Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

Today I’m going to be reviewing the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Smartphone. This phone was very kindly sent to me from Banggood, but as always my review remains true and honest.

I’ve always been a fan of more high-end branded smartphones and in recent years been using Apple products. So, when Banggood offered me the opportunity to review another device I was a little sceptical as to the advertised claims, especially when you consider the price tag (More on that later).

At first glance the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 promises a lot of technical specifications for such a budget friendly smartphone. The one thing that jumped out of the screen and hit me like a ton of bricks is the camera capabilities. A 48 Mega Pixel rear camera and a 5 Mega Pixel front facing camera!

How? and surely it can’t be true? So, I was very intrigued at this point and everyday kept logging into my Banggood account to check the tracking number.

Once shipped from Hong Kong delivery took around 14 days, which for me was too long, but that’s how Banggood can offer EU customers amazing prices on high-end tech gadgets.

I’ve been using the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 for a week now and it’s time for me to write this review on my findings.

Packaging and Contents.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 comes shipped to you in a hard-cardboard box, with no damage whatsoever to the box. Inside the box you get; 1x Mobile Phone, 1x Clear Soft Case, 1x USB-C Cable, 1x EU Wall Charger, 1x EU/UK Adaptor (More on this adapter below), 1x SIM Card removal Pin, 1x Multi-Lingual User Guide, 1x Warranty Guide.

As promised above I’ll get onto the EU/UK power adaptor, under no circumstances should you use these types of adaptors, they’re horribly dangerous. In fact I’ve written a piece about them here.

Best dispose/recycle this straight away and use a UK approved wall charger with a USB outlet.

The supplied charger cable features a standard USB plug on one end and a USB-C plug on the other. This cable measures 1M in length. I used another cable as I required a longer cable. USB-C cables are easily available on every marketplace and they’ll all work with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.

I was pleasantly surprised too when I opened the box and found a clear protective case supplied by Banggood. Normally this is another purchase you must make when you start to use a new device. So, credit where credit is due.

The SIM removal tool is the same type/diameter as a standard Apple one. You need this tool to open the SIM card tray and insert your network SIM card.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 I chose was Blue in colour, in fact it’s called Neptune Blue. It’s a beautiful colour that shimmer and reflects light. I’m very impressed by how cool it looks. You can also choose Black if you prefer.

Upon holding the device in my hand the thing I noticed first is the size, I’m used to using an Apple iPhone 7, so holding the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 felt huge in comparison. It also felt heavier, I weighed it against my iPhone, and it weighed 40G more. But considering the huge difference in screen size 40G isn’t much!

The phone measures 16.0cm x 7.5cm x 0.5cm and weighs 205G (With the clear case fitted).

You also get fingerprint technology, similar in a way to an iPhone, except the reader is on the back of the device instead of the front. I thought this would be tricky to use, but in fact it feels better in this location, this is where you rest your finger when using a phone after all!

The fingerprint unlocking feature unlocks the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 very quickly without any noticeable delay. I’m not able to compare speeds but you certainly don’t notice a delay, if there’s even one.

On the bezel edging you get a standard 3.5mm Audio Jack, Volume Control Buttons, and the Screen Lock Button. The buttons are laid out so you can easily use each one without over-stretching your fingers.

On the bottom edge is where the USB-C charging port is located, next to this there’s two speaker outlets.

Setting Up and Using.

I found the setting up process easy, in fact it’s very straight forward. Firstly, you need to insert your SIM card into the device. To do this use the supplied SIM card removal tool and locate the SIM tray on the left-hand side bezel. You’ll see a small hole, poke in your tool and the tray will come away. Now insert your SIM card (Nano Sized) into the tray. You can also use your own Micro SD card and insert this into the same tray.

You can also insert another SIM card and use the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 as a dual SIM device. But I don’t require this so just inserted my SIM card that I was already using in my iPhone 7.

