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Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Lite) Global Version / The ultra best entry level buy

Emanuele Iafulla

January 3 2018

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We often think of an entry level smartphone, especially if it comes from Asia, like a sort of toy ready to break at any moment. But think back to friends, why Xiaomi with its Redmi Note 5A is all about quality / price, proposing an entry level device able to support the user in all daily operations without disappointing. I thank the store Gearbest.com to send the sample, but without wasting any more time we start with our full review of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Lite Global Version.

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Xiaomi has now changed the packaging of its products by proposing red packs for the China versions of its devices while the coloring turns orange for the Global versions. In fact, for our Redmi Note 5A we find one orange package in which we find, in addition to the smartphone, a pin for removing the SIM cart, a user manual in English, USB charging cable with micro USB connection and the battery charger with European connection and 5V / 1A output, then slow charging for our device.

The Redmi Note 5A fully represents the philosophy of Xiaomi's philosophy. A smartphone designed for the low-end market with a unibody body in polycarbonate, which helps to keep the final price content and which houses the slightly protruding camera with its LED flash. We also find the classic design at 3 stadiums with two horizontal lines with chrome finish (one upper and one lower) running from right to left and concealing antennas for signal reception. Finally along the whole profile of the back cover we find one sort of step that increases the grip with the smartphone for better one-handed use. It should be noted that you can hear small creaks at the bottom of the smartphone if we tighten too much: nothing striking considering that mine was just a stretch to test the robustness of the device.

The sensation to the touch is certainly not to have a premium product in your hands, but the satin effect of the body combined with the low weight of 149 grams (measures 153 x 76,2 x 7,55 mm) it returns a pleasant sensation that makes us forget we are dealing with an entry level smartphone and to increase this feeling Xiaomi for his Redmi Note 5A has elaborated some little gems that are really fundamental in everyday use.

Starting, for example, from the fact that the smartphone placed on a floor is stable, or al positioning of the speaker on the lower profile where we also find theUSB micro-type input with OTG support and the main microphone. Another gem, which we hope will be implemented on all future devices of the company, is the SIM slot on the left profile, able to accommodate two nano-sized SIM cards and a micro-SD card for the expansion of the integrated memory at the same time, without having to give up the Dual SIM Dual Standby function.

Also the on / off button and the volume rocker placed in the right profile, although made of plastic they are firm in their seats without having any games. To complete the little goodies provided by Xiaomi, on the upper profile we find the second microphone for environmental noise reduction, IR transmitter to control TVs, air conditioners and much more, and finally the 3.5 mm jack for the earphones. In short, one really satisfying and above expectations for this Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A from the super cheap price.

In a sense the only compromise that we should accept is related to the front frames on all sides, particularly pronounced, also those related to the display. In them there is space in the lower part i 3 soft touch keys, unfortunately not backlit but with a good vibration feed, while at the top we find the sensor of brightness and proximity, the headset capsule, the selfie camera and a small LED notification white, a pleasant presence for the really cheap price range of the smartphone.

Maybe you are not yet convinced and think that although the appearance is very good when compared to the price range, we could not say the same for the performances. Well the beating heart of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is represented by CPU Snapdragon 425 coupled to 2 GB of RAM and Adreno GPU 308. We also have 16 GB of internal memory fortunately expandable via micro SD card, module Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi (monoband), and the excellent GPS with a quick and above all reliable fix, considering that in these days of use I practically almost always used it for long trips. Finally, let us not forget the presence of the FM radio, a resource that is practically absent on most of the top of the range in circulation.

Perhaps the benchmark tests do not return the right title to the performance of the Redmi Note 5A, considering that I could not take the Geekbench test for problems related to the software (reading on the net is a common situation also to other models of other brands). That said the excellent implementation carried out by the Chinese company is further confirmed, who has given us a smartphone that behaves excellently in daily operations, managing to give rewarding gaming experiences even with titles like Real Racing 3. Of course, perhaps the graphic details are not at best but in compensation the Redmi Note 5A enjoys a excellent management in heat dissipation, because I have never encountered overheating problems. Absent support for multimedia files in 4K, UHD, and MKV.

The front part reserves us one screen from 5,5 inch IPS with HD resolution (1280 x 720 / 268 dpi / 1000 contrast: 1). Certainly not the top among the panels in circulation, but in my opinion one of the best on this price range. Good brightness range between minimum and maximum (450 nits), good oleophobic treatment of glass with Corning Gorilla Glass protection which minimally helps in visibility under direct sunlight, good viewing angles and decidedly good color rendering (70% NTSC color gamut), although like most displays with IPS technology, blacks are poco deep and sometimes washed out. It is possible, however, to intervene on both the contrast and the colors by software through the settings provided by the MIUI interface, as well as you can set the reading mode which will enable the filter against blue light. Good fluidity of flow thanks to the support a 10 touch points.

