Xiaomi has been on the roll as they have released quite a few devices lately. The Redmi Pro is a phone that used to cost around $250 via the third party resellers but now you can grab it for just $185 (the more powerful 3GB RAM/64GB ROM model) for just $185 from Lightinthebox.com. The phone has pretty good specs but most importantly, the device has dual camera setup.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-N8pvWGQmA[/embedyt]

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro is made entirely of metal (even top and bottom parts are made of metal). I really love the brushed aluminum look.

One of the key selling points of this device is, of course, its dual camera setup, which is supposed to give you a hardware-based shallow depth of field effect. The main camera has 13MP, f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. The secondary camera has 5MP. Also, the cameras are accompanied with a dual-tone dual led flash.

The Redmi Pro sports a 5.5” 1080p display. A standard edition of the Redmi Pro has a deca-core Mediatek Helio X20 chip with the max. clock speeds of 2.1GHz, 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is also expandable via the microSD card slot. Finally, the phone ships with a beefy 4050mAh battery that will keep the lights on for a long time.

You can grab it for just $185 (the more powerful 3GB RAM/64GB ROM model) for just $185 from Lightinthebox.com

The post Get the Xiaomi Redmi Pro (64GB) for just $185 from Lightinthebox! appeared first on Gizmochina.

In a surprising twist to its current set up, Xiaomi has announced a new price for the Redmi Pro which was released a couple of months back as the company’s first dual cameras sporting device. The Xiaomi Redmi Pro price started at 1,499 Yuan ($225), coming in as Xiaomi’s costliest Redmi handset till date. Now the device will be available for 1,099 Yuan ($163) for the lower version with Helio X20, 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM, that’s a huge 400 Yuan off!

Not only that, the higher storage version with Helio X20 SoC, 3GB RAM + 64GB ROM has also been slashed downwards to 1299 Yuan ($193) from its previous 1699 Yuan price tag. In addition, the top-end Redmi Pro version with Helio X25 chips, 4GB RAM + 128GB of built-in storage which hitherto retails for 1999 Yuan ($300) now starts at 1599 Yuan ($237).

This is coming a bit as a surprise as no reason was given for the price cut across board but it may be connected to the launch of the Huawei Honor 6X which also features a dual camera set up and is moderately priced. Sales of the Xiaomi Redmi Pro would commence on October 19 at 10 am via Mi mall, and Mi Home.

Related: Xiaomi Redmi Pro vs Competition: Why Buying the costliest Redmi handset may not be a bad Idea

As a reminder, the Xiaomi Redmi Pro was released with an all new CNC brushed metal body design, equipped with the MediaTek Helio X25 on the topmost version with 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There are two other versions, both with Helio X20 chips, 3GB of RAM and then 32GB ROM as well as 64GB ROM respectively. The device also sports a 13MP main camera and 5MP depth of field sensor at the rear, with a large 4500mAh battery keeping the lights on.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro Gets Huge Price Cut, Now Available for 1,099 Yuan($163) appeared first on Gizmochina.

How about Snapdragon 821 for 299$ ? Or a very well build smartphone with Helio X20 + 4GB Ram for 200 $ ? Yes this price range is where the fun begins, where competition brings us to amazing phones for every taste out there  and shows us how much more interesting the future of the smartphones might be.

So let’s begin..

Vernee Apollo Lite

209 $

Display: 5.5 inch FHD 1920x1080p Sharp IGZO

CPU: MTK Helio X20

RAM: 4GB LPDDR 3

ROM: 32GB eMMC 5.1 (up to 128GB)

Rear Camera: 16.0MP Samsung S5K3P3 sensor, 6P lens, ISOCELL , RWB

Front Camera: 5.0MP Samsung S5K5E2 sensor

Battery: 3180mAH Li-polymer

OS: Android 6.0 out of the box (Vernee OS, CM)

Features: Type-C port (supports Type-C earphone, 3.5mm jack retained), Pump Express 3.0 quick charging (5 minutes charging = 1 hour calling), LED notification, Metal unibody, 0.1s fingerprint ID (ISP smart chip, smart key), OTG, Gyro, E-compass,（2.4G/5G）WIFI, Dual SIM Dual standby / SIM + SD card, Open Kernel Code

Dimensions : 15.20 x 7.60 x 0.90 cm, 178g

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: B1/B3/B7/B20

This one is a real champ for this price. I had the chance to review one of the “gray” Apollo Lite myself and I must say, build quality is top-notch, one of the best colors on a metal body smartphone. 5.5″ Sharp IGZO screen is amazing, Helio X20 is enough almost for every duty including games. Speaking of MediaTek Helio X20 and X25 series, I think there is no need to spend money for Helio P10 based smartphones anymore (might be exceptions of course, personal taste for example), why ? Please check the picture below :

I have Apollo Lite for almost a week and it had 2 OTA updates in this time, this shows us that Vernee is serious about rom business too, this is an important topic as you all may agree. Paying for hardware is something but paying for good ROM is more important in most cases. Well optimized software that can use all the hardware features without any problems is very precious. So if you have around 200$ to send for a new series smartphone, Vernee Apollo Lite won’t disappoint you.

