Xiaomi recently announced the Xiaomi Redmi Pro smartphone with dual cameras on board. The phone is the costliest Redmi handset from the company till date and kind of breaks the common cheap price mentality that we usually associate with the Redmi series.

Considering its 1499 Yuan ($226) price tag, the Redmi Pro might feel as if it’s a bit costly for a Redmi smartphone, which it is, but today, we take a look at the competition for the device and check whether it offers better value for the money you pay. Xiaomi smartphones have always been popular for bringing the best value for your buck, so let’s see if that applies to the Redmi Pro as well.

As most of you would know, there are a lot of innovative features on the Redmi Pro, setting it apart from the competition in its price segment. In fact, it is one of the cheapest dual camera smartphones that you can buy right now. But that’s not just it. It’s also a cheap Helio X20 powered smartphone, although there are a few other options like the Vernee Apollo Lite and the 360 N4s that beats the Redmi Pro in terms of pricing.

Since we are taking a look at the competition of the Redmi Pro, we are considering phones that are around $225 (+- $20). In this range, there are a few good options, and we will compare their specs with the Pro to see whether it’s worth paying $226 for the brand new Redmi device.

Since we want to have the best in this list, we are going to consider phones that are either running Helio x20 or Helio X25 around this price tag. Surprisingly, there is one SD820 phone that’s priced very close to Redmi Pro, which if you remember, is none other than the ZUK Z2 (Rio Edition). Below is a comparison of the competition of Redmi Pro at its $226 price tag.

Appearance & Dimensions:

Most of the phones in the above comparison feature a metal body. ZUK Z2 is the only exception with a double glass body but even that looks premium. So, I am not going to compare the appearance of these phones since the liking to a particular design differ from person to person.

What we can compare is the dimensions of the body. So, when it comes to dimensions, the two LeEco phones in the list, namely the Le 2 and the Le 2 Pro turns out to be much more compact as well as lighter than the Redmi Pro. However, the difference is just marginal and not something that you would notice in your regular usage. The LeEco devices are definitely thinner, measuring just 7.5mm. But Redmi Pro’s 8.2mm thick body is justified by the large battery inside. We won’t be comparing the ZUK Z2’s dimensions and weight, mainly because it’s a 5-inch phone and the rest all are 5.5-inch devices.

The weight of the Redmi Pro is a bit higher than the competition. Both, LeEco models and 360 N4S are lighter at 153 grams and 169 grams respectively, as compared to Redmi Pro’s 174 grams.

Display:

The display on the Redmi Pro should be better on paper considering its the only phone with an OLED panel in the list. Rest have IPS LCD screens. Unsurprisingly, all phones have 1080p resolution.

Processor & Memory:

As you can see in the list, there are two phones that should perform better than the Redmi Pro, at least on the basis of their chipsets, namely the Le 2 Pro with Helio X25 and the ZUK Z2 with Snapdragon 820. The difference between Helio X20 and SD820 is actually quite significant, but for most usage, Helio X20 should be enough. If you remember, on AnTuTu, Helio X20 scores just over 90K points, Helio X25 above 95K points and SD820 around 125K+ points.

Since we are considering the base variants of all devices in the list, the Redmi Pro comes with just 3GB of RAM. At around the same price, you have three models which feature 4GB of RAM, the Le 2 Pro, 360 N4S and Vernee Apollo Lite. All the models in this list feature 32GB of internal storage, but Redmi Pro has an advantage as it comes with a MicroSD card slot (hybrid). This is where the Le 2 Pro, which has been doing so well in the earlier departments, fails. On the Le 2 Pro and the Le 2, you will be stuck with 32GB of internal storage with no option to expand.

Camera:

So, the camera is one major department where specs are not really indicative of its performance. On paper, Redmi Pro has a big advantage, being the only dual camera smartphone in the list, coming with 13MP Sony sensor and 5MP depth secondary sensor from Samsung. This should technically enable better low light images and features such as bokeh, not found in other phones in its price range.

