How to turn on the battery percentage indicator on a Xiaomi smartphone. Impressions from the design? Mobile connection quality

Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 4X

A nice and balanced mid-range representative of the Redmi family

At the end of April, Xiaomi held its first official presentation in Russia since the popular Chinese smartphone maker began operating in the Russian market last year. At this event, the company's deputy director Wang Xiang presented the company's business model to a wide range of media and expressed his readiness to supply more Xiaomi products to Russia as part of the continuation of the partnership with RDC Group. Accordingly, the first products officially presented for the Russian market were three smartphone models - Mi Mix, Mi Note 2 and Redmi 4X.

A detailed review of the powerful, but expensive Mi Mix model with a completely unusual design of an all-ceramic body is already being prepared for release. In the meantime, we present to your attention the simplest of the three new products brought to Russia - the inexpensive, but in many respects also very interesting mobile device Redmi 4X.

Main characteristics of Xiaomi Redmi 4X

SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, 8 cores Cortex-A53 ([email protected] GHz + [email protected] GHz)
GPU Adreno 505 @450 MHz
operating system Android 6.0, MIUI 8
Touchscreen IPS 5″, 1280×720, 293 ppi
Random access memory (RAM) 2/3/4 GB, inner memory 16/32/64 GB
Support Nano-SIM (1 pc.), Micro-SIM (1 pc.)
microSD support up to 128 GB
GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
LTE networks Cat.4 FDD (B1/3/4/5/7/8/20), TD LTE (B38/40)
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
Micro-USB, USB OTG
Main camera 13 MP, f/2.0, autofocus, 1080p video
Front-camera 5 MP, f/2.2, fixed. focus
Proximity sensor, lighting, magnetic field, fingerprint, accelerometer, gyroscope, infrared port
Battery 4100 mAh
Dimensions 139×70×8.7 mm
Weight 147 g

Appearance and ease of use

In terms of proportions and body dimensions, Xiaomi Redmi 4X most closely resembles the iPhone 6/6s. These two devices are very similar in shape and size, and the device fits exactly the same in the hand. Redmi 4X has a body that is streamlined on all sides with strongly rounded sides and corner parts, only it, unlike the iPhone, is not all-metal, but prefabricated.

The top and bottom ends of the Xiaomi Redmi 4X are completely plastic; all interface connectors are installed in them. Such a case, of course, cannot be called metal, but in the official description the Xiaomi Redmi 4X case is called completely metal, and there is not a word about the presence of plastic ends.

Due to its small size, the smartphone is generally comfortable to hold in your hands. This is not to say that there are no fingerprints left on its matte surfaces; in the black version they are quite visible. But even despite this, the smartphone continues to maintain a presentable appearance for a long time. In addition, it does not slip in your fingers at all, so there is no special need for a case.

The front panel is completely covered with 2.5D glass with sloping edges, which organically flow into the rounded sides of the case, making the shape of the case complete and the edges more comfortable to hold in your fingers. Under the glass you can find a standard set of sensors and an LED event indicator. It is curious that in this model the indicator LED is not placed at the top, as usual, but at the bottom, under the screen. The small square dot of the indicator shines quite brightly.

It’s all the more disappointing that the usual row of touch-sensitive hardware control buttons, located right there, did not receive their own backlight at all. Accordingly, the button icons are barely visible even in the light, let alone in the dark. As for the functionality of the buttons, it, as usual, has been expanded by additional settings MIUI interface, so the buttons also respond to long touches. The purpose of each button can be set at your discretion.

The back side of the case is usually given over to the camera with flash. The small round lens window has a thin bezel slightly protruding outwards, this smartphone is even more reminiscent of the aforementioned iPhone 6. The flash has only one LED, but it shines extremely brightly and can work as a flashlight that is turned on in the notification shade.

Here, on the back of the case, there is a fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint sensor area is slightly recessed to make it easier to touch. But of course, you won’t be able to feel anything on a smartphone lying on the table, because you can’t reach the sensor. The device lies stable on a hard surface and does not wobble when you touch the screen.

There are no complaints about the operation of the scanner itself; recognition occurs quickly and clearly, and your finger can be placed at any angle. The program allows you to register the same finger several times, but you can only remember five fingerprints in total. You can also use your fingerprint to unlock your personal space, certain confidential documents, and control the camera shutter.

Cards are inserted into the side slot on the left. Everything is standard here: the notorious hybrid connector is designed for two SIM cards, one of them can be replaced with a card microSD memory. In this case, one of the slots supports the Micro-SIM format, and the second can accommodate a Nano-SIM. Hot swapping of cards is supported.

The buttons on the right side are quite large, pliable, not too hard, but the response is quite clear. The keys are easy to locate blindly; in general, there are not the slightest complaints about these elements.

A Micro-USB connector is installed at the bottom end; it supports connecting external flash drives to USB mode OTG. On both sides of this connector, two rows of holes are symmetrically made at the end, but the speaker is hidden behind only one of them (closer to the right side).

At the top end there is a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones and an auxiliary microphone for the noise reduction system. Somewhat unexpectedly, but no less pleasantly, they did not hesitate to equip the mid-level, almost budget device Redmi 4X with an infrared port to work as a remote control remote control home appliances. Practice has shown that the built-in program coped even with an old Philips TV - however, it first had to go through a lot of options hardwired into memory.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is available in several colors, including pink. There are two options that can be called “main”: completely black, as in the test photographs, and also golden with a white front panel.

Screen

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is equipped with an IPS display covered with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass with sloping edges. The physical dimensions of the screen are 62x110 mm with a diagonal of 5 inches. The resolution is 1280x720, the pixel density is about 293 ppi. The frame around the screen has a total width of approximately 4 mm on the sides, 15 mm on the bottom, and 13 mm on the top.

The display brightness can be adjusted manually or set automatic settings, based on the operation of the ambient light sensor. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 5 simultaneous multi-touch touches.

Detailed examination using measuring instruments conducted by the section editor " Monitors" And " Projectors and TV » Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen Google Nexus 7 (2013)(hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Xiaomi Redmi 4X, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Xiaomi Redmi 4X is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 119 versus 123 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Xiaomi Redmi 4X screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (even better in efficiency than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 490 cd/m², the minimum was 1.1 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, and given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 160 cd/m² (too much), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 380 cd/m² (also a lot), in a very bright environment ( corresponds to the lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) the brightness increases to 490 cd/m² (to the maximum - this is how it should be); if the adjustment is approximately 50%, then the values are as follows: 20, 230 and 490 cd/m² (suitable values), the regulator at 0% is 1.1, 45 and 490 cd/m² (the first two values are too low). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works more or less adequately and, to some extent, allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

IN this smartphone An IPS type matrix is used. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see microphoto gallery screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Xiaomi Redmi 4X and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forced to switch to 6500 K.

