“The second Apple”, this is exactly what Xiaomi was called at the time, which became widely known all over the world due to its high-quality, functional, but affordable devices made not without the use of the “apple” style.
In today's article, we will describe one of the fairly new models of companies - Redmi Note 2. The review will include not only the usual technical characteristics of the device and a listing of some of its functionality, but also the determination of the advantages and disadvantages of the smartphone; Studying customer reviews about him. At the end of the article we will try to formulate some conclusions regarding the model.
general information
To begin with, the device was introduced in the middle of autumn 2015 - this is a rather “fresh” instance, which is only in the process of conquering the market. The phone is presented in a class where Xiaomi did not have other worthy devices, while the competition from the same Meizu only intensified. Finally, the Chinese giant of the smartphone market has exposed something for its fans.
About what the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Prime hides and whether it is worth our attention at all, let's find out together.
Equipment
The review should begin, of course, by examining the telephone set, by examining what we find in the box with the device immediately after its acquisition.
I would like to note that Xiaomi itself is true to its traditions - the packaging for the phone is made of rough recycled cardboard, on which there are no vivid images of the model. At the top of the lid there is a small Mi inscription denoting a series of rulers.
Opening the box, we find a neatly packed Redmi Note 2 phone.
Customer reviews indicate that the equipment depends on the store in which you buy the device. For example, in a box with a minimum configuration there are instructions, an adapter for charging the device and a USB connection cable.
There is no headset, or any additional accessories to protect the model or more comfortable working with it inside the package. It should be said that this is not entirely characteristic of the generous Chinese developers in terms of equipment.
Appearance
Speaking about the design of the device, it should be noted its simplicity and unpretentiousness. Xiaomi phones have always been like this: nothing unusual, but the presence of some element from Apple devices makes them attractive.
In form, the case of Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 (reviews are confirmation of this, and you can see it in the photographs yourself) is a “brick” with smooth edges. The back cover is the same here - it covers the entire panel of the smartphone and side edges. It is made of matte plastic, available in different color variations.
As the review dedicated to Redmi Note 2 showed, holding it in your hand is very pleasant and convenient - the gadget does not try to slip out in the most awkward situation.
The device was assembled at the highest level - no backlash was found during the inspection of the model. Looking ahead, I would only like to say that some Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 (the review, however, did not show this) after repeated removal of the lid begin to cause trouble to the owner. The latter begins to “play” and creak, and the thing, apparently, is in some changes that occurred after several removals and reverse installations of the lid. Therefore, care must be taken in this process.
Navigation
There is nothing surprising in how the smartphone’s controls are built. On the side there are buttons for locking the screen and adjusting sound; on the front panel there are three physical keys: “Back”, “Home” and “Options”. By the way, they are highlighted in red, so there will be no problems in handling them in the dark.
The lower edge has an opening for charging the device, but it is not located in the center, but closer to the edge. The audio jack (for headphones) is located on the top panel of the device.
Screen
The diagonal of the display installed on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 LTE is 5.5 inches. At a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, the image density is quite high (401 dpi). In practice, this is expressed by the fact that the user does not see the so-called “graininess” effect - everything is depicted smoothly and very clearly.
For additional protection, the screen of the device was covered with a stable glass with an oleophobic coating (thanks to the latter, there are no fingerprints on the device). In addition, there is a special adjustment of the brightness of the display, with its help the phone automatically selects the degree of illumination at which the user can comfortably work in specific conditions (in the sun, in the dark, etc.).
CPU
Devices released by Xiaomi, have always been famous for a very strong hardware. In our case, the device operates on the basis of MediaTek X10 (also known as MT6795). Such a processor includes 8 cores, the clock frequency of which can reach 2 GHz. For graphics playback, the PowerVR G6200 module is responsible. The amount of RAM reaches 2 GB, while the “capacity” of the internal data volume is 16 GB. Of these, of course, no more than 10 GB is available.
For those to whom dry technical parameters will not help to understand how fast the device works, let’s explain by example. With the help of Redmi Note 2 (which we are reviewing), the user can enjoy any game installed on Google Play with maximum requirements. There can be no talk of any braking, delays, freezes and other troubles.
Therefore, in terms of performance, you can confidently praise the developers.
Battery
An important quality for each device is its level of autonomy. If we are talking about Redmi Note 2, a discussion among buyers showed that the smartphone is quite hardy compared to its competitors. In particular, this is the merit of a 3020 mAh battery. In the state of maximum active operation of the screen, the model can last up to 4 hours. This means that in everyday life, a smartphone can show stamina just above average. Due to this, it will be possible to charge it once every two days.
operating system
Traditionally, the basis for the smartphone is the OS Android 5.0.2. This is an outdated version, since version 6.1 is available at the time of writing. The phone will probably be upgraded to this version immediately after launching and connecting to the Internet. At least, let's hope that the manufacturer of Redmi Note 2 firmware (or rather, its constant updating and improvement) is supported by default.
On top of the “bare” Android interface, MiUI is installed on the phone. There is a lot of information about her, and this platform is very popular. Its peculiarity is that visually it resembles the design of the iOS operating system. Due to this, customers often praise this design, and the UI itself has a large number of fans.
Reviews
Despite the fact that the smartphone is relatively new, many recommendations have already been left about it from buyers who have direct experience with it. Immediately I want to note that most of them are positive, and this, given the quality of the device, is not surprising.
However, there are comments that describe the shortcomings of the smartphone. These include, for example, excessive overheating of the model after using it too actively. Also, people note that the device is not hardy enough - many lack the duration of work on a single charge, which provides a standard battery. There is still a flaw in the case’s too “branded” cover - for it you will definitely need to purchase a cover.
As for the more serious flaws of Redmi Note 2 (a review did not reveal them) - periodic Wi-Fi signal loss observed during long-term operation can be attributed to such. The reason for this phone behavior has not been established.
In addition, there are complaints about the software basis of the smartphone. There are a large number of illegally imported devices on the market, where by default an abundance of Chinese applications and services is installed, which is not so easy to get rid of. Thus, if you purchased a device and want to start working with it from scratch, you will need to spend a little time trying to tinker with all the unwanted programs.
conclusions
Of course, the device is developed at a fairly high level, typical for Xiaomi. This can be said about the hardware stuffing and software, as well as about the assembly of the gadget, its body and materials used in the development. Due to this, the phone really deserves attention from the buyer. Especially if you are looking for an affordable, but functional and reliable phone.
Of course, there are a number of some shortcomings and difficulties that the user will need to overcome, but even with them the model remains a strong player in the mobile market in its segment.