But we can only judge the performance of the camera after we try it out in real life. On paper, the 360 N4S and the Le 2 Pro also seem to have pretty good cameras.

Battery:

The battery is one area that Redmi phones have managed to master in the recent releases. This one is no different as it comes with a 4050mAh battery, good enough for a couple of days. But you will be surprised to see that Redmi Pro isn’t the largest battery phone in this list. The 360 N4S comes with an even bigger 5000mAh battery, making sure that no other phone is nearly as good as the N4S in the battery department. ZUK Z2 is the third best battery phone in the list as it comes with a 3500mAh battery.

Price:

The Redmi Pro costs $226 for the base variant, and there are three other phones in this list that are cheaper than this model. The 360 N4S and Le 2 seem to be the two major competitors who are cheaper than the Redmi model, offering quite similar value. But these two phones have its own set of drawbacks as compared to the Redmi device, which we will mention below. As for the Le 2 Pro, the pricing is same as the Redmi Pro and the ZUK Z2 with SD820 is priced slightly higher at $241.

Verdict:

So, you saw the comparison, and you read the differences above. Which one do you think offers the best value among the above devices?

Well, I would have to say the 360 N4S is Redmi Pro’s biggest competitor, offering 4GB RAM, a larger 5000mAh battery at a much cheaper $180 price tag. But there’s one major problem, getting hold of this handset is not going to be easy. Even the 16MP f/2.0 aperture camera seems to be quite good on paper. If we had to pick Redmi Pro’s advantage, it could be the dual cameras at the back, i.e. if they manage to perform much better than the N4S.

The Le 2 Pro would be another close competition, offering 4GB RAM, slimmer body and a slightly faster Helio X25 at the same $226 price tag. However, the small 3000mAh battery, non-expandable storage and the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack are good reasons for a buyer to prefer the Redmi Pro or 360 N4S model over the Le 2 Pro.

Le 2 is the cheaper offering and at $166, you get great value for money. But when the Redmi Pro comes into the picture with its expandable storage, OLED display, much larger battery and Dual Cameras, the latter seems to bring a lot more features, if you are ready to shell out a bit more.

ZUK Z2 Rio edition is a good option for people who would like to have SD820 for just $240. But if you are okay with Helio X20 (which is quite a decent performer for everyday use), you would see that the Redmi Pro saves you a few bucks and offers much more value with dual cameras, expandable storage and larger battery. Of course, for those who want a power performer, you probably wouldn’t get anything better in terms of power at this price than the Z2 Rio Edition.

Considering that the Vernee Apollo Lite makes it to this list, it shows that the phone offers pretty good value. You get Helio X20 + 4GB RAM and expandable storage for just $200. And unlike the other models, whose international resale price would be much higher (after adding premium from resellers), the Apollo Lite is actually a pretty good phone. But if you manage to get hold of the Redmi Pro at its official price (easier if you are in China), then paying additional $25 gives you a better screen, larger battery, and a better camera setup, all from a trusted and established Chinese brand.

So, like my title says, buying the Redmi Pro at $225 won’t be a bad decision.

What do you think? Which model is your favorite? Also, do you think there’s any other model that can be added to this list? Let me know in the comments down below.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro vs Competition: Why Buying the costliest Redmi handset may not be a bad Idea appeared first on Gizmochina.

An industry analyst, Pan Jiutang has said the Mi 5s and Mi Note 2 will follow the trend of the newly released Redmi Pro and have higher prices than their predecessors.

The Redmi series is known for its low price tag but that has changed with the release of the Redmi Pro which has a starting price of 1499 Yuan ($224) and goes up to 1999 Yuan ($299), setting the record for the most expensive Redmi phone. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Redmi Pro is sporting a number of new features the company hasn’t put on a phone before, such as  the use of dual rear cameras and an OLED display.

The Mi 5s is reported to also launch with dual cameras. It will have a glass body, an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and an advanced pressure sensitive display. The Mi Note 2 on the other hand will feature a snapdragon 821 SoC and an advanced pressure sensitive 2K display as well but with a curved edge. These new features will definitely see them having higher price tags but which are still competitive enough for them to give the competition a run for their money.