There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

The colors on the Xiaomi Redmi 4X screen are slightly oversaturated; the color balance of the Nexus 7 and the tested screen is slightly different. Photo received after selecting a profile Standard in screen settings:

In profile Bright saturation is even higher, which is achieved by increasing color contrast, without changing the coordinates of the primary colors.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Xiaomi Redmi 4X the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the strong bleaching of black.

And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased, but in the case of Xiaomi Redmi 4X the decrease in brightness is less (to avoid strong darkening, for shots at an angle the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photos). The black field, when deviated diagonally, is greatly lightened, but remains a conditionally neutral gray shade or turns slightly blue. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in perpendicular to the plane screens direction is the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is poor:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 770:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 20 ms (12 ms on + 8 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 30 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.33, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates slightly from the power-law dependence:

We did not detect the presence of dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, the colors have more or less natural saturation and hue, but there is still a slight increase in color contrast. The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is mostly above 10, which is considered a bad indicator even for a consumer device. Moreover, both parameters change little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This device has the ability to adjust the color balance using the warm-natural-cool tint switch (see screenshot above). The reduction in color temperature required in this case (option Warm) does not lead to an increase in ΔE, so it makes sense to perform such a correction.

To summarize: the screen has a high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. Also, the advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB. The disadvantages are the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane and poor uniformity of the black field. In addition, we did not like the slight increase in color contrast. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Camera

The front module of the Xiaomi Redmi 4X has a 5 megapixel sensor and a lens with an f/2.2 aperture, with a fixed focus and without its own flash. Naturally, there is a portrait retouching mode, you can choose the aspect ratio and quality, and there is also a standard one for all smartphones Xiaomi mode Determining the sex and age of the subject. The quality itself is maximum settings Overall, it’s average for the selfie level—not disastrous, but not ideal either. There are shortcomings in terms of sharpness and detail, the image is a little whitish, the colors are washed out, and the auto white balance is sometimes wrong.

The main camera uses a module with a 13-megapixel matrix and a 5-element lens with an f/2.0 aperture, and is equipped with fast phase detection autofocus PDAF. The flash is monochromatic, but shines brightly. There is no stabilization system.

It is curious that there are fewer manual settings here than in more expensive Xiaomi models. For example, the same Mi Mix has manual mode Four sliders appear (white balance, focus types, shutter speed and light sensitivity). There are only two options here: you can influence light sensitivity (up to ISO 3200) and white balance. There are also no modes such as group selfie and 1:1 square, which are present in the Mi Mix. IN general settings, called up by pressing the gear icon, everything is standard: there is access to variable values of clarity, saturation and contrast, there are functions for detecting faces, age, gender, you can use the camera as a QR code scanner. Traditionally, you cannot manually select the image resolution; there are only three ready-made presets and two aspect ratios. In the modes section there are a number of scene scenes, HDR is highlighted separately, this mode is always available on the viewfinder screen for quick activation.

The camera can shoot video in a maximum resolution of Full HD @ 30 fps, there is no stabilization function. It’s best not to take handheld shots while on the move, but otherwise the camera handles video shooting quite successfully. The image is smooth, without jerks or artifacts, the brightness is sufficient, the sharpness is normal, there are no complaints about detail. The sound is also in perfect order: the microphones are sensitive, no obvious distortions were noticed in the recording, and the noise reduction system copes successfully with wind noise.

Video No. 1(44 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
Video No. 2(29 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)

	The camera copes well with indoor shooting.
	Good detail in the background.
	Good sharpness across the frame.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	The text is well done.
	Another example of a good macro.
	Good sharpness across the field and plans.
	Good detail in mid-grounds.

The camera handles most standard scenes well. The program suppresses noise well and practically does not spoil details. Here you can only find fault with the areas of blur that periodically appear in the corners of the frame. In general, the camera will cope well with documentary and even art photography.

Telephone and communications

The communication capabilities of Xiaomi Redmi 4X are not so weak for a Chinese mid-ranger. Several LTE FDD frequency bands are supported, including 3 bands of interest to us (band 3, 7, 20), as well as two TDD LTE bands.

GSM B2, B3, B5, B8
UMTS B1, B2, B5, B8
FDD LTE B1, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B20
TDD LTE B38, B40

In the city limits of the Moscow region, the device behaves confidently, the quality of signal reception does not cause any complaints.

On the other hand, the second Wi-Fi band (5 GHz) is not supported, and the NFC module is missing in the device. It is possible to connect external devices in USB OTG mode.

The navigation module works with all three world systems (GPS, Glonass and Beidou). During a cold start, the first satellites are detected within the first tens of seconds; there are also no complaints about the clarity of positioning. In addition, the smartphone has a magnetic compass for the successful functioning of navigation programs.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, the methods for sorting and displaying contacts are standard for Android interface, there is a blacklist for unwanted contacts.

In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor is recognizable, the sound is clear and rich. There is an option for automatic recording telephone conversations from the line, VoLTE is supported. Medium-level vibration alert, available for it manual setting power.

The smartphone can support both SIM cards in 3G/4G mode simultaneously in active standby mode. That is, for example, the second SIM card will work in 3G for voice communication, even if a card from another slot is assigned to transfer data to 4G. The interface does not allow you to select a specific SIM card for SMS in advance - only during the connection. But you can pre-assign a SIM card for voice calls and data transfers. Cards work in Dual mode SIM Dual Standby, there is only one radio modem.

Software and multimedia

Xiaomi Redmi 4X uses OS as a software platform Android versions 6.0.1 and own proprietary MIUI shell 8, which we have already become acquainted with more than once - for example, when testing the model Mi Note 2 or more related to the hero of the review Redmi Note 4. Since Xiaomi has officially entered Russian market, test samples are sent to us already with the international firmware MIUI Global installed, so you no longer have to install the Play Store yourself and Google apps Apps. Such a need may still sometimes arise among those who like to order Chinese smartphones in online stores, but now certain problems may arise with this due to the restriction of “gray” supplies of its products to the Russian market.