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/08/07/vernee-apollo-lite-review-one-pleasant-surprise/

Coolpad Cool1

209$  3GB/32GB, 225$  4GB/32GB, 259$ 4GB/64GB

Display: 5.5 inch FHD 1920x1080p 450nit

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa Core

RAM: 3GB/4GB

ROM: 32GB/64GB

Rear Camera: Dual 2 x 13.0MP back camera, Camera Maximum resolution: 4160×3120, Camera maximum recording capacity: 4K / 1080P @ 30fps, Slow recording capacity: 720P @ 120fps, F2.0 large aperture, PDAF, ball-type closed-loop motor, quick focus, Color temperature flash, back-illuminated CMOS

Front Camera: 8.0MP, F2.2 large aperture, 80 ° super wide-angle lens

Battery: 4060mAh Li-polymer

OS: EUI 5.6 base on Android M OS

Features: Type-C port, OTG, Gyroscope, NXP smart PA TFA9897, AAC Speaker BOX, LED notification, Fingerprint recognition, Infrared remote control.

Dimensions : 152 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm, 167g

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8

New kid in town from the marriage of LeEco and Coolpad, the Cool1. With the experience of Coolpad in camera department, this new model is trying to give customers Dual Camera setup for an affordable price powered from Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core CPU. Design is better than LeEco series for my taste, seems more compact with round corners and very good metal construction body. I wish they had a color option like Apollo Lite’s gray or even matte black. 4060mAh battery will help you to carry your Cool1 at least whole day with heavy usage without worrying about power. Cool1’s dual camera setup is like that we have seen on Huawei P9 before, one is RGB camera, second shoots only black&white. The result is better low light performance, sharper images and unique effects of course.

As for Rom department, we know LeEco takes this seriously and software updates mostly are coming in right time.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro

224$ 3GB/32GB, 254$ 3GB/64GB, 300$ 4GB/128GB

Display: 5.5 inch FHD 1920x1080p LTPS-AMOLED

CPU: Mediatek MT6797T Helio X25 | MT6797 Helio X20 Deca-core 2.5 GHz – Exclusive edition | 2.3 GHz – High edition |  2.1 GHz – Standard edition

RAM: 3GB/4GB

ROM: 32GB/64GB/128GB

Rear Camera: Dual Setup, 13 MP Sony sensor and 5 MP Samsung sensor

Front Camera: 5MP, f/2.0 lens

Battery: 4050mAh Li-polymer

OS: Android 6.0 – Marshmallow

Features: Finger print sensor under home key front, OLED screen, TYPE-C connector, metal unibody, microSD – upto 256 GB.

Dimensions : 151.5 x 76.2 x 8.2 mm, 174 g

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: B1/B3/B7

Xiaomi version of affordable Dual Camera setup and first metal unibody metal body model of the maker, the new Redmi Pro. The contender of Cool1 in this price range with rear dual cameras. If you like front replaced finger print sensor more, if you like deep blacks more (who doesn’t ?), if you don’t mind about the maker of the CPU, i’m saying that because there still many people who just buy Qualcomm processor  based phones, then Redmi Pro is your choice. This phone uses MediaTek’s high-end line (until X30/X35 comes to market) Helio X20 and X25, both as an option. Both are equal or better CPU’s then Qualcomm’s 652. Rest is like always,  taste. As for rom/software support Xiaomi is way in front of every maker, has world’s biggest forum support behind. If you want to buy high end model with X25 + 4GB Ram + 128GB Rom, this will cost you 300$ and there you might consider other alternatives too. Base model seems most logical as Redmi Pro offers SD card slot for storage upgrade. Dual camera setup differs from Cool1’s, Redmi Pro’s setup has 2 RGB (color) cameras, main is 13MP, second “depth” camera is 5MP.

