In the world of mobile devices, smartphones from the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi occupy a separate place. This company every year (if not a month) is trying hard to release a "killer iPhone" or some other device. I must say that Xiaomi has the best results from the budget segment. And they look like confident "average". And it’s better to keep silent about the price. Even budget devices from well-known brands are much more expensive. Apparently, this explains the success of the company from China. Xiaomi simply does not make money on the brand. One of these devices is Xiaomi Redmi 3S. Its characteristics are good (as for a budget device), and the price is even better. We will analyze it in detail, but first, let's talk about the manufacturer itself.
Some company information
It should be noted that no one has heard of a company like Xiaomi about five years ago. And this is normal, because this brand was created in 2010. Then the company was not yet engaged in the release of smartphones, but was just beginning to create a proprietary MIUI shell. The first smartphone was released in 2011. It was so popular in China that the manufacturer had to urgently produce additional batches. However, until 2014, the company remained a local manufacturer. Her devices were sold only in the Middle Kingdom. The beginning of the international “career” of the brand can be considered the year 2014. It was then that the official store was opened in Singapore. And then - Europe and Russia. From 2014 to this day, the manufacturer has pleased us with high-quality budget smartphones. Redmi 3S also belongs to them, the characteristics of which we will analyze a little later.
It is worth noting that for its entire "career", the Xiaomi company has never been seen in any scandal. In contrast to the famous "Chinese" Huawei. No industrial espionage. All only on their own. A good bonus is that the lion's share of Xiaomi smartphones is produced at Foxconn factories. That is exactly where the pathos iPhones are made. This means that you don’t have to worry about build quality. Everything is at the highest level. The Redmi 3S smartphone, the characteristics of which do not allow calling it a budget one, also boasts very high-quality materials and a solid assembly. Now let's move on to the device itself.
Design features
We will analyze the characteristics of the Redmi 3S phone later, but for now let's turn to the appearance of the device. When looking at it, you can absolutely say that we have a product from Xiaomi. Over the years, the company has developed a certain style. And if you look at the back panel, then the smartphone from the Redmi line will be unmistakably recognized. On the front panel is a screen covered with a protective glass. Above it are the necessary sensors and a frontal photo module. Under it are the touch buttons without backlight. The most interesting thing is that the designers placed the indicator of missed events under the middle touch button at the bottom of the device. A very unusual solution. The speaker for conversations is in the right place - above the screen. At the front, the device looks like all other “faceless” devices from any manufacturers.
But if you look at the back panel, then everything changes. It is designed in the characteristic style of the Redmi line of devices. The cover itself is made of metal, but there are plastic inserts on the upper and lower ends. In the upper left corner is a camera with a flash, just below, in the very middle of the case, a fingerprint scanner is conveniently located. Below it is only the logo and the gap of the main speaker. On the left side of the device is a combined slot for a memory card and a SIM card. And on the right - the power button and rocker to adjust the volume. At the top there is an infrared port, a headphone jack and an additional noise reduction microphone. And at the bottom there is only a microphone and a connector for connecting a charger. Now, let's take a closer look at the internal device of the Xiaomi Redmi 3S phone and the characteristics of its hardware platform.
Smartphone hardware
So, take a look at the filling of our hero. The device has a 64-bit eight-core processor from Qualcomm with a clock frequency of 1.4 gigahertz. As for RAM, then everything is a little more complicated. There are modifications with 2 and 3 gigabytes of RAM. However, in any version, gadgets work quickly, smoothly and clearly. The Adreno 505 chip is used as the “responsible for the graphics.” It quite convincingly cope with 3D games and high-definition video playback. But the fact that the smartphone will pull particularly demanding games, you can not count on. If only at the minimum graphics settings. In general, the smartphone is not satisfactory. Everything practically "flies." And this is despite the fact that we have the budget Redmi 3S. Its characteristics, however, suggest otherwise.
Now consider the amount of internal memory. Here, things are exactly the same as with RAM. There are versions with 16 and 32 gigabytes. Naturally, it is better to purchase 32 gigabytes. However, this is not so important, since the smartphone supports Micro SD memory cards up to 128 gigabytes. A flash drive can be installed instead of the second SIM card. Hybrid slots are a real disease of modern manufacturers. But nothing can be done here - such a trend. Other features of the hardware include LTE support, an infrared port, a very good GPS module, and quite high-speed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transmitters. For a budget device that Redmi 3S 32GB is trying to pretend to be, the specifications are more than decent. Now consider the gadget display.