Be that as it may, the MIUI interface is familiar to us; the buyer will not find anything new in this regard in the Redmi 4X. Everything is included in the firmware Google services and traditional programs for smartphones with Android and MIUI, Russian language is supported, and as virtual keyboard SwiftKey is preinstalled, but you can switch to regular Gboard, which also supports Swype input. Another characteristic feature: there is no separate program menu, shortcuts installed applications automatically scattered across desktops, with the ability to group into folders. You can design desktops manually (place widgets on them, select a background, transition effects), but it’s easier to use ready-made themes to choose from.

Additional third party applications very few, there are useful utilities such as a compass, a QR scanner, as well as a program for separating accounts that allows you to install the same application twice. To launch any application, you can enable fingerprint authorization. There is a system manager in which you can configure energy saving, antivirus protection, freeing memory, etc.

To listen to music, the familiar MIUI music player is installed with the usual set of specialized profiles for different models ear phones. We can say about the sound of the smartphone that it is clear and very loud in all cases, there is practically no noise, and the volume reserve is sufficient for any environment. On the other hand, of course, you can’t expect any special sound quality from the main speaker: unlike the sound in headphones, you can’t hear it at all low frequencies, the sound is thin and sonorous. In headphones, the sound is thicker and richer, there are both lows and bass, in general, for its level, Redmi 4X with headphones connected sounds quite decent.

There is a voice recorder, the microphone has good sensitivity and a high-quality noise filtering system; you can rely on it when recording lectures and interviews. The smartphone has an FM radio and can record live programs. Headphones are required as an external antenna, although the program itself does not refuse to launch without them, as in other smartphones.

Performance

The Xiaomi Redmi 4X hardware platform is based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 single-chip system made using 28-nanometer technology. This SoC includes eight 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 1.4 GHz. The Adreno 505 GPU is responsible for graphics processing. The amount of RAM is 2, 3 or 4 GB, and the built-in flash memory is 16, 32 or 64 GB, respectively. Our version of the smartphone initially had 22 GB of free storage and 1.7 GB of RAM.

It is possible to expand the built-in memory by installing microSD cards, but to do this you will have to remove one of the SIM cards. In practice, our test Transcend card Premium microSDXC UHS-1 with a capacity of 128 GB was confidently recognized by the device. You cannot install or transfer applications to a memory card; the device offers to format the card only as storage for media files.

According to the test results, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 platform, as expected, turned out to be not much faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425/430 and at the same time significantly slower than other currently popular ones mobile platforms mid-level, such as MediaTek Helio P10, Kirin 655 and even more so Snapdragon 625. In the comprehensive AnTuTu test, Snapdragon 435 scored only about 43K points.

We have to admit that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 is not even an average solution, but a below-average one. However, in real use scenarios, this SoC is still enough to perform basic tasks, you can even play games. Modern Kombat X hardly slows down, other games run even smoother. In general, a smartphone based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 is still relevant, but there is no reserve of power for future updates; this is a smartphone for one season.

Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that at one time they passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Xiaomi Redmi 4X (Qualcomm Snapdragon 435)	Lenovo K6 Note (Qualcomm Snapdragon 430)	HTC One X10 (MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755))	Honor 6X (HiSilicon Kirin 655)	Asus Zenfone 3 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot ES 3.1 (more is better)	292	288	421	378	466
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen, fps)	10	4	5	5	6
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps)	4,5	4	5	5	6
GFXBenchmark T-Rex ES 2.0 (Onscreen, fps)	26	15	17	19	22
GFXBenchmark T-Rex ES 2.0 (1080p Offscreen, fps)	16	16	17	19	23

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

It can be seen that the heating is more localized in the upper part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 40 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.

Playing video

To test omnivorousness when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, don't expect mobile device decoding everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
1080p H.264	MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24 fps, AAC	plays normally	plays normally
1080p H.264	MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24 fps, AC3	plays normally
1080p H.265	MKV, H.265 1920×1080, 24 fps, AAC	plays normally	plays normally
1080p H.265	MKV, H.265 1920×1080, 24 fps, AC3	The video plays with noticeable jerks	The video plays fine, there is no sound

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since in the case of supported files, frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows, somewhere only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations are displayed.

Battery life

Fixed accumulator battery, installed in Xiaomi Redmi 4X, has an impressive capacity of 4100 mAh. With such a battery, a low-power hardware platform and only a 720p screen, the smartphone simply could not help but demonstrate impressive battery life results. In real use scenarios under normal average operating conditions, the hero of the review is quite capable of quietly holding out for a couple of days without recharging. The developers themselves are confident that the device can work up to 18 days in standby mode and 36 hours in talk mode.

Testing has traditionally been carried out at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving functions, although the smartphone naturally has them.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted almost 20 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level through home Wi-Fi network The device operates for 15.5 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for up to 9 hours, but here, of course, it is worth considering that such a long time is achieved due to the low screen resolution and not the maximum graphics settings in games.

From standard network adapter(output current 2 A 5 V) the smartphone is charged in approximately 3 hours with a current of 1.5 A at a voltage of 5 V. Wireless charger not supported.

Bottom line

If we abstract from the situation with Xiaomi’s pricing policy in Russia that has not yet been fully clarified, we can state that the Redmi 4X itself turned out to be quite an interesting device for its level. It has a solid body with a nice design, an excellent bright screen (albeit 720p resolution), a satisfactory set of basic communication modules and, of course, a very remarkable battery life, which may be of interest to those users who are primarily interested in a long battery life mobile assistant without recharging.

As for competitors, at the same time as the hero Huawei review launched its Honor 6C model, which is almost identical to the Xiaomi Redmi 4X in terms of basic characteristics, for sale at exactly the same price. However, the Redmi 4X is more interesting in small details: it is better at video shooting, has a third higher level of autonomy, supports USB OTG and has an infrared transmitter for emulating a remote control.

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Everyone knows that clean drinking water is the key to good health. We cannot visually determine how pure the water we drink is. At first glance, clean, clear water may contain various impurities. TDS refers to the total amount of dissolved solids in water. The degree of mineralization to one degree or another affects the quality of water. The lower the TDS indicator, the lower the concentration of heavy metal ions and soluble salts, and, accordingly, the better quality drinking water.

The TDS tester from Xiaomi can accurately determine the degree of mineralization of water. According to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, water suitable for drinking should not exceed a TDS value of 600 mg/l. At a mineralization level of 1000 mg/l and above, a change in the taste of water occurs.