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/08/29/xiaomi-redmi-pro-review/

LeEco Le 2 Pro

229$

Display: 5.5 inch FHD 1920x1080p 

CPU: Mediatek MT6797T Helio X25

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 32GB

Rear Camera: 21 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, 1/2.4″ sensor size

Front Camera: 8.0MP, F2.2 large aperture

Battery: 3000mAh Li-polymer

OS: EUI 5.6 base on Android M OS

Dimensions : 15.60 x 7.80 x 0.75 cm, 185gr

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: B1/B3/B7

Complete package with 4GB Ram, 32GB Rom, very good workmanship/quality, plus powerful engine with Helio X25. LeEco Le 2 Pro is naturally in our list. Beeing developer friendly, bootloader  can be unlocked with a simple fastboot command, not only this model, talking about every LeEco models, has many custom ROMs online, LeEco community is growing among power users.

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/05/10/leeco-le-2-review/ .

Nubia Z11 Mini

239$

Display: 5.0 inch FHD 1920x1080p 

CPU: Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617 (Octa-core (4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.5 GHz Cortex-A53))

RAM: 3GB

ROM: 64GB, microSD up to 256 GB

Rear Camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8″ sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR

Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.4, 1.4 µm pixel size, 1080p

Battery: 2800mAh Li-polymer

OS: Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)

Dimensions : 141.4 x 70 x 8 mm , 138gr

GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100;  TD-LTE B38/39/40/41; FDD-LTE B1/3/7

What do you want from a smartphone these days ? Picture (camera) quality and very good sound output are enough for you ? You want these specs in a very good looking 5″ screen phone right ? Then go grab a Nubia Z11 Mini and all done. The little brother of Z11 family shares same 4-axis OIS Sony IMX298 sensor with its big brother Z11 and Xiaomi’s Mi5, flagship grade camera performance, both pictures and videos (4K). For music lovers AKM’s latest audio chipset is onboard too. Being a former DJ myself, I always test audio outputs of smartphones in first place. Nubia’s powerful and clean sound output been always my favorite and Z11 Mini carries this tag too.  You love taking many pictures and videos and listen to music, this means you need storage too, 64GB onboard + microSD up to 256 GB are more than enough. Build quality of Z11 Mini is one of the best in the market, worldwide. Rom updates ? This is where ZTE comes behind its competitors, usually slow. Had mobile data bug in Z9 series, I hope they will take more care with new Z11 models.

Qiku 360 N4S

239$

Display: 5.5 inch FHD 1920x1080p 

CPU: MTK Helio X20

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 32GB, microSD up to 128 GB

Rear Camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, ISOCELL, PDAF, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR

Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.0

Battery: 5000 mAh Li-polymer

OS: Android 6 Marshmallow

Dimensions : 151.3×74.6×8.35mm, 169gr

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: 1800/2100/2600MHz

Take Nubia and Meizu, mix them, you get 360 N4S design. Full metal body, 2.5D glass on top, high build quality. Put a Helio X20 CPU with 4GB Ram and 32GB Rom (microSD up to 128 GB) in it and power all these elements with a 5000 mAh battery (biggest capacity in our list, higher than Mi Max, coming next). How does it sound ? Price should be normally a bit lower, but this phone is very hard to find, so if you want an alternative you need to pay 239$ for this beast. Cameras look very good on paper. An infrared remote control is a bonus too. 360 N4S runs its own OS, 360 OS 2.0.

Xiaomi Mi Max

219$ 3GB/32GB Snapdragon 650, 259$ 3GB/64GB Snapdragon 652

Display: 6.44-inch, full HD (1920×1080 pixels)

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 650/652

RAM: 3GB

ROM: 32GB/64GB, microSD up to 128 GB

Rear Camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash

Front Camera: 5 MP, f/2.0

Battery: 4850 mAh Li-polymer

OS: MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 OS

Dimensions : 173.1 x 88.3 x 7.5 mm, 203gr

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, LTE-FDD: 1800/2100/2600MHz (B1/B3/B7)

I love big screen ! I always did, and now I’m using a Mi Max as my daily phone (first time using a Xiaomi), 3GB/64GB with Snapdragon 652 CPU, bought it for 259$ and I must say worth every penny. If you like big screen phones too, there is nowhere else to look, with 4850 mAh huge battery Mi Max will suit your needs in a quality metal body, having everything including infrared remote control and a good camera (good for my taste, can shoot good pictures in dark room with dual flash). Audio quality is surprisingly very good too. I tested Mi Note Pro’s ES9018 DAC last week, Mi Max’s output is nothing less, high output with clean sound. This big fellow is made for multimedia for sure.

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/06/12/xiaomi-mi-max-review-lot-xiaomi/

LeEco Le Max 2

239$

Display: 5.7 inch 2560×1440 Pixel

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64bit, Quad Core, 2.15GHz

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 32GB

Rear Camera: 21MP 6P, f/2.0 for 4K video

Front Camera: 1.4μm 8MP f/2.2

Battery: 3100 mAh Li-polymer

OS: eUI Android 6.0 OS

Dimensions : 15.68 x 7.76 x 0.80 cm, 185gr

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/25/26

Wellcome to the first league, talking about CPU and GPU power. Are you an Antutu freak too ? Then you should start from here.

