So Xiaomi has announced the all-new Redmi Note 2 (3 variants and Prime being the best). While we do not know yet if it will come to India anytime soon, our hunch is that it will considering how important Xiaomi considers the Indian market. While the predecessor Redmi Note 4G was a rock-solid phone on its own, hardly made any noise as it performed so well, the sales numbers took a hit with all of the competition eating into its market share. This couldn’t have been a better time for Xiaomi to launch the Redmi Note 2 and they did pretty well! Let’s look at the comparison between the phones and see the key areas of improvement
Specification Comparison:
| Redmi Note 4G | Redmi Note 2 Prime | |
| Display | 5.5 inches IPS LCD 720 x 1280 pixels (~267 PPI pixel density) | 5.5 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 PPI pixel density) |
| Processor | Qualcomm MSM8928 Snapdragon 400 | Mediatek Helio X10 Octa-core clocked at 2.2 GHz |
| Memory | 8GB + 32GB | 32GB FIXED |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| Camera | 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, LED flash5MP front | 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, phase detection autofocus, LED flash5MP front |
| Battery | 3000 mAh | 3060 mAh |
| OS | MIUI 6 Android KitKat | MIUI 7 Android Lollipop |
| Connectivity | Single SIM 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Dual SIM 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| Colors | White | White, blue, yellow, pink, mint green |
| Price | 7,999 INR | No Indian Price but around 10,000 INR with direct conversion |
| Form Factor | 9.5mm, 185 gms | 8.2mm, 160 gms |
Key Improvements:
- Form factor: The Redmi Note 4G though was a good phone, was infamous for being a brick, yet literally a brick! Heavy and bulky and also slippery with a very glossy back. The Redmi Note 2 changes all of these. Comes in more than an mm thinner, weighs lighter by 25 grams and has a matte finish to its back.
- Camera: While the camera duo in terms of the megapixel is the same, the one on the Redmi Note 2 is supposed to be clicking pictures way faster and also has phase-detection which helps a lot. The front camera now comes with an f/2.2 aperture allowing for more light into it generating better selfies! The shape of the rear camera too has changed and is now ROUND as compared to the SQUARE one before. Not sure what difference this will make but we will test it out!
- Operating System: How much have we heard the users bitch and whine about this! Finally, MIUI v7 arrives bringing in Android Lollipop. We are yet to see what all features will this bring after the official global announcement is made on the 19th but for now all users will be happy as they move ahead, although Android has moved on to M
- Battery: While the Redmi Note 4G was a solid performer, the Note 2 receives a battery with a bump of 60 more mAh and we reckon this will deliver the same kinda performance. There is an added bonus as Quick Charge 2.0 is supported.
- Colors: Xiaomi is all about colors now! Mi4i came in many different colors and will be the same here. As many as 5 colors to choose from
- Memory: While the earlier one came with just 8GB of internal memory, the new one comes with 16GB on the 2 lower variants and 32GB on the PRIME! This is a good jump but there is NO OPTION to add additional memory which actually is a bummer
- Processor: The MTK Helio X10 is claimed to be a beast! While we have to see what will the Indian model have, this is definitely a huge bump.
When we see all of these, the new Redmi Note 2 Prime is a huge jump and anyone looking to upgrade can readily go for it considering the price at which it is being offered. The majority of the users would not need truly high-end phones and this mid-ranger comes with the specs of a higher mid-ranger! Gosh, so many segments and each dashing into the other making it so tough 🙂 We are eager to see when this phone will come to India and what the price will be. Keep you posted!