The abbreviation TDS stands for “Total Dissolved Solid”, this indicator is called solids content or total salt content. This indicator is read by the TDS tester. Water consists not only of H₂O, but also of many impurities invisible to the naked eye. The sources of water mineralization are various inorganic salts and minerals, and sometimes some organic compounds. We see them in the scale in the kettle. Now imagine that all this scale ends up in your organs and they are trying to filter it all, which, as you know, works for the time being. Okay, enough of the horror stories, let's find out how the device works.

The TDS tester measures in PPM (from 0 to 9990). PPM (parts per million) is the fraction of particles per million, that is, 1 mg/l. However, the World Health Organization does not have clear criteria for water quality. This depends primarily on the specific territory, its climate and the adaptability of the indigenous population. However, it is not recommended to drink water if its PPM is above 1000.

The Xiaomi TDS tester can check the quality of water for the content of three types of impurities:
1. Soluble salts: calcium, magnesium ions, etc.
2. Ionic organic compounds: ammonium acetate, sulfates, etc.
3. Heavy metal ions: chromium, zinc, lead, copper, etc.

There is also a table, based on the numbers of which, we will understand what the tester is showing us.

0-50 PPM. Crystal clear water that has undergone deionization, distillation and other types of purification. This water is “too” pure and is not recommended to drink regularly.
50-100 PPM. Pure water that has been filtered in a household filter or water from mountain springs.
100-300 PPM. Plain water. It doesn't shine with cleanliness, but you can drink it without harm to your health.
301-600 PPM. High solids content. Such water feels heavy and, as a rule, already has a specific taste.
600-1000 PPM. Dirty water with critical levels of solids. This kind of water is quite unpleasant to drink.
1000 PPM. Water unsuitable for consumption. You can't drink this.

Now that you understand why a TDS tester is needed, let's look at the device itself. Software tester appearance resembles a thick pen, 15 cm long, about 16 mm thick and weighing 27.4 grams. The tester body is created using injection molding technology, and the measuring probe is made of stainless material (titanium). The device is also equipped with an external sensor for automatic temperature compensation (0 ~ 80°C). The design of the case is limited to the button and display and does not include any holes, which ensures water resistance and prevents the tester from being damaged by splashes or water leaking into the case.

At the top of the tester there are two button batteries of 1.5V each. The power source is two AG13 round batteries, which can be replaced at any time. The tester consumes very little power and turns off after 2 minutes of inactivity. On the central part of the device body there is LCD display and next to it is a button that turns on the meter. The tester measures the electrical conductivity of water, which is precisely affected by the presence of impurities, and displays the result in PPM.

The Xiaomi TDS water tester is perfect not only for aquarists and travelers, but also for anyone who cares about their health and for whom it is important to know how clean the water they use is.

Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 4X

A nice and balanced mid-range representative of the Redmi family

Main characteristics of Xiaomi Redmi 4X

SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, 8 cores Cortex-A53 ([email protected] GHz + [email protected] GHz)
GPU Adreno 505 @450 MHz
operating room Android system 6.0, MIUI 8
Touch display IPS 5″, 1280×720, 293 ppi
Random access memory (RAM) 2/3/4 GB, internal memory 16/32/64 GB
Support Nano-SIM (1 pc.), Micro-SIM (1 pc.)
MicroSD support up to 128 GB
GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
Networks LTE Cat.4 FDD (B1/3/4/5/7/8/20), TD LTE (B38/40)
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
Micro-USB, USB OTG
Main camera 13 MP, f/2.0, autofocus, 1080p video
Front camera 5 MP, f/2.2, fixed. focus
Proximity sensor, light sensor, magnetic field sensor, fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, infrared port
Battery 4100 mAh
Dimensions 139×70×8.7 mm
Weight 147 g

Appearance and ease of use

It’s all the more disappointing that the usual row of touch-sensitive hardware control buttons, located right there, did not receive their own backlight at all. Accordingly, the button icons are barely visible even in the light, let alone in the dark. As for the functionality of the buttons, as usual, it has been expanded due to additional settings of the MIUI interface, so the buttons also respond to long touches. The purpose of each button can be set at your discretion.

Cards are inserted into the side slot on the left. Everything is standard here: the notorious hybrid connector is designed for two SIM cards, one of which can be replaced with a microSD memory card. In this case, one of the slots supports the Micro-SIM format, and the second can accommodate a Nano-SIM. Hot swapping of cards is supported.

A Micro-USB connector is installed at the bottom end; connecting external flash drives in USB OTG mode is supported. On both sides of this connector, two rows of holes are symmetrically made at the end, but the speaker is hidden behind only one of them (closer to the right side).

At the top end there is a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones and an auxiliary microphone for the noise reduction system. Somewhat unexpectedly, but no less pleasantly, they did not hesitate to equip the mid-level, almost budget device Redmi 4X with an infrared port to work as a remote control for home appliances. Practice has shown that the built-in program coped even with an old Philips TV - however, it first had to go through a lot of options hardwired into memory.

Screen

You can manually adjust the display brightness or set automatic settings based on the ambient light sensor. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 5 simultaneous multi-touch touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Xiaomi Redmi 4X, then they can be distinguished by size):

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 490 cd/m², the minimum was 1.1 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, and given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 160 cd/m² (too much), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 380 cd/m² (also a lot), in a very bright environment ( corresponds to the lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) the brightness increases to 490 cd/m² (to the maximum - this is how it should be); if the adjustment is approximately 50%, then the values are as follows: 20, 230 and 490 cd/m² (suitable values), the regulator at 0% is 1.1, 45 and 490 cd/m² (the first two values are too low). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works more or less adequately and, to some extent, allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

In profile Bright saturation is even higher, which is achieved by increasing color contrast, without changing the coordinates of the primary colors.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Xiaomi Redmi 4X the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the strong bleaching of black.

And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased, but in the case of Xiaomi Redmi 4X the decrease in brightness is less (to avoid strong darkening, for shots at an angle the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photos). The black field, when deviated diagonally, is greatly lightened, but remains a conditionally neutral gray shade or turns slightly blue. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is poor:

We did not detect the presence of dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

Camera

The front module of the Xiaomi Redmi 4X has a 5 megapixel sensor and a lens with an f/2.2 aperture, with a fixed focus and without its own flash. Naturally, there is a portrait retouching mode, you can choose the aspect ratio and quality, and there is also a mode for determining the gender and age of the subject that is standard for all Xiaomi smartphones. The quality itself at maximum settings is generally average for the selfie level - not disastrous, but not ideal either. There are shortcomings in terms of sharpness and detail, the image is a little whitish, the colors are washed out, and the auto white balance is sometimes wrong.

