Quick Review of RedMI Note 2

There are two distinct types of Notes in the Xiaomi portfolio and things can get a little confusing. The Mi series is the place to get a premium phablet while the Redmi Notes are the budget-friendly alternative. That said, the Redmi Note 2 is certainly cheap but the level of equipment is trying to match the midrange offerings by the established brands.

Key features

• 5.5″ IPS display of 1080p resolution; 401ppi
• MediaTek MT6795 Helio X10 chipset; octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 (16GB model) or octa-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53 (32GB model); PowerVR G6200 (Rogue) GPU; 2GB of RAM
• 13MP main camera with LED flash, phase detection autofocus
• 1080p video capture at 30fps
• 5MP front-facing camera, 720p at 30fps video recording
• MIUI v.7 based on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop or MIUI v.6 on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop (market dependent)
• 16GB or 32GB of built-in storage; microSD expansion up to 32GB
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE; UMTS/HSPA+; 4G LTE Cat.4 connectivity
• Dual SIM; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.0; microUSB 2.0 (OTG); GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS and Beidou; FM radio
• IR port
• Dual-microphone active noise canceling
• Competitive price
• 3,060mAh removable battery, fast charging

Main disadvantages

• No screen protection officially quoted
• No MIUI 7 at launch
• No NFC

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 upgrades its predecessor in areas where it matters. The Redmi Note 2 packs a higher-res 5.5″ IPS display of Full-HD resolution (up from 720p) and is powered by a superior MediaTek Helio X10 chipset with an octa-core processor, Power VR graphics and 2GB of RAM. The main camera unit has been treated to phase detection autofocus, there’s a brand new IR port and fast battery charging has been borrowed from the high-end Xiaomi Mi Notes.