Redmi 4 Basic: Value for Money!
by mitch002 (follow me at Twitter @MI_mitch002 for my latest unboxing and tutorials)
by mitch002 (follow me at Twitter @MI_mitch002 for my latest unboxing and tutorials)
We review the Redmi 4 Basic!
While we were busy reviewing our Mi Mix, an unexpected item got launched by Xiaomi, and its the successor of the successful Redmi 3S. Introducing the all new Redmi 4! This series has 3 variants, Redmi 4 Basic, Redmi 4 Prime and Redmi 4A. We are going to review them one by one and lets start with the Redmi 4 Basic.
Normally Xiaomi units gets launched within a year but seems Xiaomi has been stepping up the gas recently and launch their items so fast that we had a hard time catching up as well. Redmi 3 got launched January 2016, Redmi 3s last June 2016, and now Redmi 4 November 2016. It took just roughly 5 months for the Chinese Smartphone manufacturer to launch another variant of the budget friendly Redmi Series.
Redmi 4 Official Video:
Unboxing Video:
Xiaomi Redmi 4 Basic Specs
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 Octa-Core processor (Quad Core 1.4Ghz Cortex A53 + Quad Core 1.1Ghz Cortex A53)
• Adreno 505 GPU, 450Mhz
• 2GB of RAM
• 5-inch HD display, 1280 x 720 resolution, 72% NTSC Color Gamut
• 16GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 128GB (using sim 2 slot)
• 13-megapixel rear camera, phase detection AF, f/2.2, Dark Quality Enhancement Technology
• 5-megapixel front camera f/2.2, face recognition
• Fingerprint Sensor
• Dual-SIM (Sim 1 Micro Sim, Sim 2 Nano Sim / Micro Sd Card up to 128GB)
• 3G, LTE, Full Netcom 2.0 (supports LTE 2 carrier aggregation)
• MIUI 8, Android 6.0.1
• WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, A-GPS
• 4100mAh battery, 2A 5V
Network Bandwidth Support:
- GSM B2/B3/B5/B8
- WCDMA B1/B2/B5/B8
- TD-SCDMA B34/B39
- CDMA2000/1X BC0
- FDD-LTE B1/B3/ B7
- TD-LTE B38/B39/B40/B41(2555-2655MHz)
Whats in the Box:
Budget Friendly Luxury
Now we have notice the side by side specs of the Redmi 4 Basic is almost exactly the same / copied from that of the Redmi 3S, in short, same specs in a new body. The Redmi 4 series sports a more edgy corner compared to the Redmi 3 series which is more rounded. The metal body of the Redmi 4 looks elegant and slim, but we feel its a little thicker than the Redmi 3S (Redmi 3S 8.5mm, Redmi 4 8.9mm) based on our hand experience we were able to directly say it was a little thicker than its predecessor without using the caliper yet.
The Redmi 4 sports more cornered edges design and but has gentle sloping sides to make sure its easy to grip on the hands.
The top of the phone shows the 3.5mm audio jack as well as the IR blaster and the noise-cancellation mic. While at the bottom we can find the Micro USB port, we were surprised with the placement of the loudspeaker which is already located at the bottom of the phone, no longer at the back of the phone which hinders us from hearing the call notification alert when the back is lying flat on the table. It looks like Xiaomi did listen to its customers and revamped the Redmi 4 design. The right sports the Volume Rocker and powerbutton while the left sports the sim card trey.
The phone is pretty easy to carry, being the 5 inches smartphone that it is, this is the perfect size for one handed use. The HD display is good enough as a daily driver and it is equipped with the sunlight display technology which is a big advantage when using the phone under the beam of the sun. The capacitive button does not lit up like the MI Series, but the notification light can be found beside the earpiece on the left, it used to be below the capacitive home button.
There is a slight difference in term of design for the Redmi 4 Basic and Redmi 4 Prime, and you can notice that the LED flash placement of the Basic is at the right of the camera while the Prime will be located at the left of the camera. Plus the placement of the Fingerpint Sensor and Camera is not identical as well. You have to be careful in buying protective cases because Redmi 4 Basic and Redmi 4 Prime is not identical in terms of LED, Camera and Fingerprint Scanner placement. This model has the latest MIUI 8.0 installed and sporting Android Marshmallow 6.0.1, bootloader is locked therefore you have to checkout en.miui.com/unlock to flash your favorite custom rom should you require in the future.
Snapdragon 430, OK for daily basic task
The Redmi 4 Basic and Redmi 4 Prime main difference is mainly on the SoC, Snapdragon 430's slower processor is slower to process task and multitask will be a bit laggy. This SoC supports fast LTE connection in CAT 5. Although slower in processing, the SoC 430 sill preforms well for daily task like calls, text, messengers, social apps and online games. Its performance for multitasking is also average considering it has 8-cores ready to help you push those tasks to the finish line. AnTuTu gave it a 42,619 points. For more detailed infomation on the processor, check this out: qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/processors/430
Audio and Video:
We have tested the audio for the loudspeaker, it is pretty normal for a small phone of its size, nothing special about it, but sound is weaker compared to our Mi5 Pro. We also tested watching 720p video via youtube and its pretty clear and decent. Good job on that category for Redmi 4 Basic.
Average Camera for a Budget Series
The camera used in this series we believe is not the same as the Redmi 3S which we claimed to have a little difficulty in focusing and takes a little while to focus. This time Redmi 4 turn it around and probably equipped a better sensor, from what we heard is a Samsung Sensor but we have yet to confirm it yet. Camera is pretty decent for its price range and we were able to get some good snaps under good lighting and a bit disappointing under low light, but hey I cant complain for its price range. Right?
Unedited Photos:
Good Endurance Battery!
One of the main focus that we have notice from this unit, othert than its pocket friendly price, is its battery. We were able to let PC Mark do the battery stress test for us and after the long endurance test, it yielded an above average of 10 hours 37 minutes . This is what we all want, a good endurance battery, since the SoC consume less power, battery life should be longer.
Other Test Stats:
Mitch002 Verdict: Xiaomi Impressed us on the Battery Endurance
With the market so crowded with new smartphones, the Redmi 4 Basic stands tall among them in terms of price and battery performance. Tho the SoC is not the one we are really looking for in a smartphone in terms of high powered performance, fast multitasking capability, but the budget always determine the SoC but doing a turnaround and getting more juice out of the battery is what average non-gamer consumer looks for in a phone. This is pretty good for people on the go who uses minimal mobile data, just purely calls, text and some surfing from time to time. You dont need to frequently hit the powersource and the powerbank, it should last you for 1 whole day without a sweat. Overall the Redmi 4 Basic is a sturdy phone, good performance, average camera and extra long battery life. If you want more firepower, we highly recommend you buy the Redmi 4 Prime.
The 2GB Ram 16GB Storage is available for 699 RMB while the 3GB Ram and 32GB Storage is available for 899RMB on Xiaomi China Website.
Redmi 4
Disclaimer: Please don't send me any PM regarding any type of sales related inquiries. I'm a Xiaomi enthusiast but not a seller of Mi Products. I'm just a hardcore Xiaomi Fan, one notch higher than many of you here. Also I'm a Tech Blogger in the Philippines and all my review devices are either bought by myself from Xiaomi or borrowed from someone for a short period of time.