It is curious that there are fewer manual settings here than in more expensive Xiaomi models. For example, the same Mi Mix has four sliders in manual mode (white balance, focus types, shutter speed and light sensitivity). There are only two options here: you can influence light sensitivity (up to ISO 3200) and white balance. There are also no modes such as group selfie and 1:1 square, which are present in the Mi Mix. In the general settings, called up by clicking the gear icon, everything is standard: there is access to changeable values of clarity, saturation and contrast, there are functions for detecting faces, age, gender, you can use the camera as a QR code scanner. Traditionally, you cannot manually select the image resolution; there are only three ready-made presets and two aspect ratios. In the modes section there are a number of scene scenes, HDR is highlighted separately, this mode is always available on the viewfinder screen for quick activation.

Video No. 1 (44 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
Video No. 2 (29 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)

	The camera copes well with indoor shooting.
	Good detail in the background.
	Good sharpness across the frame.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	The text is well done.
	Another example of a good macro.
	Good sharpness across the field and plans.
	Good detail in mid-grounds.

Telephone and communications

GSM B2, B3, B5, B8
UMTS B1, B2, B5, B8
FDD LTE B1, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B20
TDD LTE B38, B40

In the city limits of the Moscow region, the device behaves confidently, the quality of signal reception does not cause any complaints.

On the other hand, the second Wi-Fi band (5 GHz) is not supported, and the NFC module is missing in the device. It is possible to connect external devices in USB OTG mode.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, the methods for sorting and displaying contacts are standard for the Android interface, and there is a blacklist for unwanted contacts.

In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor is recognizable, the sound is clear and rich. It is possible to automatically record telephone conversations from the line; VoLTE is supported. The vibration alert is of an average level; it has a manual power setting.

The smartphone can support both SIM cards in 3G/4G mode simultaneously in active standby mode. That is, for example, the second SIM card will work in 3G for voice communication, even if a card from a different slot is assigned for data transfer in 4G. The interface does not allow you to select a specific SIM card for SMS in advance - only during the connection. But you can pre-assign a SIM card for voice calls and data transfers. The cards operate in Dual SIM Dual Standby mode, there is only one radio modem.

Software and multimedia

As a software platform, Xiaomi Redmi 4X uses Android OS version 6.0.1 and its own proprietary MIUI 8 shell, which we have already become acquainted with more than once - for example, when testing the Mi Note 2 model or a more related model to the hero of the Redmi Note 4 review. Since Xiaomi has officially entered the Russian market, test samples are sent to us already with the international firmware MIUI Global installed, so you no longer have to install the Play Store and applications yourself Google Apps. Such a need may still sometimes arise among those who like to order Chinese smartphones from online stores, but now certain problems may arise with this due to the restriction of “gray” supplies of its products to the Russian market.

Be that as it may, the MIUI interface is familiar to us; the buyer will not find anything new in this regard in the Redmi 4X. The firmware contains all Google services and programs traditional for smartphones with Android and MIUI, the Russian language is supported, and SwiftKey is preinstalled as a virtual keyboard, but you can also switch to regular Gboard, which also supports Swype input. Another characteristic feature: there is no separate program menu; shortcuts for installed applications are automatically scattered across desktops, with the ability to group them into folders. You can design desktops manually (place widgets on them, select a background, transition effects), but it’s easier to use ready-made themes to choose from.

There are very few additional third-party applications; there are useful utilities such as a compass, a QR scanner, and also a program for separating accounts that allows you to install the same application twice. To launch any application, you can enable fingerprint authorization. There is a system manager in which you can configure energy saving, anti-virus protection, memory release, etc.

To listen to music, the familiar MIUI music player is installed with the usual set of specialized profiles for different earphone models. We can say about the sound of the smartphone that it is clear and very loud in all cases, there is practically no noise, and the volume reserve is sufficient for any environment. On the other hand, of course, you can’t expect any special sound quality from the main speaker: unlike the sound in headphones, you can’t hear low frequencies at all, the sound is thin and ringing. In headphones, the sound is thicker and richer, there are both lows and bass, in general, for its level, Redmi 4X with headphones connected sounds quite decent.

Performance

It is possible to expand the internal memory by installing microSD cards, but to do this you will have to remove one of the SIM cards. In practice, our 128GB Transcend Premium microSDXC UHS-1 test card was reliably recognized by the device. You cannot install or transfer applications to a memory card; the device offers to format the card only as storage for media files.

According to the test results, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 platform, as expected, turned out to be not much faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425/430 and at the same time significantly slower than other currently popular mid-level mobile platforms, such as MediaTek Helio P10, Kirin 655 and especially Snapdragon 625. In the comprehensive AnTuTu test The Snapdragon 435 only scored about 43K points.

Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

	Xiaomi Redmi 4X (Qualcomm Snapdragon 435)	Lenovo K6 Note (Qualcomm Snapdragon 430)	HTC One X10 (MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755))	Honor 6X (HiSilicon Kirin 655)	Asus Zenfone 3 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot ES 3.1 (more is better)	292	288	421	378	466
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen, fps)	10	4	5	5	6
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps)	4,5	4	5	5	6
GFXBenchmark T-Rex ES 2.0 (Onscreen, fps)	26	15	17	19	22
GFXBenchmark T-Rex ES 2.0 (1080p Offscreen, fps)	16	16	17	19	23

Browser cross-platform tests:

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
1080p H.264	MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24 fps, AAC	plays normally	plays normally
1080p H.264	MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24 fps, AC3	plays normally
1080p H.265	MKV, H.265 1920×1080, 24 fps, AAC	plays normally	plays normally
1080p H.265	MKV, H.265 1920×1080, 24 fps, AC3	The video plays with noticeable jerks	The video plays fine, there is no sound

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

Battery life

The non-removable battery installed in Xiaomi Redmi 4X has an impressive capacity of 4100 mAh. With such a battery, a low-power hardware platform and only a 720p screen, the smartphone simply could not help but demonstrate impressive battery life results. In real use scenarios under normal average operating conditions, the hero of the review is quite capable of quietly holding out for a couple of days without recharging. The developers themselves are confident that the device can work up to 18 days in standby mode and 36 hours in talk mode.

Testing has traditionally been carried out at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving functions, although the smartphone naturally has them.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted almost 20 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level after home network The Wi-Fi device operates for 15.5 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for up to 9 hours, but here, of course, it is worth considering that such a long time is achieved due to the low screen resolution and not the maximum graphics settings in games.