Quote : ” Do we need so much power in our cell phones ? Can software follow this hardware power ? These are only phones, ok smart phones with operating systems in it, but what are we doing with them when its about CPU power ? Using 10 applications same time ? Playing 2-3 power hungry games same time ? Not enough..? We need somehow take this power out of these little gadgets to our desktops and push their limits with much more options like creating. After then, this “race” about making more and more powerful CPU’s for phones can come to a logical state. And when those days come, every one of us will use just one ARM powered PC for every computer based job, our Qualcomm’s, MediaTek’s or Fusion’s…”

130K is the minimum score of Snapdragon 820, best CPU that Qualcomm has made till now (+821). And you can grab it just for 239$ thanks to LeEco. The only phone in our list that has a 2K screen in 5.7″ size, if you care about that, this is your only choice, a good one indeed. Lossless audio over Type-C, excellent build quality, awful color options

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/05/28/leeco-le-max-2-review-beauty-meets-power/

ZUK Z2

259$ (4GB Ram)

Display: 5-inch, 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64bit, Quad Core, 2.15GHz

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 64GB

Rear Camera: 13 Megapixel, Samsung ISOCELL sensor, f/2.2

Front Camera: 8MP

Battery: 3500 mAh Li-polymer

OS: ZUI 2.0 base on Android 6.0 OS

Dimensions : 141.65mm x68.88 mmx8.45mm, 149gr

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz , WCDMA: Bands: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, LTE FDD: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8

And the fun continues. Ok you want Snapdragon 820 but 5.7″ screen is too big for you ( Le Max 2 ), how about a 5″ in a matte black metal frame ( my favorite ) and front finger print scanner ? And a bigger battery compared 3500mAh to 3100 mAh ? + 32GB more storage for 20$ more ? Here is your phone, ZUK Z2 from Lenovo. Still no official multilanguage ROM from the maker, but there are custom ZUI based ROMs supporting your language, or even CM14 Android 7 if you are familiar with flashing ROMs ( if you are not we will help you with our guides for sure ). It’s good to have community behind a model and Zuk Z2 does that. Best 5″ that 259$ can buy for sure.

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/06/27/zuk-z2-review-beautiful-fast/

Xiaomi Mi5

269 $

Display: 5.15 inches, 1080p Full HD 

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64bit, Quad Core, 1.8GHz

RAM: 3GB

ROM: 32GB

Rear Camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8″ sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR

Front Camera: 4 MP, f/2.0 – , 1/3″ sensor size, 2µm pixel size, 1080p@30fps

Battery: 3000 mAh Li-polymer

OS: MIUI 8 Android 6.0 – Marshmallow

Dimensions : 144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm, 129g

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, LTE-FDD: 1800/2100/2600MHz (B1/B3/B7)

Famous Xiaomi Mi5, love the black version (especially with the ceramic back). Talking of color, new Mi 5s models don’t have black as color option, why Chinese phone makers don’t use black in every model, I will never understand that. Support of MIUI community, the power of Snapdragon 820 and one of the best cameras in the market, Sony IMX298. If you are a Xiaomi fan you probably get this one under 300$, it surely deserves this money. But I must remind you this version has only 3GB Ram and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 clocked at 1.8Ghz, not at 2.15 like others, will you feel it as less performance in daily use ? No, you will not, only less Antutu score that’s all, but why Xiaomi reduces clock speed ? To make higher models more attractive ? But it does not. Just make all the clock speeds same and the ram to 4GB in all Mi5 models, it will be easier to sell.

Full review : http://www.gizmochina.com/2016/03/13/xiaomi-mi5-review-beast-smartphone/

LeEco Le Pro 3

299$

Display: 5.5 inches, 1080p Full HD 

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 64bit, Quad Core, 2.35GHz

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 32GB

Rear Camera: 16 Megapixel, Sony IMX298, PDAF, F2.0, 1/2.8″ sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size

Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.2, 1.4 µm pixel size, 1080p

Battery: 4070 mAh Li-polymer

OS: eUI Android 6.0 OS

Dimensions : 151.4×73.9×7.5mm, 175g

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD LTE: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/25/26

Our final model and most powerful model as CPU and GPU power because it has a Snapdragon 821 onboard. Higher clocks of 820 give us about 20K more Antutu score. But, like I always say, scores are not the first key point when you want to buy a smartphone. Talking about LeEco Le Pro 3 it’s not just CPU power, the new model of the firm finally has one of the best cameras, Sony IMX298, finally has enough battery power 4070 mAh, much better comparing to Le Max 2’s 3100 Mah, 2.5D glass on top, which gives a much better look and feel, a new brushed metal body and all this in 7.5mm thickness, for just 299$ ! Many of you may say so why bother to make a list, this one is  a real bargain for this price, who would anyone buy a Mi5 for 269$ if you can buy this beast for 30$ more ? I agree with you, speaking of science, of course, rest is, like we always say, taste and budget (and better software optimizations)….