Screen specifications
What will please the display of new items? The device has a five-inch IPS-screen, created using technology One Glass Solution. This means that there is no air gap between the glass and the screen itself. This approach allows you to achieve realistic colors, but when replacing the glass will have to change the entire screen, which significantly affects the affordability. But that is not the point. The screen resolution is 1280 by 720 pixels, which corresponds to the HD standard. This permission is already becoming standard for budget gadgets. Despite this, the pixel density is quite adequate. It is not possible to consider the individual elements of the matrix. The brightness margin is quite comfortable. You can successfully use your smartphone both in direct sunlight and in a completely dark room. The light sensor also works adequately.
We continue to consider Xiaomi Redmi 3S 32GB and the characteristics of its screen. The most obvious advantage of this display is its almost accurate color reproduction. Admittedly, the display is calibrated as it should. True, there are some flaws in the display of black, but let's not forget that we have a budget device. Also, the display of the novelty is characterized by very wide viewing angles. The picture practically does not change when you turn the gadget. The screen is covered with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass protective glass. There is also an anti-reflective coating and a special grease-repellent (oleophobic) layer. The latter prevents fingerprints from appearing too quickly and helps to eliminate them effectively. Now let's look at the cameras of the smartphone.
Main photomodule
So, what can the Xiaomi Redmi 3S 32GB main camera offer us? Its characteristics are far from flagship, but for the budget model it is quite appropriate. The device has a 13-megapixel module with aperture 2.0 and autofocus. Is it good or bad? Let's just say that the camera copes excellently with daytime shooting under decent lighting. She also succeeds in macro photography. However, with a lack of lighting, artifacts and noises immediately protrude. Even the built-in flash does not help. But overall, the quality of the pictures is acceptable. The standard camera application provides only automatic mode. No pampering with white balance and ISO. Clean machine. This, of course, is not very good, but in budget smartphones everything should be so.
In addition to its main task (photographing), the main photomodule can write Full HD video at a frame rate of 30 per second. Quality is standard for a budget lens. But the sound is excellent, because the microphone used for noise reduction in the video recording mode is used as an additional one. The result is a complete stereo sound. This is approximately the case with the main camera in Xiaomi Redmi 3S 32. Although the characteristics of the photomodule are recognized as budget ones, they are not. They are rather average. But not flagship. Now consider the front camera.
Frontal photo module
A 5 megapixel module with an aperture of 2.2 is used as the front camera. He can shoot both photos and videos. There are no manual settings either. But there are fun decorations. Also very interesting is the option of determining age and gender. But you should not rely on her, because she can call a thirty-year-old man a pretty 28-year-old girl. In addition to creating quite adequate selfies, the camera can also be used for communication via Skype or some other messenger. The video quality is satisfactory. And what do the reviews say about the Xiaomi Redmi 3S camera? Users give flattering characteristics to the device. According to the owners of the gadget, the real state of affairs corresponds to the indicators announced by the manufacturer. Now let's move on to device autonomy.
Battery specifications and battery life
The battery of this gadget is just what can be attributed to the most significant advantages of Xiaomi Redmi 3S Pro. Battery characteristics evoke thoughts that in modern smartphones this simply can not be. But it is. The battery capacity is 4100 mAh. For modern smartphones, this is a very decent capacity. And how does the gadget behave in real conditions? How much is its autonomy? Tests show that in normal operation, the gadget is able to work for two and a half days. If you use the device to a minimum (a few calls, a little reading, a little music), then it is quite possible to achieve a full three days of work on a single charge. Nobody canceled the energy saving mode either. Judging by the reviews, this is the most "tenacious" of the budget smartphones.
The device can also play video in high resolution with maximum screen brightness for 10-11 hours. Of course, provided that all communications are disabled. In games, he will last less - only 5 hours. But it is understandable. Also, the smartphone can last 25-27 hours in read mode. These are excellent results for a device of this level. Of course, optimization of the device’s operating system and its “iron” filling plays a role here. By the way, it's time to talk about the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Pro software platform. We have already made out the characteristics. Let's move on to the software part.