From a standard AC adapter (output current 2 A 5 V), the smartphone is charged in approximately 3 hours with a current of 1.5 A at a voltage of 5 V. Wireless charging is not supported.

Bottom line

If we abstract from the situation with Xiaomi’s pricing policy in Russia that has not yet been fully clarified, we can state that the Redmi 4X itself turned out to be quite an interesting device for its level. It has a solid body with a nice design, an excellent bright screen (albeit with a 720p resolution), a satisfactory set of basic communication modules and, of course, a very remarkable battery life, which may be of interest to those users who are primarily interested in the long operating time of their mobile assistant without recharging.

As for competitors, at the same time as the hero of the review, Huawei released its Honor 6C model, which is almost identical to the Xiaomi Redmi 4X in terms of basic characteristics, for sale at exactly the same price. However, the Redmi 4X is more interesting in small details: it is better at video shooting, has a third higher level of autonomy, supports USB OTG and has an infrared transmitter for emulating a remote control.

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Classmates

Was recognized as the best budget smartphone in the price category of about $100. With a high probability, next year the new Redmi 3 will be recognized as the best.

Like its predecessor at the time of release, Redmi 3 now has no real competitors. In my opinion, today Redmi 3 deserves the title of not just the best budget smartphone, but the best budget business smartphone. For a price of just over $100, the buyer can count on a stylish and comfortable design, a high-quality display, good connection, impressive autonomy and performance, which is enough not only for work, but also for games.

Below Xiaomi review Redmi 3 in question-answer format. With photos, videos, screenshots and so on. If I didn’t answer something, ask in the comments.

Characteristics:

MIUI 7 on Android 5.1.1

5" display with 1280 x 720 resolution

1.5 GHz Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor

Video accelerator Adreno 405

2 GB RAM LPDDR3

16GB eMMC4.5 flash memory, support memory cards up to 128GB

Dual SIM (MicroSIM + NanoSIM / Micro SD)

Networks: GSM, CDMA, TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, LTE FDD, WCDMA and CDMA 2000

Rear camera 13 MP with phase detection autofocus (PDAF), f/2.0, 1080p video recording

Front camera 5 MP, f/2.2, 1080p video recording

Wireless technologies: IR port, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/GLONASS

Dimensions 139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5 mm

Battery 4000-4100 mAh

What's included?

The package is traditional for a Xiaomi smartphone. Of the accessories, only the necessary minimum, but that’s all High Quality.

Charger with non-European type plug. Output voltage- 5 V, output current - 2 A

USB cable

Tray clip

Documentation in Chinese

Everything else (adapters, films, cases) is the initiative of a specific seller.

What versions are there?

So far there is only one, which differs in color schemes. But soon there will be other modifications.

What colors are available?

Dark gray, silver white, gold and gold without pattern. In the future, there will be no pattern and perhaps silver-white.

Impressions from the design?

This is the first time I've seen this small smartphone with such a big battery. I especially didn’t expect this from the Redmi series.

Redmi 1 vs Redmi 2

Who doesn’t know, there was also that brick - a smartphone with an absolute anti-design. The second Redmi 2 was made more compact and prettier, but it still looked like a real budget phone. Redmi 3 is like a foundling from another family. It is not only compact, but also stylish and is not at all perceived as a budget device.

For reference: Redmi 3 with a 5-inch screen is smaller than both of its 4.7-inch predecessors.

Redmi 3: dimensions 139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5 mm, weight 144 g, 5" display, 4100 mAh battery
Redmi 2: dimensions 134 x 67.2 x 9.4 mm, weight 132 g, 4.7" display, 2200 mAh battery
Redmi 1: dimensions 137 x 69 x 9.9 mm, weight 158 g, 4.7" display, 2000 mAh battery

In fact, Redmi 3 is smaller than many modern 5-inch counterparts.

From left to right: Doogee X5, ZTE Redbull V5, Xiaomi Redmi 3 and TCL i708U.

All are 5-inch, but only Redmi 3 has a 4100 mAh battery, while the rest have no higher than 2500 mAh.

Impressions of the pattern and gold color?

The back of Redmi 3 has a decorative pattern. This is just a drawing, not an engraving. It looks good in real life, although at first it seemed like it would be too flashy, especially against the golden background.

From images on the Internet, it seems that in this color the model is more aimed at a female audience. However, when I got my hands on the phone, I changed my mind. The color is not “golden”, but rather bronze and not at all ostentatious, as one might think. In addition, depending on the lighting, it noticeably changes its tone and sometimes even appears to be silver.

Now I think that the “golden” version looks more respectable and masculine than the silver-white one. What else I liked about this color is that the front and back are the same tone, and not multi-colored like other models.

How are the ergonomics?

The smartphone fits perfectly in the hand, is quite thin, and the ends are comfortably rounded. Can be used with one hand. The weight is felt, but not critical. Just the kind that gives the device a sense of solidity.

The volume and power buttons are properly placed on the right edge. They are not as easy to feel as we would like, and the movement is tight. But in your pocket they will not press on their own.

Quality of materials?

Xiaomi Redmi 3 vs TCL i708U

The back of the case is mainly made of metal. Very thin metal. This makes the structure resemble drywall. This means that you don’t need to consider Redmi 3 an indestructible smartphone. By and large, the metal there was a cat cry and its main function is aesthetic. Although the lid is quite high quality. I deliberately wore the smartphone without a case for about a week and did not notice a single scratch or dent. In addition, the lid practically does not get dirty and does not collect fingerprints. The downside is that it is very slippery. But this can be solved by sleight of hand or a cover, which is what I did.

At the top and bottom of the cover there are two matte plastic inserts. They also hardly get dirty. The antennas of all wireless modules of the smartphone are hidden under them.

Build quality?

Assembly on top level. The body consists of several parts, but is not dismountable. The joints fit perfectly, nothing is loose. There is a slight squeak when you press in some places around the perimeter of the front panel. However, nothing significant.

The only negative is the flimsy tray, which is made of plastic.

Screen quality?

Xiaomi Redmi 3 vs Xiaomi MI4C

The screen of the smartphone is 5-inch, IPS, with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. I don’t know what kind of matrix it is, but it is of quite high quality and in terms of color rendering it is practically not inferior to the more expensive Xiaomi MI4C. Viewing angles are high. Multi-touch for 10 touches, which makes the touchscreen very responsive.