RELATED: Render of Xiaomi Mi 5s With Dual Cameras

The Mi 5s and Mi Note 2 are expected to launch next month before the release of the iPhone 7s (sevens) in September.

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After months of leaks, rumors and teasers, Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Xiaomi Redmi Pro flagship. Like the name suggests, this will be the most powerful Redmi device from the company till date, featuring top-end specs that will rival existing flagship smartphones in the market. The Redmi Pro, like expected, comes with dual cameras at the back, a first for Xiaomi and hopefully something that will continue in upcoming devices.

Like we saw in the leaked images, the Redmi Pro will come with an all metal body with CNC diamond cut and brushed metal finish with gloss anodizing process. This will ensure that the phone looks like a true flagship, featuring premium and refined design. You get USB Type-C port as well as 3.5mm headphone jack on the device, along with a 5.5-inch display and 2.5D glass up front. The fingerprint sensor is located on the front of the phone, embedded into the home button. As for the measurements, they are as follows: 151.5 x 76 x 8.15mm. Considering the phone features a large 4050mAh battery, this is pretty good.

Now, coming to the most important part i.e. the specs. As we saw in the TENAA listing a couple of hours back, the Xiaomi Redmi Pro will come in three variants. The low-end version runs on the deca-core Helio X20 with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Then there are two Helio X25 powered models that come in the following variants: 3GB RAM + 64GB ROM and 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM.

For the first time, Xiaomi has used an OLED panel on the device and the company claims its way better than the traditional LCD panels. The phone is using a 5.5-inch FHD OLED panel. It boasts of 100% NTSC color gamut. The company has also released a couple of images to compare the difference between the two technologies.

Now, moving on to the camera department, the Redmi Pro comes with dual cameras at the back. The primary camera will be a 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor and the secondary sensor will be a 5MP Samsung one. The aperture value ranges from f/.095 to f/5.6. The company claims that the use of dual camera setup helps the phone take real time hardware level bokeh images. The resulting images are said to be comparable to the ones taken from a DSLR camera. The presence of the ImagiQ Pro chip also helps to improve this function. Further, you can reportedly adjust the focus after the image is captured.

Up front, the phone comes with 85-degree wide-angle 5MP sensor.

As for the battery, its large and will easily last you a couple of days. You get a 4050mAh battery inside, like the other Redmi models in the lineup, which will make sure that battery life isn’t going to be an issue on this particular phone. There are other standard connectivity features such as VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G+ etc.

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro goes on sale on August 6, both offline and online. The base variant with Helio X20 + 3GB RAM + 32GB storage starts at 1499 Yuan ($224). The Helio X25 model with 3GB + 64GB will retail at 1699 Yuan ($254) while the Helio X25 + 4GB + 128GB model will retail at 1999 Yuan ($300).

The top end model enters the territory of Snapdragon 820 flagships like Mi5 and ZUK Z2! So, we hope that the new Redmi Pro comes with an amazing camera!

What do you think about the new Redmi Pro?

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Apart from the Mi Notebook laptop launching on July 27, Xiaomi is expected to unveil a new flagship smartphone in the Redmi series. All along, the device was tipped to be the Redmi Note 4 since logically the current latest is the Redmi Note 3, until it was outed that the flagship may likely be called Redmi Pro.

Xiaomi has released a video teaser on its Weibo page that seems to suggest that the Redmi Pro would sport an OLED display. The video teaser and its attached text tells us that one of Xiaomi’s new spokesperson, @Wu Xiubo would serve today’s first Cuisine which it named as French dessert “OLED PING” and described as “Colorful, like the Galaxy, feel comfortable and romantic life”. The message went on to disclose that from today and in the next seven days before the July 27 Xiaomi news conference, the three spokesmen will be involved with the launch of the Redmi Pro.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Pro May Carry A Higher Price Tag Than Its Predecessors

The video teaser almost confirms that the Redmi Pro will feature an OLED display. The OLED display will be featured on the 5.5-inch 1080p display which the Redmi Pro has been touted to tag along. Other specs expected on the device includes; a deca-core Helio X25 processor, 4GB of RAM, Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based MIUI, dual cameras, dual SIM and lots of stunning features which would keep you hooked on this device.