Now power it up by pressing and holding the power button on the right-hand side. Once loaded you’ll be taken through an easy to follow step-by-step installation guide on screen. You can’t go wrong and setting up is very easy.

Once done (takes around 15 mins) you’ll be able to start using your new device straight away.

My device came with 90% of battery lifespan remaining and didn’t require a charge prior to using. More on the battery later.

Trying it out.

I’m a big kid, so give me a new toy to play and I’ll be trying it out all the features as much as possible. To be honest I wasn’t expecting too much from a device that costs under £300 and shipped directly from Hong Kong. I thought the usual false advertising selling methods would be applied to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, but…

I was completely shocked and surprised just how good this smartphone really is. Obviously, the biggest selling point is the 48MP camera, so naturally I tested this out first and wow! The camera is so clear and takes a brilliant HD image every time, no blurring, no fuzzy edges, just a perfect image!

The first thing I did was to take a picture of Tammy, she didn’t seem to be too impressed at being woken up.

This was taken whilst using a 50% zoom too. I know Tammy is beautiful enough so don’t require any filters, but if you wish to you can use the system filters to change things like, cropping, add special filters, add stickers, doodle, add text, adjust brightness/saturation etc, and add other effects such as frames.

I was so pleased with the image that straight away I set Tammy up as both the screen lock and home page image.

Even in low-light levels the camera performs exceptionally well and will produce a high quality, distortion free image every time.

The front facing 13MP camera is OK and will ensure you’re able to take a selfie (If that’s your thing) and post directly onto your fan craving social media networks.

Battery.

I promised you above I’d mention the battery. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 features a 4000mAh lithium-ion polymer battery. This battery enables you to enjoy the most from your device. The battery is capable of the following; 251 Hours of Standby, 23 Hours Calling Time, 13 Hours of Video Playback, and 7 Hours of Gaming on a single charge.

Charging is quick (I don’t know the actual charging times) and Quick Charge 4 Technology ensure you can use your device again and again.

I normally charge my device all night next to me whilst I sleep. I’m quite a heavy smartphone user and battery life is something that effects my usage normally. I normally must at least charge my iPhone 7 once during the day. But the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 didn’t need recharging all day! Even at night after I’ve watched a few hours of YouTube I still had 20% battery life remaining!

But, as the device is new, I’m not sure how the battery will cope over a sustained period. But, for now it seems fantastic.

Cool Features.

Not only is the camera fantastic, but the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 comes with other cool features that I think should be mentioned. Again, please remember the price tag for the device and then you’ll be astonished too!

Face Recognition: Just like devices on the market (Although a lot pricier) the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 features facial recognition to unlock your device and allow some apps to personally identify you. This feature works OK most of the time, but in very low-light conditions can’t recognise your face, but for the most part it works brilliantly.

Fingerprint Technology: As mentioned earlier the device has a fingerprint reader on the back, this works well, even with wet fingers!

Gorilla Glass: Comes fitted as standard, this glass is super-strong whilst still being thin enough to use. In fact, this glass is 4 times as strong as standard smartphone glass screens. So should prevent damage.

IR Remote Control: I found this to be an excellent feature, basically the phone comes with an Infra-Red Receiver built-in, you’re able to use your smartphone as a universal remote control and controls things like your TV and other gadgets.

Memory: The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 come with a massive 128GB of memory storage. More than enough, especially when you’ve been using a 32GB device like myself.

3.5mm Headphone Jack: Yes, it has an Audio out port, so you can enjoy using a cabled set of earphones without the use of special adaptors and splitters.

Improvements.

Not everything is perfect and I’m a fussy technology consumer, I know what I like. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is very good, but there’s still some improvements for me that would take it to the next level. Below are some improvements I’d like to see on a future model.

NFC Technology: This is not new technology, but it’s something I use almost daily, it allows me to pay for goods using my smartphone. I’d like Xiaomi to build NFC into their next model to allow me to use Google Pay.