I liked the contrast and brightness margin. It is comfortable to work with the screen both in the sun and in pitch darkness. The brightness can be set to almost zero. In addition, in the settings you can change the color tone and make the color rendering warmer (yellow) or colder (bluish).

Xiaomi Redmi 3 vs Xiaomi MI4C

As for low-resolution phobias, comparing with MI4C with FHD, I didn’t notice any particular advantage. The MI4C's screen is indeed clearer, but the Redmi 3's picture is also pleasing to the eye. If you don’t look closely and don’t specifically look for pixels, then you will only have positive impressions from the Redmi 3 display.

Xiaomi Redmi 3 vs Xiaomi MI4C

Is there tempered glass?

For sure. I carried my smartphone all the time without protective film or glass - not a single scratch. Which manufacturer is not specified. Most likely, Japanese Asahi Glass, like the previous models in this series.

It is also worth noting that the smartphone has a border around the perimeter of the display, which creates additional protection when the device is lying face down.

Is there an oleophobic coating?

Yes. Not top-end, but quite effective. Fingers glide pleasantly across the display, moisture collects in drops rather than smearing, and fingerprints are less noticeable and can be easily wiped off.

Does auto brightness work correctly?

No complaints. If you are not satisfied, simply adjust the brightness level in the curtain without leaving the mode.

Is there an event indicator?

Yes, under touch button Home, located in the center and marked with a square.

If anyone doesn’t know, one of the features of any Xiaomi smartphone is a multi-colored light indicator. There are a total of seven colors to choose from, which can be customized for a specific event. The brightness is optimal and does not hurt the eyes, but in the sun you may not notice it, especially in white or yellow colors.

Backlit touch keys?

Unfortunately no.

External speaker sound?

The speaker sound is average in quality and volume. It is more than enough to watch videos. It’s not nasty, like mediocre budget phones.

On the downside, in noisy places you can sometimes miss a call. This is due to the fact that the speaker is located on the rear panel and is simply muffled when you accidentally close it.

What about vibration?

There is, but it is weak and you can hardly feel it in your pocket.

Sound in headphones?

Users who are undemanding when it comes to music will be satisfied. The headphone jack is on the top.

How many SIM?

Two, one in Micro-SIM format, the other Nano-SIM.

Does it support memory cards?

Combo slot?

Yes. Instead of Nano-SIM, you can install microSD.

Does it support the exFAT file system on flash drives?

Is SIM and microSD hot swap supported?

Certainly. I inserted it and after a couple of seconds all the cards were ready for use.

What networks does it support?

All relevant in our region: GSM, CDMA, TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, LTE FDD, WCDMA and CDMA 2000.

Two radio modules?

What other wireless technologies are present?

IR port, Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz only), WiFi Display, WiFi Direct, FM radio

Why do you need an IR port?

For home remote control household appliances. The corresponding Mi Remote application is preinstalled in the firmware.

How does the radio work?

Works even without headphones. But with headphones that additionally act as an antenna, the reception will be better. For example, somewhere on the road you will catch an FM station with headphones, but not without them.

Quality of mobile communications?

Excellent. It picks up mobile communications well where others are capricious. For better reception, special plastic inserts are provided under the antennas.

Does navigation (GPS) work?

Navigation on Xiaomi smartphones has always been good, especially with Qualcomm chips on board. Redmi 3 is based on just such a chipset. A cold start takes seconds, then the connection is almost instantaneous. The signal is reliable and the accuracy is high.

Supported following technologies: GPS, AGPS, GLONASS and Beidou.

Is OTG supported?

How productive is Redmi 3?

In tests, it shows average values, and when compared with fresh top chips, it is even below average. On board is the Snapdragon 616 chipset, which is based on eight Cortex-A53 processor cores with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and an Adreno 405 video accelerator. Volume random access memory 2 GB LPDDR3 type, built-in 16 GB eMMC4.5. This is more than enough for the device to work quickly and stably.

What games are you drawn to?

All games can run, but some may not run at maximum settings. For the test I chose such popular and demanding toys as World of Tanks, NFS No limits and Contest of Champions from Marvel. If we compare with the top ones, Redmi 3 is inferior in application loading speed. However, the gameplay itself is almost the same. Smartphone confidently handles all these games. World of Tanks flies at maximum speed, others automatically select settings, but judging by the quality of the picture, this is at least average level graphics.

How much memory is actually available?

Depends on the firmware. In this case, when the device starts, about 1 GB of RAM is free and under 11 GB internal storage. I think these are average values for all firmwares.

Is there enough RAM?

Background programs will only close under heavy load or in appropriate battery saving mode. The system has three such modes.

The standard one (average performance) is enough for more than a dozen typical programs to run in the background, while the system works quickly and for a long time. For example, Skype, browser, player, Twitter, calculator, e-reader, and so on. Problems begin when a heavy program is running, for example, an NFS level game. Then the most undemanding programs (player, social networks) remain in the background, and heavy ones like Skype and the browser are reloaded anew when selected.

However, over time, the system still becomes clogged and the amount background applications decreases. Basic cleaning of the system helps.

Is it getting warm?

One of the unexpected discoveries was that the smartphone hardly gets warm even in games. Previously, I only saw this on budget phones with weak hardware. I’ll answer right away that Redmi Note 2 and 3 on the Helio X10 chip heat up significantly more. There is nothing to say about the version of Redmi Note 3 Pro on Snapdragon 650.

What software?

Redmi 3, like any other Xiaomi smartphone, runs on proprietary software called MIUI. Now the latest seventh version, based on Android 5.1. Over time, an update to Android 6.0 will appear and Redmi 3 will certainly receive it. Moreover, I think that more firmware will be available for Redmi 3 on the next Android N.

Is this the official firmware?

No. In this case, a modified multilingual firmware is installed - MIUI Global 7.1 Stable. Works great. Quite fast, applications do not crash and crash very rarely. The translation is high quality and almost complete. There are no unnecessary Chinese applications.

MIUI is considered one of the best independent ROMs on the market. Its advantages are convenience, speed, functionality, nice design and incredible support. Updates are released every week.

Why is it not official?

The official one does not have multilingual support, only English and Chinese.

Is the modified firmware updated over the air?

What languages does the modified firmware support?

Russian, Ukrainian and many other languages are supported.

Were there any problems with the programs?

So rare that I don't even remember. It seems that one day the program crashed due to heavy load. Everything has a reasonable limit.

Is there a multi-window mode?

