leagues ahead the average consumer will see no difference, i have seen people turn down phones just for having a home fingerprint scanner so these points i mentioned are reasonable

      i still fail to see the mi 5 being “much superior”

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Are you really going to continue arguing for the sake of it?

      1. I own an Mi5 – zero build quality issues – it is phenomenal. So what are you talking about? Can you show some YouTube videos where reviewers point out the “build issues”? Or is this once again “up in the air” hypothesizing? More susceptible to breaking? Then one should only buy Aluminium chassis phones, that’s your argument? Sure, just Google bendgate.

      2. Consumers don’t give a crap about display technologies, unless the consumer happens to be an expert in the comments section of GizChina. 😉 So going by that, the fact that the Mi5 doesn’t offer an OLED display doesn’t doesn’t really mean anything to the average consumer, who’ll probably think – if it looks good and feels good, who cares? They’ll probably not even ask to be honest.

      3. Larger screen by how much? 0.35 inches? I’m guessing you can argue the other way as well? That the folks who prefer a smaller form factor will like it?

      I never claimed that the 820’s performance is twice as better as the X25’s, but let’s compare the two devices here, as you also said, it’s about phones, not SoCs.

      – One can buy a Mi5 right now for ~$310 (all inclusive)
      – One can wait a bit and buy this RN3P-X25 for ~320 / ~330
      – If the price of the RN3P-X25 is marked higher than the Mi5 by retailers, it’s a really, really shitty deal.

      I will stand by this argument, and I hope prospective phone buyers won’t be stupid enough to worry about “a beautiful glass body”, “a superb display” and a “beastly cpu + gpu bar none” that they can get for cheaper than the RN3P-X25 with X% performance of this and that with an OLED display and a card slot. No way.

    • Assefa Hanson
      July 30, 2016

      no hypothesizing here if i break the glass on a mi 5 the body is gone, if i bend a metal body i maybe still be able to bend it back in place

      my argument is not that one should only buy metal chasis phones my argument is that there are features that the redmi pro has that the mi 5 lacks and you pay less at the same time

      “Unless someone is really, really hard pressed in the 1999 CNY price bracket, I don’t see a compelling reason why one wouldn’t spend a bit more for a much superior product”

      the features i showed maybe be compelling to others ill repeat them a micro sd slot, larger battey, Oled screen,dual cameras, 64 gb storage(redmi pro mid version), larger screen. i still fail to see the mi 5 being “a much superior product”

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      You don’t pay less. Quit misinforming people. The price from Xiaomi for the top end model is at CNY 1999, roughly US$ 302.

      When listed, assuming a reasonable margin, the price will be around US $330.

      Very shitty deal compared to the lower priced better spec’d Mi5, as I have maintained throughout.

    • realjjj
      July 30, 2016

      They have the Note 3 Pro and the Max with SD65x.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Wrong, because for the flagship phone: X25 / 4GB etc. the listed price will be marked EVEN HIGHER, around $350-360.

      I’m expecting it to start at $350 – which, for a MediaTek phone, is basically impending doom.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      ORDERED! (From a different seller though).

      I’m nervous since this is my first time from AliExpress, but I checked the feedback and all. Excited to have an 820 phone 🙂

    • Jh1
      July 30, 2016

      Fastcardtech and geekbuying have the mi5 3/32 version listed for $316 including shipping

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      I’ve just ordered the Mi5 3GB for less than $320 🙂 (post below). No way I’d spend that kind of money on a MediaTek based phone, sorry.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      Thanks for letting me now, but I’ve just ordered from AliExpress for almost the same price 🙂

    • MattD
      July 30, 2016

      To be fair, many of the reviews I’ve seen about mi5 pointed out build quality issues, like the one on gizchina. it (that’s one I remember for sure).

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Mediatek isn’t forbidden in India, Xiaomi is forbidden from selling MTK phones there. Several companies in India sell MTK phones.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      I buy phones based on the entire package not just the SoC.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Just about every review of the Mi5 points out build quality issues…

      And you’re confusing phones this is the Redmi Pro. The RN3P is a completely different phone.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      “impending doom”. Based on what? You do realize a phone is made up of about a dozen other components besides the SoC? All of them affect the price…

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      That’s you and your decision, not me.