WiFi Issues: Well not really issues, but concerns. When you’re watching a YouTube video a Green banner appears on the bottom saying something like ‘Connected, back online’, basically the device drops in and out of WiFi. It didn’t affect the video playing or anything like that, I presume what is happening is the device is streaming far enough ahead without causing a buffering issue. But it’s still annoying to say the least.

Touch Sensitive Screen: Sometimes (Although quite rare) the screen will ‘detect’ your touch and open pages, menus without you physically touching the screen. It’s not random as it only happens when your finger is around 2-3mm away from the screen surface, it seems to register it as a touch. Not sure if static has anything to play in this or not, but again it’s annoying.

Aside from that I can’t think of anything else really.

Technical Specifications.

• Brand: Xiaomi
• Model: Redmi Note 7
• Manufacturer Code: N/A
• Manufacturer Reference: N/A
• EAN: 6941059620990
• ASIN: N/A
• Network Band: 2G/3G/4G
• Sim Card: Dual SIM Card (Nano SIM)
• Operating System: MIUI
• CPU: Snapdragon 660 Octa-core, 2.2Ghz
• GPU: Adreno 512
• ROM: 128GB
• RAM: 4GB
• Memory Extend: Supports an external TF card up to 256GB (VFAT)
• Screen Size: 6.3 Inch 19.5:9
• Screen Type: FHD+ Capacitive Touch Screen, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 84% NTSC colour gamut, 2.5D glass, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Sunlight mode, Night mode, Reading mode, Colour temperature adjustment, Standard mode
• Resolution: 2340*1080 pixels
• PPI: 409
• Multitouch: Yes
• Ringtones Type: Polyphonic/MP3
• Audio Format: AAC, AAC+, MP3, AMR, FLAC, WAV
• Video File Format: MP4, M4V, MKV, XVID
•  Graphical Format: JPEG/PNG/GIF/BMP
• Audio Port: 3.5mm
• Data Transfer: USB & Bluetooth
• Mobile Internet: WAP/WiFi
• Front Camera: 13.0MP, AI portrait selfie, AI scene detection, Face recognition, Selfie countdown, Mirror, HDR.
• Rear Camera: 48.0MP + 5.0MP, 1.6μm (4in1), f1.8, PDAF
• Video recordings: 1080p video recording, 60fps/30fps, 720p video recording, 30fps, 720p Slow Motion video recording.
• Message: MMS/SMS
• Keyboard: QWERTY Virtual
• Input:  Handwrite/Keypad
• GPS:  Yes, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU
• WiFi:  Yes, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5G, WiFi Direct/WiFi Display
• Bluetooth: BT V5.0
• Ambient Light Sensor: Yes
• Proximity Sensor: Yes
• Accelerometer: Yes
• Gyroscope: Yes
• E-compass: Yes
• Vibration Motor: Yes
• Infrared Sensor: Yes
• Fingerprint Reader: Yes
• Battery: 4000mAh(typ)/3900mAh(min), lithium-ion polymer battery
• Quick Charge: Yes
• Charger: EU type, 5V 2A
• Charge Connector: USB Type-C

Conclusion.

I really like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7. For the price your get a lot of cool features and a super-long battery capacity. I still can’t get over the price tag and what you get as standard. With so many new high-end budget models coming out recently, maybe it’s time to switch your upgrade up and choose a budget friendly device such as the Xiaomi.

I wasn’t expecting much at first but over the week I fully switched my apps and files from my iPhone 7 to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7. It’s grown on me and I really like it. The camera is phenomenal and nothing I’ve used before can come close to a comparison.

Battery life concerns are no longer a daily thought and the screen glides freely between menus without any delay or freezing. The real test will be the long-term use, how does it perform say in 6/12/18 months’ time etc. But for now, I’m very well surprised and happy to continue to use this device as my main smartphone.

If you want the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 for yourself, it’s available for purchase only on Amazon and on the Banggood website. The RRP for this product is £211.59.

Product sample provided by Banggood in exchange for a detailed, unbiased review.

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