Every phone in our list is on par or even better (price/performance ratio) then famous phone makers like Samsung, iPhone, HTC, Sony or LG. I don’t count Google’s new Pixel line, nonsense costs for that ugly HTC made phones. So why pay 600$-900$ if we can buy almost same quality and absolute android freedom for 1/3 – 1/4 the price ?

Please don’t forget to check our new compare tool for full specs of phones at Gizmochina (phones are still being added to our database): http://www.gizmochina.com/compare/?pos=97354-99299-97579

The post Smartphone Buyers Guide: Best Value For Money Chinese SmartPhones $200-$300 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi has been on the roll as they have released quite a few devices lately. The Redmi Pro is a phone that costs around $250 via the third party resellers, it has pretty good specs but most importantly, the device has dual camera setup. Learn more in our full review.

Thanks to Oppomart for sending Xiaomi Redmi Pro for a review.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-N8pvWGQmA[/embedyt]

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: UNBOXING

The phone ships in a usual Xiaomi box and inside of it you can find a charger, some paperwork, SIM ejector pin and USB-C cable.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: SPECS

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

Let me be honest with you, this phone is the most premium Redmi device I’ve ever seen. It’s made entirely of metal (even top and bottom parts are made of metal). I really love the brushed aluminum look. Even though the Redmi Pro may look a bit glossy, it does not attract fingerprints so easily.

We have nice and tactile buttons and I absolutely love the build quality of this phone.

One of the key selling points of this device is of course, its dual camera setup, which is supposed to give you a hardware-based shallow depth of field effect. The main camera has 13MP, f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. The secondary camera has 5MP.

Also, the cameras are accompanied with a dual-tone dual led flash. More on the camera features a bit later in this review.

The Redmi Pro sports a 5.5” 1080p display. In fact, this is the first Redmi phone to have the Amoled panel, which is sharp and vibrant. However, the colors may look a bit oversaturated but I’m okay with that. The sunlight legibility is not the best I’ve seen but it is pretty good and I don’t have many complaints in this regard.

As far as selfie shooter, we have a 5MP camera. Right next to it, there is a highly customizable notification LED light.

It’s nice to see backlit capacitive buttons, which can be also customized in a lot of different ways. The fingerprint scanner is embedded in a physical home button. It is fast and very accurate but it does not work straight from the standby mode meaning that you have to wake your phone up first.

The loudspeaker quality is pretty good. Sure, it is not perfect but it is definitely one of the best in this price range of phones.

One little extra feature that has started disappearing from a lot of phones is the IR blaster to control devices like TVs.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

I have a standard edition of the Redmi Pro, which has a deca-core Mediatek Helio X20 chip with the max. clock speeds of 2.1GHz, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, which is also expandable via the microSD card slot.

If you are willing to pay extra, you can get a few model variations and the best one sports a Helio X25 chip with 4GB of RAM and whopping 128GB of storage.

The gaming performance is pretty good yet not ideal. You can enjoy most of the 3D games without any issues but there were a few skipped frames and a bit of stutter while playing Asphalt 8 on the highest graphics. Of course, changing graphics to medium solves this issue.

A great thing is that the phone does not have any overheating issues.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: BENCHMARKS

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: USER INTERFACE

When it comes to user interface, my Redmi Pro has just been updated to MIUI 8, which is built on top of Android 6.0. There are some cool new features and design touches that differ MIUI 8 from the MIUI 7.

If you swipe down, you will open up a redesigned quick settings menu. There is no separate notification shade like it used to be. Also, the multitasking menu now has a 3D look to give you a better idea of what apps are running in the background.

A great thing is that Xiaomi finally re-organized their settings menu and you now can find everything quicker. One of the new features includes the “second space”. You can move apps, files and other information between the “first space” and the “second space” and you can easily switch between these spaces. As Xiaomi claims, this feature is like having 2 phones with different files and settings. Another new feature is the “quick ball”, which is simply a small bubble that has a few customizable shortcuts. However, I’ve never been a huge fan of any floating screens on the display.