      I care a lot about the SoC and have major reservations about paying big money for MediaTek phones (never will), so?

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      We’ll see Balco. Knowing how much you defend MediaTek while claiming no allegiance or bias, your reply is sort of expected.

      But time will tell, and I hope you’re already aware of Xiaomi’s own figures of how many MTK vs QC devices they sell. The problem is, we’ll all forget this all too soon. This comment thread will become defunct, and 6 months down the line when Xiaomi will stop manufacturing this model due to piss poor sales, none of us will be willing to follow up and grill anyone who said otherwise.

      So let’s just hold our horses for now, and wait for the next 6 months.

    • bojan radovanovic
      July 31, 2016

      He is payed to write that… So on your personal opinion, he wrote you are wrong, as someone ask him. And he’ll get his new MTK phone, and a sandwich.

    • bojan radovanovic
      July 31, 2016

      No way… Xiaomi makes just flawless products… Ask anyine on gizchina…

    • MattD
      July 31, 2016
    • Assefa Hanson
      July 31, 2016

      but i was talking about the low and mid version which are cheaper with mark up

      http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Pro-5-5inch-OLED-3GB-64GB-Smartphone—Gray-370473.html

      http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Pro-5-5inch-OLED-3GB-32GB-Smartphone—Gray-370485.html

      a very good deal seeing it has features the mi 5 cannot offer for less

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      With a $5 coupon and a bunch of food stamps for the family to go along with, ha ha. Amazing how much he defends MediaTek phones and will persuade anyone to “know better”.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      I defend all SoC’s, I don’t have a favorite. I just can’t stand the comments that say “X phone will be bad or overpriced because it has X SoC”. The SoC isn’t even the most expensive component in a phone, the display is. There have been terrible Mediatek SoC’s in the past, but there also have been terrible Qualcomm SoC’s. There have also been excellent SoC’s from both companies. And there is the Samsung Exnyos which is probably the best all around SoC.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      So you buy a phone just for the SoC? Hypothetical scenario. You have $300 to spend on a phone and must decide between one of these two:

      A. Helio X25, 4GB RAM, 128GB Rom, Sony IMX 260 (same as used in S7) with f/1.7 aperture, hifi audio chip, 4000mAh.

      B. SD615, 3GB RAM, 16GB Rom, Sony IMX 220 with f/2.2 aperture, 3000mAh.

      By your logic you would choose the worse overall phone (B) just because it has a Qualcomm SoC. Even though that particular SoC is one of the worst ones Qualcomm ever made. Me and most reasonable people look at the entire package of the phone, not just the SoC.

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      Did you even read things properly? I ordered the Mi5, and that’s an SD 820 fitted phone, not an SD 615 phone. Your B. item would have to be an SD 820 phone, and yes, I’d choose that one blindfolded every time, irrespective of what the MediaTek based A. phone would offer.

      And by the way, if you want to pitch two price comparable phones together as a side by side, the Mi5 vs Redmi Pro would be an apt comparison (X25 vs 820 in terms of chipsets), given that the Mi5 costs lesser (~315 ish) now.

      I, or anyone else for that matter, surely don’t have to reasonable for “your” terms. I won’t use a MediaTek phone if I’m offered one for free.

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      Don’t know whether he’s paid or not, but certainly is opinionated and engages as such, unnecessarily.

      I mean, here I am, having spoken to another user who pointed me to a phone I was looking at for a while, on AliExpress, and I happily place an order at a superb price. So it’s a done deal, but no, let’s prove people wrong and engage in banter.

      So here he is, commenting on my buying decision, on what he’d base his decision on, and the slight jab with what “most reasonable” people would do – which is go for a MediaTek device, masqueraded more politely as “look at the overall phone instead of the SoC”. Well, I choose not to, so fuck off and mind your own business maybe? Yes, I thought so.

