Today, Xiaomi launched a brand new version of the Redmi Note 7 in the Indian market. Its name is Redmi Note 7S, but in the Android world, it is nothing new. The new variant is nothing more than the Indian version of the vanilla Redmi Note 7 launched in the global market. Compared to the Indian version of Note 7, it comes with a slightly better specs sheet, but also with a higher price. Is the new handset worth the money asked or it is better to save some bucks and go for the standard Note 7 which became a best-seller in just a few months? Let’s find it out with an in-depth specs comparison.
Redmi Note 7S vs Redmi Note 7
| Redmi Note 7S | Redmi Note 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm,
186 grams |
159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm,
186 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 409 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, IPS LCD | 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 409 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, MIUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 48 and 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.2 13 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 12 and 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 13 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4000 mAh Fast charging 18W |
4000 mAh, Fast Charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
Redmi Note 7 and 7S do not differ in terms of design. Both have very nice aesthetics composed of an elegant glass back available in gradient colors and a less impressive plastic frame, but it is hard to distinguish it from metal frames. Both the display and the glass back are protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and the phones are also splash resistant, despite they do not have an official IP certification guaranteeing for it. The screen-to-body ratio is very high thanks to the waterdrop notch and a pretty thin chin under the display, even though it is not the highest you can find in the whole midrange segment.
Display
The display of the Redmi Note 7 and 7S is an average IPS panel with a size of 6.3 inches and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. Most of the mid-rangers in the actual smartphones market come with display panels with those specifications, so it is nothing impressive but it is also a pretty satisfying screen. Given that it is not an OLED panel and actual IPS displays do not support in-display fingerprint scanner, the fingerprint reader of these phones is placed on the rear side.
Specs & Software
The hardware department is composed of a midrange-class Snapdragon 660 chipset running at a max frequency of 2.2 GHz and an amount of RAM and internal storage which varies depending on the chosen configuration. Both the vanilla Redmi Note 7 and the Redmi Note 7S are equipped with up to 4 GB of RAM and up to 64 GB of internal storage which you can furtherly expand with a micro SD. Performances are more than sufficient in every scenario, gaming included. Both come with Android 9 Pie out of the box, customized by the MIUI 10 user interface.
Camera
The only important difference between Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S in the specs sheet is the camera department. The vanilla Redmi Note 7 has a main camera department composed of a 12 MP main sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor, while Redmi Note 7S has a 48 MP main camera with a brighter aperture and a 5 MP depth sensor. The difference is abyssal in every light condition as the amount of detail is way higher and the digital noise is much inferior. The 48 MP Quad Bayer sensor makes the difference in every kind of photo clicked from the rear cameras. The front camera remains exactly the same: an average 13 MP module with an f/2.0 aperture. Apart from this, Redmi Note 7 and 7S share the same specs sheet, but given the huge difference between cameras, Xiaomi opted for another name to identify the better variant.
Battery
The battery comes with a capacity of 4000 mAh and it can reach two days of usage even with pretty intensive user experience. Further, Redmi Note 7 and Note 7S support fast charging with the Quick Charge 4 technology and a power of 18W. However, the charger included in the box is a standard 10W charger so you will have to buy a more powerful charger separately in order to take advantage of the fast charging technology.
Price
You can currently grab a unit of the Redmi Note 7 in India for about €128/$142 in the standard variant, while the Redmi Note 7S costs about €140/$156. In our opinion, you should go ahead and spend those few bucks more to get the Redmi Note 7S, but keep in mind that the only big difference is in the camera department, so if you do not care about the camera at all, you will get essentially the same device.
Redmi Note 7S vs Redmi Note 7: PRO and CONS
Redmi Note 7S
PRO
- Better cameras
- Big battery
- Global availability
CONS
- Costlier
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
PRO
- More affordable
- Big battery
- More configurations
CONS
- Less impressive cameras