We have some other features, customization options, various tweaks and settings Xiaomi phones are famous for. Just to name a few, you can select from a variety of themes, wallpapers, fonts and so on. Also, you can customize the LED light, assign different tasks to capacitive buttons and so on.

Finally, the MIUI 8 runs fast and fluid and I didn’t have any hiccups or lag.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: CAMERA

Please watch our video review to better understand how dual-camera setup works:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKS7wDoTG0g[/embedyt]

When it comes to the cameras, let’s start by the most interesting part. The dual-camera mode, which is called stereo mode, is simply activated by clicking a small camera button. Here you can play with the aperture number by going all the way to f/5.6 or go down to a super bright f/0.95. Also, you can change the focus area after you take the picture and apply different effects.

If you spend a little bit of time with the camera, you can get some nice photos. Of course, not all pictures will look natural but can definitely achieve some nice results. A very cool thing is that you can also adjust the aperture number during the video recording to get that shallow depth of field effect.

If you tend to take regular photos more often, the auto-mode allows you to do that pretty fast thanks to the baked-in PDAF system. The camera takes some pretty good images in daylight. The pictures tend to have a good amount of detail and sharpness. Also, the colors look natural. However, a few of the shots have a softer focus on the corners but we have to consider that the phone runs on an early software build. The biggest complaint would be the dynamic range adjustment but the HDR mode does a pretty good job.

The macro shots have a good amount of detail and they look sharp most of the time.

As for indoor photos, you can get some good looking images too. Sure, they will look grainier but the camera does an okay job with noise reduction.

The low-light camera performance is good for the price of the phone but I hope to see some improvements with the future software updates. There is quite a bit of noise and there could be more detail. Also, I noticed that there is a slight red tint if you take pictures close to the light source, e.g. street lamps.

The dual tone LED flash does a pretty good job illuminating the scene in almost pitch dark environments but the flash is a bit too warm for my taste.

Panorama photos look quite terrible due to very low-resolution. On the other hand, the auto-stitching is pretty good.

The phone can shoot videos in Full-HD. The video quality is just above average I would say. The footage could look sharper and have more detail. On the other hand, I’m happy with the way CAF works. You can also shoot slow-motion videos in 720p and the quality is not the best but it is pretty good. See the video review for video samples.

A 5MP selfie camera is able to capture some usable pictures for social media but it does not impress. Most of the images look noisy and grainy, and there is a ton of noise. The situation gets even worse in low-light.

As for selfie video, the quality of the footage is mediocre. See the video review for video samples.

Overall, the Redmi Pro has a pretty solid camera setup for the price of the phone and you can definitely get some great looking images. It is not perfect though but we may see some improvements with the future software updates.

Download full resolution camera samples

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: CONNECTIVITY

As far as connectivity, I didn’t have any issues with Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS or other options.

The phone comes with a dual-SIM card tray, which can take either 2 SIMs or 1 SIM and the microSD card.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: BATTERY LIFE

The phone ships with the with a huge 4050mAh battery that performs very well. I could get over 6.5 hours of screen-on time on a mixed use which is a very good result.

The phone supports a fast charging feature but it does not come with the fast charger, which is a bummer. This section will be updated with the screenshots of the battery use later (currently, we are re-testing the phone’s battery life with the just released MIUI 8).

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review: CONCLUSIONS

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro is a solid device for the price of around $250.

First of all, it just looks beautiful and the build quality is top-notch. Also, we have a sharp and vibrant display, user interface that has tons of features and a pretty good overall performance.

Also, the dual camera setup is what makes the Redmi Pro standout. Finally, the battery performance is just fantastic.

On the other hand, you have to know that the phone’s camera could be better in video recording and the selfie camera produces images that have quite a bit of noise.

Other complaints would be that the fingerprint scanner does not work straight from the standby mode and you should expect a few skipped frames when playing some 3D games on the highest graphics settings.

Other than that, the Xiaomi Redmi Pro is a great all-around device. Sure, it is not perfect but knowing the fact that Xiaomi usually fixes a lot of things with its software updates, the Redmi Pro is a good phone to buy for less than $250.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro Review appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Redmi Pro is Xiaomi’s latest flaghsip smartphone which was introduced at July’s end but just went on sale a few weeks back and already it’s got the teardown treatment.

The practice of dismantling an entire smartphone to see what lies under its hood isn’t just for fun but also to see if it’s easy or difficult to fix it if it gets to that point. We’ve got the entire teardown in photos right here.

The teardown starts by removing the SIM card tray from its slot with the special ejector that comes with the device. Once the SIM tray is out, the back casing is the taken off, revealing the internals components. Pretty easy isn’t it?

Although the Redmi Pro comes with non-removable battery, the battery is also easy to take out once the back frame is off.