      Could very well be paid like you said, but I’ll still leave some benefit of doubt. Trolls like these are rarely taken seriously by any company, much less one that works at the scale of Xiaomi, MediaTek whatever.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Did you read things properly it wasn’t about what you ordered, it was a hypothetical scenario. So you would chose the Sd820 phone with the terrible specs just because it has a SD820. That is fanboy status!

      The Mi5 is a good phone, but it doesn’t cost less. For the same spec’d version (3/32) the Redmi Pro costs $225, the Mi5 costs $300.

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      Yeah, resorting to calling someone a fanboy because they disagree with you or have different priorities while making a purchase, butting into conversations where your opinion wasn’t even needed in the first place (it was me and realjjj) but you felt compelled to, and generally being a dick to anyone that you have the slightest disagreement with.

      I didn’t even want to argue with you any further, and if you look up, I tried to not even have a conversation with you when I said your decision is yours and not mine.

      So why the fuck are you arguing and still carrying the conversation on? Why do you care a rat’s ass how people make their purchasing decisions, as irrational as they seem to you.

      Unless of course, as Bojan pointed out, you’re paid to do this? I’m off this conversation. I’m not even sure why I chose to engage with a third grade troll like you on my first few comments at GizChina, some of which involved making a happy purchase where things should have ended.

      Fucking useless jerk.

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      He has been doing this for a long time.

      He has disagreements with pretty much everyone, on almost everything (except MaxPower and Yasir, for obvious reasons).

      Even when it comes down to personal choices (like yours), he will still have a go at it, often trying to impose his standards as correct, dictating what constitutes rational thinking, what should be and what should not be, and how consumers should act. Just like he termed you a “fanboy” for prioritizing an SD 820 chipset based phone over whatever the other was.

      My advice: Don’t respond to a single comment on his in the future (if you’re still around). He’ll still rain piss on the comments threads, attacking you, displaying passive aggression for various kinds, name calling, but you just have to ignore things and scroll past it.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Swearing and name calling and you call someone else a “third grade troll”. I use the fanboy comment when it applies. Saying you would choose a worse phone just because it has a certain SoC, when every other component is worse is full fanboy.

      It’s okay to be a fanboy where all fanboys of something, I am a fanboy of Xiaomi, you are a fanboy of Qualcomm. Much easier to just admit it.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Not paid to write anything my comments are 100% original but my status in the Chinese community has got me free phones in the past. And both my current phones use a SD chip so nice try, but I will take that Sandwich!

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Most reasonable people would go for the best value for the money. A fanboy such as yourself buys phones based only on the SoC, reasonable people buy phones based on the entire package.

      “Trolls like these” Considering I have been given free phones to both test out and keep by several companies, I don’t fit your definition of a troll. But it is fun getting you all riled up, you Qualcomm fanboys are so easy to mess with.

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      I correct people that are mistaken, I have no allegiance to a SoC company. I currently use two Qualcomm phones. I have also used Kirin and Exnyos phones. There are good Mediatek SoC’s and crap ones, there are good Qualcomm chips and crap ones.

      Funny thing is some of my favorite phones of all time had Qualcomm SoC’s, like Xiaomi Mi4 and Mi3, anyone who is a regular here can attest to that.

    • MattD
      July 31, 2016

      “He has disagreements with pretty much everyone, on almost everything (except MaxPower and Yasir, for obvious reasons).”

      What are those obvious reasons, if I may ask?

    • Guest
      August 1, 2016

      It is clear that @KittyPride is clearly not enjoying your unnecessary, uncalled for corrections, and yet you persist in spite of it being mentioned, claiming “it is fun getting you all riled up, you Qualcomm fanboys are so easy to mess with”. Are you really an adult?

      What got you so engaged and worked up in the first place? That he/she was persuaded to buy a QC phone at a good price and you couldn’t persuade her otherwise? Or the fact that he/she chose not to argue with you (this is the likely one) and ignored your opinion.

      That’s reason for you to constantly subtly insult someone again, and again, on the correctness of their purchasing decisions?

      Quit trolling people and get a life, seriously.