OS and software
The device runs on the Android operating system version 6, which is called Marshmallow. But this is not a very simple system. It is flavored with a proprietary MIUI version 7 shell. Among the strengths of this shell is not only an updated design. There are also some "tweaks" that can provide more adequate operation of the entire system. These include an advanced energy conservation policy. It is thanks to her that the smartphone achieves such impressive results in battery life. But the main advantage of MIUI is a competent and convenient arrangement of controls. Special praise is given to the settings menu. Everything is done wisely.
But the main thing is that this shell allows the gadget to look unusual and attractive. The MIUI design is a cross between iOS and Android. Moreover, if we take into account the clean "Android", then the developments of the Huawei company and their proprietary EMUI interface are noticeable here. But this is China. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the design looks a bit like the design of other devices. Nevertheless, MIUI has a twist that allows the entire operating system to look unique. And this is another plus in the "Xiaomi" piggy bank.
Owner reviews
Without this, in any way, because it is real reviews that help to understand whether it is worth buying a gadget. As for the Xiaomi Redmi 3S, the technical characteristics and reviews of which we are now analyzing, then almost all users are in a wild delight from the purchase. According to most, this gadget does not match its class. This is if you look at the performance and quality of materials. It is more suitable for sales in the middle price segment. Particularly pleased with the price of users. It’s not even “budgeting”. This is frank "cheapness." At the same time, the manufacturer guarantees quality. Oddly enough, but there are no negative reviews about the smartphone at all. This is almost the only case in history. This is probably due to the fact that the device was acquired by people who knew exactly its strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, they were not inclined to demand the impossible from the gadget. Although for this device there is no concept of "impossible." He knows everything. This is a one hundred percent universal smartphone that perfectly suits the vast majority of users. And not only in Russia or the CIS countries. This gadget is very popular in Europe and in the States.
Comparison with analogues
There are several direct competitors to Xiaomi Redmi 3S (3GB / 32GB). Their characteristics are approximately similar, so they can be easily written in analogs. What is characteristic - they are also all from China. This is Meizu M3S and ZTE Blade v7. But why not choose these devices when you can buy Xiaomi? Let's start with the Meizu. This device is the "almost" twin of our hero. All specifications are almost identical. But there are several significant differences. The first one is the processor. While adequate Qualcomm is used in Xiaomi, then openly Chinese (and this is not due to the country of origin) MTK is installed in Meizu. It will already be weaker in performance. Meizu also has a lame battery. Its capacity is enough only for 1-1.5 days of work. That does not go to any comparison with the autonomy of the Xiaomi.
Now let's move on to the ZTE. The seventh “Blade” does look like some kind of underperformance against the background of “Xiaomi”: a screen with a color rendering curve, the absence of a fingerprint scanner, poor quality of case materials, a weak processor, a proprietary shell in the operating system with terrible brakes, and the battery is worthless. But it costs exactly the same money. The question arises: how did this gadget get into analogues? Very simple. It has a very good camera, and its screen resolution is Full HD. This somewhat compensates for the shortcomings. But not all. Most users will choose a tenacious Xiaomi with much higher performance than they buy with the more advanced ZTE camera. And you can’t argue with that.
So, if we compare our hero with the closest analogues, it turns out that there are simply no better devices than him. If they have any insignificant advantages, then they are easily crossed out by disadvantages. But with “Xiaomi” everything is balanced and precisely verified. Therefore, most users prefer this particular smartphone and are not conducted on marketing tricks of other manufacturers.
Conclusion
So, we reviewed the smartphone budget segment from the company "Xiaomi". The characteristics of the Xiaomi Redmi 3S smartphone make it clear that we have before us an almost perfect device for reasonable money. Judge for yourself. The device has very good performance, copes well even with games, has a bright, clear display with realistic color reproduction, boasts a good camera, supports the LTE communication standard and has an unimaginable battery life. One sadness: finding a device for sale is very difficult, unless it’s used. Craftsmen from the Middle Kingdom are in a hurry to live, and their products succeed each other with enviable speed. However, other versions are available to the consumer, the same Xiaomi Redmi 4A or 4X. The issue price is from 6 to 12 thousand rubles. The Chinese manufacturer clearly tried to create a smartphone "for the people." And he did it very well. No wonder the gadget is very popular in almost all countries.