Once the battery is out, all the other components can easily be dismantled with a screw driver. Some components like the camera sensors are even removable without using a screw driver. You can follow the entire procedure in photos from the gallery down below but please don’t try this at home if you haven’t got the expertise.

RELATED: LeEco Cool1 Dual vs Redmi Pro: Why LeEco’s New Phone Is the Redmi Pro Killer! (Almost)

As a reminder, the Redmi Pro features a 5.5-inch Full HD display with the display made from OLED, Xiaomi’s first device to have such. The smartphone comes powered by the Helio X20 and the X25 chipset for the higher 4GB RAM + 128GB version. What that means is that there are more than one versions, up to three specifically. There is a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM version, another with 3GB RAM + 64GB ROM and a third with 4GB RAM and a whopping 128GB ROM. Another highlight of the Redmi Pro is the dual camera setup at its rear with a 13MP main camera and a 5MP depth of field sensor.The dual-SIM device crams a large 4,050mAh battery under its hood and there is a fingerprint sensor embedded inside the physical home button.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro Tear Down: What Lies under the Brushed Metal Body? appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi released the much hyped Redmi Pro flagship yesterday boasting of great specs especially the 13MP+5MP dual rear cameras featured on the device. The phone also features other specs like a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display screen, a deca-core Helio X25 processor on the top-end model as well as Helio X20 chipset on the base models. Other specs include 3GB and 4GB RAM options, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB built-in storage models and a whopping 4050mAh battery.

Even with these caliber of specifications, nothing is known before now about the performance of the Redmi Pro but details of the Antutu benchmark performance scores of the top-end version sporting 4GB of RAM + 128GB of internal storage and a Helio X25 processor, have surfaced online. The scores lists the performance of the device in various aspects, posting impressive results.

RELATED: Redmi Pro’s Camera Explained + Camera Samples

It is worth mentioning that the Antutu benchmark scores were generated from a Redmi Pro whose battery wasn’t fully charged, thus the results is expected to be better when the battery is fully charged. More details later, meanwhile you can view the entire results below.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro AnTuTu Benchmark Performance: Helio X25 + 4GB RAM appeared first on Gizmochina.

When Xiaomi announced its desire to chart the path of offline sales and shipments outside China targeting markets in Europe and the US, some never took the Chinese company serious on that. Xiaomi has no presence in US and little in Europe but officially, its products are not sold in Europe and the United States.

But the Chinese innovative start up known for powerfully built but moderately priced gadgets seem poised to achieve its goals. The two recent releases announced today affirms that Xiaomi is serious about diversifying. The two devices, the Redmi Pro and Mi Notebook Air hold their own, based on the powerful specs they feature.

With a brushed metal body, extra large 4050mAh battery, 13MP dual camera setup, tagging along a price starting at $225 is beyond awesome. But of all the specs the Redmi Pro boasts of, the 13MP dual cameras at the rear should be its most spectacular feature. The high-end  Sony IMX258 sensor on the cameras leaves little to the imagination as to the image quality we should expect and sure the cameras haven’t disappointed, that is if the test images we’ve seen purportedly taken by the Xiaomi Redmi Pro’s dual main cameras.

There are two cameras on board the smartphone, a 13MP (Sony) sensor + 5MP depth sensor (Samsung) at the rear with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP front facing cam. The sensors also packs phase-detection pixels that makes auto-focus faster. Tests have shown repeatedly that large pixels don’t necessarily guarantee quality image outputs, perhaps that is why Xiaomi added a second 5MP camera at the rear with the duo functioning together to capture one image. What the second camera at the rear does is that it captures images simultaneously with the main rear camera and allows you to refocus the image after you’ve captured it. There’s also a slider which allows you to control the amount of blur on the background, so you can achieve a bokeh effect at our image’s background similar to those DLSR are capable of.

The samples from Xiaomi better explains the capabilities of the dual cameras which the Redmi Pro features at its rear. The images captures the attention of any viewer with their crisp, clear, flawlessly sharp focus image amidst blurred background. It would be overly ambitious to suggest that the images are as sharp as those DSLR cameras are capable of, but they are all the same nice. Quite curiously though, there are no images showing how the Redmi Pro would fare in low light conditions. Maybe we’ll see those in coming days but for now enjoy these great shots from the Redmi Pro dual-camera’s shutters.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro’s Dual cameras explained, plus Official Camera Samples appeared first on Gizmochina.

Two models of Xiaomi’s expected Redmi Pro flagship phone has been spotted on China’s telecoms regulatory agency TENAA’s website. The two models which just got certified are noticeably sporting varying features. While one of the models looks like a low end model, the other one packs high-end device features. The difference in both models is in the aspect of the type of processor and memory (both RAM and ROM) sizes they feature.