    • Airyl
      August 1, 2016

      Here’s really just doing this for fun. You guys are easy to troll, you know?

    • Airyl
      August 1, 2016

      What are these obvious reasons, pray tell?

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      Are you really an adult? Quit trolling me and get a life, seriously.

    • NextHype
      August 1, 2016

      yeah mod, add fuel to the fire xD

    • NextHype
      August 1, 2016

      “I have no allegiance to a SoC company. I currently use two Qualcomm phones”

      This proves only that, despise the fact you work for MTK, you secretly know deep inside yourself that MTK suck ballz and QC is the way to go ! xD

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      Actually if I had my choice I would choose Exnyos over all of them but they come in so few phones and I don’t like Samsung phones.

    • NextHype
      August 1, 2016

      I bet you had a Meizu Pro 5 !

      BTW this thread should be renamed “10 things you need to know about balco”

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      Nope I have only owned one Meizu phone it was an MX5. Before that I had a Xiaomi Mi4.

    • Guest
      August 1, 2016

      Wow, the honest admittance does reflect so nicely on you, you know. Somehow balco trolling others who have tried not to converse with him is ok, and going by the sound of what you just posted, you too enjoy it when it’s him attacking and making others miserable, right? Easy to troll? why, because they have a different opinion than yours, or different priorities which doesn’t match yours?

      Classy. On with the name calling now, but I’m out.

    • Guest
      August 1, 2016

      You avoided the real question though – on why you engage with people and mock their decisions while having “fun”, even when they don’t want to argue with you?

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      You avoided the real question though – why are you trying to be all “noble” while essentially doing the same thing with me?

    • Guest
      August 1, 2016

      Read what @Nolan said up top, the part about not responding. Sensible advice.

  24. Krisby
    July 30, 2016

    Full video review here. Nothing out of the extraordinary. So much for dual cameras, OLED diplay, and that overclocked MTK chip. What an overpriced device really.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_fuH7IvB-M

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Can’t understand what he is saying but based on the video this isn’t even close to an in depth review, I’ll wait for some reviews from the usual droid sites before deciding either way.

      • MattD
        July 31, 2016

        The video was updated the same day redmi pro was launched. It takes so little time for a review nowadays, don’t know why GC keeps us hanging for weeks… Probably in order ro raise up the hype ?

        • NextHype
          August 1, 2016

          ’cause they’re lazy westerners that can’t keep up the chinese pace ^^ GC boss should throw ’em 1 month in a shaolin monastery to teach ’em what ‘involvement’ means xD

          • Omer
            August 25, 2016

            lol 🙂

  25. Ionut Johnny
    July 30, 2016

    BIG Spoiler:

    Redmi Pro
    It’s going to launch in India with SD652.. I know few people in Xiaomi and all those pics are from a test unit only thing I was not able to use is bokeh effect..

    • Misto
      July 30, 2016

      Hi, do you know when the SD version will be available for sale?

      • Ionut Johnny
        July 31, 2016

        2 or 3 months max.

        • LifelessNewt
          April 3, 2017

          YOU ARE WRONG!

    • MattD
      July 30, 2016

      Following rn3’s naming, this is going to be “redmi pro pro” ?

      • Ionut Johnny
        July 31, 2016

        Yes, haha

  26. realjjj
    July 30, 2016

    Vivid colors lol
    That’s how TVs were marketed in the 90’s. Vivid is marketing for oversaturated, it’s something you want to avoid.
    What you get with Pentile is fraud, it simply isn’t 1080p.There are no marketing standards for how to define a pixel and they shamelessly abuse that. At least we have marketing standards for bananas…
    You also get low brightness with OLED unless there is an overdrive mode (see the OnePlus 3 or the Meizu Pro 6) and contrast is only higher in theory, just because it is OLED it doesn’t mean the contrast is high.
    As far as i know, they source the display from 2 China display makers and remains to be seen if they’ve managed to get quality to reasonable levels.

    Edit’: the brightness listed in the specs is 350nit and that’s low.Not sure yet if they have an auto boost when outdoors.