No. MIUI does not have a multi-window mode, like TouchWiz from Samsung, for example. The next Android N is expected to have this feature. And behind it, most likely, MIUI.

Is grannyphone mode convenient in MIUI?

It's hard for me to judge. The main communication applications are calls and contacts, as expected, with a larger and simplified interface. However, the settings, keyboard, camera are all stock. Here are the screenshots:

Camera quality?

For a budget employee that costs $100, the cameras are excellent. But overall, three to four points out of five. It depends on which side you look at it from.

At the back there is a 13 megapixel module with an F/2.0 aperture and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). 1080p video recording. It seems to be a Samsung S5K3L8 sensor. On the plus side, the camera and autofocus are fast.

The picture quality in good lighting is quite good. Even at night, when there is a lot of light, you get good pictures. The downsides are low detail, no digital zoom and bad job in low light.

Front camera 5 MP. The video is also recorded at 1080p. Suitable for video calling and undemanding selfies.

Archive with originals: (downloads: 871)

Is the flash bright?

Although only one LED is used, it is quite bright.

Example photo with flash:

Does Redmi Note 2 or Redmi 3 take better pictures?

I liked Redmi Note 2 better. Here you can. But overall the difference is small. Both Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with cameras of approximately the same category and have the same problems.

What kind of autonomy?

Redmi 3 can deservedly be called a long-liver. With average loads, the smartphone can easily last two to three days. This includes always-on WiFi, Bluetooth, Mobile Internet and work on two SIM. On average, per day I got 10-20 minutes of calls, 1-2 hours of active web surfing and a couple of hours of music. Plus an additional hour or two of video and camera work.

In tests, the smartphone showed the following:

video at 100% brightness - about 10 hours

video at 53% brightness - 15 hours 30 minutes

games at 100% brightness (Epic Citadel) - 6 hours 10 minutes

For comparison, the ZTE Redbull V5, which is also equipped with a 5-inch HD display, but a weaker Snapdragon 400 processor and an average 2400 mAh battery, showed:

video at 100% brightness - about 6 hours

games at 100% brightness (Epic Citadel) - 3 hours 25 minutes

What is the charging connector and how long does it take to charge?

The connector is standard microUSB 2.0. On the original charger it takes about two and a half hours to charge.

Which is better: Redmi Note 2 or Redmi 3?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2

Now these smartphones have the same price, so it’s a logical question. My answer - if you need an excellent battery and compact size, then take Redmi 3. If it is important big screen and three separate slots for SIM and microSD, then Redmi Note 2. Otherwise, they are approximately equal.

Which is better: Redmi Note 3 or Redmi 3?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

If you need a large screen and are willing to overpay, then Redmi Note 3. The version with Snapdragon 650 is especially good, it has excellent performance. But if compactness is important, then there is no option - Redmi 3.

Competitors?

Closest of all. But this is an outdated model based on Android 4.4 and a discontinued MTK6752 chip. It loses to the Xiaomi smartphone in design and ergonomics, as well as software.

In addition, Lenovo has another similar new model - . In design and hardware it has parity with the Redmi 3, but in price and battery it is significantly inferior.

Samsung, Sony, ZTE, Huawei and other market leaders have nothing similar in price and characteristics.

What are the disadvantages?

I would note three shortcomings and only one of them is more or less serious. This is a combination slot that forces you to choose between two SIM or SIM plus a memory card. Three separate slots would be much more practical.

The second drawback is the lack of backlighting for the touch keys. During the day this is not a problem, since the buttons are clearly visible, but at night you don’t always get it from memory the first time.

The third is a slippery body. The solution is to buy a cover.

What are the advantages?

Chic design, primarily due to its size.
- High-quality case materials, it does not get dirty or scratched.
- Excellent display.
- Good mobile connection.
- A very cool battery, a real long-liver.

Enough performance for work and play.

Wide functionality for budget employees. There is even an IR port.

MIUI software. - Low price.

Where can I buy it?

One of the best stores for Xiaomi products on Aliexpress. The seller is verified, offers minimum prices, has a staff Russian-speaking manager and quickly dispatches. Moreover, always with gifts, mainly a silicone case, protective glass and a set of adapters for SIM.

In addition, on AliExpress you can always save additional money using the cashback service, which will return about 10% of the amount of any order. I recommend using a reputable one Epn CashBack. Contact the group for details.

How to turn on the battery percentage indicator on a Xiaomi smartphone. Impressions from the design? Mobile connection quality

Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 4X

A nice and balanced mid-range representative of the Redmi family

Main characteristics of Xiaomi Redmi 4X

Appearance and ease of use

Screen

Camera

Telephone and communications

Software and multimedia

Performance

Thermal photographs

Playing video

Battery life

Bottom line

Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 4X

A nice and balanced mid-range representative of the Redmi family

Main characteristics of Xiaomi Redmi 4X

Appearance and ease of use

Screen

Camera

Telephone and communications

Software and multimedia

Performance

Thermal photographs

Playing video

Battery life

Bottom line

Characteristics:

What's included?

What versions are there?

What colors are available?

Impressions from the design?

Impressions of the pattern and gold color?

How are the ergonomics?

Quality of materials?

Build quality?

Screen quality?

Is there tempered glass?

Is there an oleophobic coating?

Does auto brightness work correctly?

Is there an event indicator?

Backlit touch keys?

External speaker sound?

What about vibration?

Sound in headphones?

How many SIM?

Does it support memory cards?

Combo slot?

Does it support the exFAT file system on flash drives?

Is SIM and microSD hot swap supported?

What networks does it support?

Two radio modules?

What other wireless technologies are present?

Why do you need an IR port?

How does the radio work?

Quality of mobile communications?

Does navigation (GPS) work?

Is OTG supported?

How productive is Redmi 3?

What games are you drawn to?

How much memory is actually available?

Is there enough RAM?

Is it getting warm?

What software?

Is this the official firmware?

Why is it not official?

Is the modified firmware updated over the air?

What languages ​​does the modified firmware support?

Were there any problems with the programs?

Is there a multi-window mode?

Is grannyphone mode convenient in MIUI?

Camera quality?

Is the flash bright?

Does Redmi Note 2 or Redmi 3 take better pictures?

What kind of autonomy?

What is the charging connector and how long does it take to charge?

Which is better: Redmi Note 2 or Redmi 3?

Which is better: Redmi Note 3 or Redmi 3?

Competitors?

What are the disadvantages?

What languages does the modified firmware support?