According to the TENAA document, the low-end / standard version features a 2.0GHz deca-core Helio X20 processor from MediaTek alongside 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM. On the other hand, the high-end version sports a faster 2.5GHz deca-core Helio X25 chipset together with a 3GB + 64GB ROM variant and a 4GB + 128GB ROM variant.

In other specifications, both models are listed to feature 13MP dual cameras at the back and 5MP front-facing cameras. The two Redmi Pro models equally sports the same 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution, feature the same dimensions of 151.5 x 76 x 8.15mm and both cram a 4,000mAh battery under their hoods. Although the display type isn’t stated, Xiaomi had earlier on hinted that the Redmi Pro will be its first phone to feature OLED display.

Obviously, both versions are expected to be unveiled on July 27, and would definitely feature different price tags. The low-end version is likely to get a price tag in the range of 1099 yuan ($165) or even lower.

RELATED: Xiaomi Redmi Pro Price Said To Be Around $210

Stay tuned to gizmochina for the event updates later today.

The post Two Redmi Pro models Hits TENAA: Deca-Core Chip, Large Batteries & More! appeared first on Gizmochina.

The past few days have been flooded with news about the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi Pro smartphone that will be announced on July 27. In the past three days, the company released a few teasers which hinted and almost confirmed that the phone will come with a metal body, deca-core processor, dual cameras and OLED display. However, now, Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun has officially confirmed the processor on board the upcoming smartphone as well as the presence of dual cameras at the back.

First of all, Lei Jun confirmed that the Redmi Pro will feature the Helio X25 deca-core processor. We had a doubt whether the phone would be using the slightly slower Helio X20, but this confirms that the faster variant is going to end up on the device. Along with the image (above), he asked his fans which other flagships use Helio X25 chipset inside. Well, there are the two popular ones, the flagship Pro 6 and then, the Le 2 Pro. So, looks like he’s trying to say that the new Redmi model will be competing with these two devices.

About an hour later, Lei Jun further took to Weibo to ask another question to his fans: “Some smartphones use two cameras to take pictures, what would you call this technology?”. He even gave three options: Dual cameras, Dual lens and double cameras.

Well, we take this as a confirmation that the upcoming Redmi Pro features a dual camera setup!

Now, we look forward to more details about the rest of the specs of the device, such as the display size, RAM, storage, fingerprint and other features. Expect most of these details to be revealed in the coming days to the launch. Meanwhile, you can read this article for its earlier leaked specs.

Stay tuned!

The post Xiaomi CEO Confirms Processor & Dual Cameras On the Redmi Pro! appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s Redmi Pro flagship smartphone had been speculated all along to be among the devices launching on July 27. But confirmation about that has not been officially done by the Chinese company except via teasers in the form of video or images laced with coded messages, leaving it at the mercy of our brains to interpret the messages.

However just this morning, CEO Lei Jun took to Weibo to express his excitement over the Redmi Pro’s release and categorically confirmed that the flagship device would be released next Wednesday. The message ended there but we were able to gather that he was talking about the Xiaomi news conference holding next Wednesday being July 27.

All along, for the past three days, the three spokespersons for Xiaomi Wu Xiubo, Lu Shi and Liu Hao Ran have taken turns to release promotional videos. The first day, we got served “OLED PING” by Wu Xuibo, followed by Lui Shi who served us “ten nuclear double stem head”, and “Mentor” Liu Hao is going to make “brushed gold potato” (literal translations from Chinese).

The theme of the celebrity cooking highlighted some of the specifications the Redmi Pro will feature. When summed up, the three promotional videos revealed Xiaomi’s next flagship will come with an OLED screen (first for Xiaomi), Deca-core processor + dual camera, and sporting a polished (brushed) metal body.

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

It is rumored that the Redmi Pro will feature a 5.5-inch 1080pixel OLED display and would be powered by a Deca-core MediaTek Helio X25 chipset, alongside 4GB of RAM and a maximum 128GB of onboard storage. The sleek dual-SIM device is said to boot Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based MIUI and would have support for all three networks in China. Also, the device is expected to pop carrying a price tag of around 1499 yuan ($225).

The post Lei Jun Excited For Redmi Pro’s Release, Some Specs Revealed appeared first on Gizmochina.

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.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro could be using OLED display, hints teaser appeared first on Gizmochina.

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?

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro May Carry A Higher Price Tag Than Its Predecessors appeared first on Gizmochina.

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.

The post Xiaomi Redmi Pro Confirmed! Coming on July 27 appeared first on Gizmochina.