    • Guest
      July 30, 2016

      This was confirmed on Weibo as well, but the content was quickly taken down after a heated exchange between the groups there (one of whom was representing the second display maker).

      Anyway, just get ready for flak – coz you know, MediaTek is the best there is and anyone who says otherwise on GizChina…… well 😉

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      Mediatek isn’t the best but it’s not crap like most people make it out to be. On this site there is no consensus on what chip is best. Some say SD, some say Mediatek others say Exnyos.

    • bojan radovanovic
      July 31, 2016

      Well, this year it’s easy… SD820 don’t even have competitors… Then Exinos and few steps back Kirin and X20/25,followed by a little with SD65* (witch is even better solution for international markets, plus it’s more open to XDA).

    • realjjj
      July 31, 2016

      On the CPU side Kirin is better in both perf and efficiency at load. SD820 with all 4 cores fully loaded goes to about 6W (ideally you want to stay bellow 3.5W) so devices in general can sustain that load for 20-30 seconds.Then they would drop to about 1.5GHz for the higher clocked cores and 1.2-1.3 GHz for the other 2 cores and that might last for 1.5mins before it has to drop further.Ofc power management will differ from device to device,some like the Zuk Z2 Pro (thin with a glass back) seem to throttle a lot harder.

      The Mate 8 can keep all 4 big cores fully loaded for1.5 mins and all cores are at 2.3GHz not 2+2 like SD820.It’s a much more honest offering.

    • Allanitomwesh
      July 31, 2016

      Adreno goes to town against Mali though

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      The SD820 has the best GPU but the Exnyos 8890 is the best overall chip, the Kirin 955 an Helio X25 aren’t too far behind. A SoC is made up of a lot more than just a GPU and that’s all most people look at, even if they don’t play the most demanding games that can take advantage of that GPU.

    • Razor
      July 31, 2016

      Newer generation Oled panel doesn’t have colour accuracy issue. Samsung super amoled panel now are highly colour accurate as modern led ips panel or even more. Brightness is also high on those panel, maybe not as high as led panel. Pentile matrix panel are a huge issue since they halves the ppi it usually has. Xiaomi must have used cheap Chinese Oled panel, Those Oled panel doesn’t have the true zero blacks and because of that contrast are lower but still higher than normal led IPS panel. I think vivo and meizu must have used same chinese panels on their phones. And Oled do have infinite contrast do to their near zero black level. Display calibrators do have one of those contrast detector machine that reads the ANSI contrast ratio and usually Oleds are unmeasurable.You can read about Oled panel on displaymate.com they have written a good article about Oled.

    • realjjj
      July 31, 2016

      I never said they have color accuracy issues,the article was saying “vivid colors” and found that funny. Some device makers do aim for vivid colors instead of accuracy though.Like OP3 before the update.But again,i never said that OLED has poor color accuracy, was just amused by the marketing term used here.

      Brightness is only high if they have a boost mode for outdoors and not everybody has that. And I was pretty clear about that. yes Samsung goes to above 550nits but many others have low brightness and this one is listed at 350nits.It’s fine for indoors and nothing unusual for mid range but it is low compared to the best screens.

      Contrast is higher on paper. It is higher for the best ones but many are only matching the best LCDs.So at about 3.5k while good ones go to 4.5k.

      Most people have the wrong image about OLED.They think they are better but they don’t know what Pentile is and these kind of claims about contrast and blacks are being spread without any realism and without also listing the areas where OLED can be lacking.

      On paper OLED has some advantages but also has some disadvantages and one must also remember that not all quality grades are created equal. Pentile is the big thing that ruins it and makes it fraud.- to be fair we are not 100% certain this one is Pentile but it’s 99% safe to assume it is.
      Most users think that OLED is better even when it isn’t. RGB OLED with reasonable power consumption would be nice but nobody is offering that anymore in phones.

      This matters today a lot more than yesterday because OLED is starting to see a wider adoption and people need to understand what they are buying while the industry needs to be forced to drop Pentile.