In a sense the choice of this panel helps to not weigh down the work done by the CPU and the GPU, performing in terms of energy consumption. In fact the battery from 3080 mAh manages to work optimally averaging 5 hours of active screen on average with autonomy that varies from 10 hours to 2 days approximately based on usage. Considering my classic day, with mixed use between 4G and WiFi, 3 mail account push, at least 200 notifications between social and messaging apps and about 30 minutes of phone conversation values ​​do not vary much. However, you will not have to worry about running dry in the middle of the day, while it will take about 2 hours for a full charge through the supplied charger. Values ​​perhaps far from what was declared by the company but in any way respectable.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is enlivened by the Android 7.1.2 operating system updated with the 2017 October security patches and customized with the new MIUI 9.1 graphic interface. Xiaomi has always customized its ROM in an extreme way and this has represented one of the strengths of the company's smartphones. In reality, the device will arrive at home with the MIUI 8 ROM, but immediately the OTA notification will arrive to update to the latest release of the company.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is no exception and benefits from all the extremely smart aspects offered by MIUI 9.1. To name a few, we find the Dual Apps, with which to clone applications such as Facebook or WhatsApp in order to have two instances of the same app on a single smartphone, interesting feature considering the Dual SIM support, or Multi Screen mode. We also find i very welcome themes to customize your smartphone even more graphically, but above all we find a whole series of security-related optimizations, energy saving and much more that make the MIUI 9.1 really unique and that make the Redmi Note 5A even more functional.

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But how does it behave in the telephone field? Well, our Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is Global Version and therefore brings with it the 4G LTE connectivity with enabling 20 band to 800 mHz. Then a no problem linked to operators that exploit these frequencies, but above all no reception problems in general. Signal always present and constant with the possibility of exploiting the LTE network on both slots switching from one or the other SIM at any time. I remember that the presence of the two cards does not need to give up the memory expansion, an aspect not so common now in smartphones, and that represents a nice plus for this product.

Audio in capsule very clean and well balanced, as well as what our interlocutor hears in call. The mono speaker placed on the lower profile allows listening to music and multimedia content with more than satisfactory volume without overdoing it with no tone even if the bass is lacking. But no fear because through the earphones the difference is impressive thanks to the possibility of equalize the sound based on the type of earbuds we are wearing, thanks to the integrated feature in the MIUI 9.

Finally we have to face one of the characteristics for which we often choose our smartphone. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A remember that belongs to the low-end from the market but can count on one rear camera with Samsung S5K3L8 sensor from 13 megapixel with aperture f/ 2.2 assisted by a single LED flash.

Discreet photographic experience, I would even say almost perfect (always in comparison with the price) because in good light conditions the quality of the details captured is impressive just as color fidelity is superb. I know maybe I'm exaggerating with the terms but the photos returned are really unique compared to other smartphones in the same category. Possibility to turn video with maximum resolution in Full HD 1080p to 30 fps with additional features such as Time Lapseor use theHDR in manual mode which works excellently.

With the lowering of the ambient brightness the background noise in photos and videos becomes almost inevitable even if the final yield is not poor. We are obviously not in the presence of a top-level photographic module, but this Redmi Note 5A also defends itself in this area. It should however be highlighted that in video mode, especially in low light conditions, the yield is not sufficient, so much so that sometimes the focus seems to get lost in nothingness. Even the audio recorded in the videos seems subdued and sometimes blurred. Frontally we find a module from 5 Megapixel with sensor provided by Samsung model S5K5E8 with optics f/ 2.0. Although on paper is a brighter view than the back in reality, the photos and videos suffer more from the decline in brightness even if the overall quality is much better than many other models.

At the software level we find a series of settings to enhance the shots, the funification panoramaa series of filters to be applied in real time to the photos. The PDAF focus is not very fast but is accurate and reliable, which should not be underestimated. In short, a photographic industry similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, where the good and promoted part should definitely be given to photos while unfortunately in video mode the quality comes just enough. We hope that a future software update will solve this problem.

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In this review I pointed out several times that it Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is an inexpensive smartphone that knows how to surprise in terms of reliability and functionality. Although it is necessary to compromise in some respects, the smartphone does not present obvious problems, making it a good choice for those looking for a second phone or for those who want get closer to the Xiaomi world without having to empty your wallet. Essential hardware but that does not deprive the user of any function in daily use, considering that our little Xiaomi is ready to use and with the presence of the 20 band we will not have any kind of problem related to reception. On the other hand, the low-end market represents a business card for the company that over the years has decreed Xiaomi as undisputed queen and recognized by everyone for the quality / price ratio. It's impossible to find better by spending less, so you should definitely consider this Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A, for which I thank Gearbest.com for sending the sample, I think the best store to turn to for purchases of technology made in China and beyond.