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hThe Xiaomi Redmi Pro is just days away from the July 27 unveiling at the company’s news conference, but that hasn’t stopped discussions around the expected Redmi flagship which is tipped to tag along a cheap price label. Apart from the expected specs, the price has formed the bulk of discussions about the Redmi Pro which was thought to be priced around 1000 yuan ($150).

But analysts have suggested that the price might be higher than that. The official introduction of the device as one of the devices to pop on July 27 described the Redmi Pro as “the professional, the flagship” and according to analysts, this seems to suggest that Redmi Pro will be higher than the current Redmi Note series and perhaps sport a price tag ranging between the Redmi price range and the Mi price range.

However, the Redmi Pro isn’t expected to carry a price higher than the Mi phone series, even though the Redmi Pro surpasses the Mi phone in some of its rumored configurations. The Redmi phone series presently carry a price ranging between 699 yuan ($105) and 1099 yuan($165), while the cheapest Mi phone which is the Mi 4c costs 1099 yuan ($165). When this is considered, analysts believe the Redmi Pro will break the 1000 yuan barrier .

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Pro Confirmed! Coming on July 27

Some analysts believe that the Redmi Pro will be priced at 1499 Yuan(about $230), a tad higher than the current Redmi Note range because of the Pro attached to the name which indicates some higher specs package. Secondly, the increase in price could be a good way to enhance the image of the Redmi and Redmi Prime series. Also, a higher, more competitive price will aid Xiaomi in its plans to expand to new markets.

Even at 1499 yuan ($230), the Redmi Pro will still be very cheap with the giant array of features the device is touted to launch with, such as a dual camera setup, 4GB RAM, dual SIM, Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS, 5.5-inch 1080p display, a deca-core Helio X25  chipset, fingerprint sensor and other goodies.

Xiaomi fan club members have even launched a vote to see the price tag fans would prefer the Redmi Pro to carry. The options where 1499 yuan ($230), 1699 yuan ($254) and 1999 yuan ($300) and of the three options, around 80% of fans think the Redmi Pro should be priced at 1499 yuan ($230).

What do you think is the ideal price for the upcoming Redmi smartphone?

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We all have been wondering what to expect from the July 27 event from Xiaomi. There were a few guesses, with a majority of them stating that we will see the new Redmi Note 4 model soon. Along with that, it is said we will also see the new Xiaomi Notebook at the event. Now, the company has just confirmed at least one product that will be unveiled on July 27, and it will be called as the Xiaomi Redmi Pro! Yes, not Redmi Note 4 or Redmi 4, but simply as the Redmi Pro.

The company just started a new topic on the micro-blogging website, Weibo with the title “Redmi Pro” and the date fixed at July 27, when Xiaomi has confirmed it will unveil new products. The Redmi Pro name actually says a lot about the phone. This time around, the company is not giving it the usual number (ideally, it should have been Redmi 3 Pro), instead, it is using the Pro name. So, this could be a good indication that the new device is going to redefine the Redmi series. If we were to consider the various rumors and leaks that have been going around on the internet in the past few days, then we can expect pretty powerful hardware on the new device. This could be the ultimate Redmi device from the company, and the timing couldn’t be perfect as July 2016 marks the third year anniversary for the company’s best-selling low-cost lineup.

If you remember, we had seen the Redmi Pro model on Geekbench a few days back. The listing revealed a few details about the specs of the device like the presence of the powerful Helio X25 chipset, 4GB RAM and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This could be the final specs of the upcoming device. Camera details are not confirmed, but a leaked teaser revealed that the phone could be sporting dual cameras at the back.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Executive Confirms Two Product Launches On July 27!

Looks like Xiaomi’s new Redmi Pro with these specs will be a killer device! With the company’s usual aggressive pricing practice, we hope to see the handset anywhere around $150.

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