    • realjjj
      July 31, 2016

      For the most part but it can also throttle hard in some games and let Kirin almost catch up. It would be preferable if they would clock it at 400-500MHz but they push it a bit too far to win in benchmarks. The thing is that those don’t really matter. What a user needs is a certain FPS in actual games at on-screen resolution.
      In PC you don’t need the new Titan X at 1.2K$ if you have a 1080p screen. In phones, because nobody is testing the GPUs in actual games, people still aim for “the best”
      Anyway, Adreno is fast and likely they have an area advantage too , at least vs the current gen Mali, we’ll see how the G71 does next year.

  27. Guest
    July 30, 2016

    Full video review here. Nothing out of the extraordinary. So much for dual cameras, OLED diplay, and that overclocked MTK chip. What an overpriced device really.

    • balcobomber25
      August 1, 2016

      Can’t understand what he is saying but based on the video this isn’t even close to an in depth review, I’ll wait for some reviews from the usual droid sites before deciding either way.

    • MattD
      August 1, 2016

      The video was updated the same day redmi pro was launched. It takes so little time for a review nowadays, don’t know why GC keeps us hanging for weeks… Probably in order ro raise up the hype 😁

    • NextHype
      August 1, 2016

      ’cause they’re lazy westerners that can’t keep up the chinese pace ^^ GC boss should throw ’em 1 month in a shaolin monastery to teach ’em what ‘involvement’ means xD

    • Omer
      August 25, 2016

      lol 🙂

  28. Ionut Johnny
    July 30, 2016

    BIG Spoiler:

    Redmi Pro
    It’s going to launch in India with SD652.. I know few people in Xiaomi and all those pics are from a test unit only thing I was not able to use is bokeh effect..

    • Guest
      July 31, 2016

      Hi, do you know when the SD version will be available for sale?

    • MattD
      July 31, 2016

      Following rn3’s naming, this is going to be “redmi pro pro” 😁

    • Ionut Johnny
      July 31, 2016

      Yes, haha

    • Ionut Johnny
      July 31, 2016

      2 or 3 months max.

    • LifelessNewt
      April 3, 2017

      YOU ARE WRONG!

  29. trapchan
    July 31, 2016

    I just want a cheap redmi with same build and same front fingerprint scanner

  30. bojan radovanovic
    July 31, 2016

    Well, even though MTK for me personally is NO GO, i can understand that it is perfect for lower and mid-range devices.
    Only thing (beside so many Xiaomi payed articles as this one, and “comments” made by xiaomi bots, instead of them pey for real commercials) that i don’t like about this device is it’s price… I mean, for almost same price, or just 50$ more, i can buy Mi5.
    ZUK Z2 is even cheaper…
    But, now, we have one more option for our money.
    Hope it will be better made device then Mi4i

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      The Mi4i was a terrible device, most of that was due to the SD615. That is one of the few phones from Xiaomi that has ever been terrible.

  31. trapchan
    July 31, 2016

    I just want a cheap redmi with same build and same front fingerprint scanner

  32. bojan radovanovic
    July 31, 2016

    Well, even though MTK for me personally is NO GO, i can understand that it is perfect for lower and mid-range devices.
    Only thing (beside so many Xiaomi payed articles as this one, and “comments” made by xiaomi bots, instead of them pey for real commercials) that i don’t like about this device is it’s price… I mean, for almost same price, or just 50$ more, i can buy Mi5.
    ZUK Z2 is even cheaper…
    But, now, we have one more option for our money.
    Hope it will be better made device then Mi4i

    • balcobomber25
      July 31, 2016

      The Mi4i was a terrible device, most of that was due to the SD615. That is one of the few phones from Xiaomi that has ever been terrible.

  33. NextHype
    August 2, 2016

    I don’t understand why any phone should have a second camera for depth informations, since upper grade Sony Exmor RS do great bokeh effects. If someone has any clue…

  34. NextHype
    August 2, 2016

    I don’t understand why any phone should have a second camera for depth informations, since upper grade Sony Exmor RS do great bokeh effects. If someone has any clue…