Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review: Another budget winner
The quick take
When it comes to budget smartphones, the Redmi series from Xiaomi is a force to reckon with not just in China, but also in markets like India – the company’s second home.
Xiaomi launches phones in quick succession, and pushes the envelope further each time. There’s much hype, and a lot of anticipation. Not undeserved, one would say. Launched in China last month, the Redmi Note 4 is a turbo charged Redmi Note 3, and the all-metal budget smartphone looks set to be another winner for the company.
The Good
- Metal chassis with 2.5D glass display
- Beautiful Full HD display
- Long battery life
- Great price
The Bad
- Average camera performance
- Micro-USB, not USB Type-C
About this review
I used the Chinese retail variant of the Redmi Note 4 that ran MIUI 7.3 out of the box, but there was an update for MIUI 8 available immediately. For most of the time, I used it with an Airtel 4G SIM in Delhi NCR.
I used the 2GB/16GB variant which had about 9.5GB of internal storage available out of the box. There’s also a higher-end variant with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
Redmi Note 4 Design
The Redmi Note 4 carries on Xiaomi’s design ethos. Apart from rare aberration, most devices in the Xiaomi portfolio look alike, and the Note 4 looks just like the Redmi Pro. That’s not a bad thing, really. Xiaomi makes good looking budget smartphones and the Note 4 is no different. There’s nothing special, but the industrial design works for most.
However, while the metallic chassis on the Redmi Pro sports a smooth back, there is a hint of cheapness on the Note 4 with rugged surface which gives a feeling of it being less “solid” than the former. Of course, you get what you pay for. The curves on the edges at the back aid the grip, and makes it a nice phone to hold in the hand.
A successor to Redmi Note 3, there are only a few subtle changes on the Note 4. While both phones boast of a full metal unibody design, the Note 4 sports 2.5D curved glass on the front that exaggerates its style. There are changes here and there but unless you look closely, it’s hard to differentiate between the two.
At 175 grams, the Note 4 is not light, although it doesn’t get too overbearing in the hand. However, since it packs a massive 4100mAh battery, most users who are picking the Note 4 for long battery life would want to overlook this.
Redmi Note 4 Hardware
| Operating system | Android Marshmallow 6.0 with MIUI 7.3 |
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD1920x1080 |
| Processor | 2.1GHz deca-core Mediatek MT6797 Helio X20 |
| RAM | 2GB / 3GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB/64GBMicroSD up to 256GB |
| Battery | 4100mAh |
| Rear Camera | 13MP, f/2.0, PDAFDual LED flash |
| Front Camera | 5MP, f/2.0 |
| Dimensions | 151 x 76 x 8.4 mm |
| Weight | 175 g |
Xiaomi’s always looked to pack in a punch in terms of specifications, and the Note 4 is no different. It boasts of MediaTek Helio X20 processor – clearly a high-end processor in a budget smartphone.
Increasingly, smartphone makers are bundling 3GB RAM in budget devices as well, but Xiaomi has chosen to keep it at 2GB for the lower variant. For a heavy skin like MIUI, that is just about okay. More available memory never hurt on Android, and you might want to look at the higher variant, which also quadruples the internal storage from 16GB to 64GB.
That said, the Remi Note 4 performs well on daily usage. Multi-tabbed browsing, interface navigation, and even playing graphic-intensive games is a breeze. The processor offers good enough grunt for most apps and games. It does stutter sometimes when multitasking and the culprit is most often the lack of available RAM.
The Note 4 includes a hybrid SIM slot, so if you’d want the dual SIM functionality, you’d have to be contended with inbuilt storage it offers since you won’t be able to put in a microSD card. Another reason to pick up the 3GB/64GB variant.
One of the biggest disappointments of the Note 4 is Xiaomi opting to put in a Micro-USB port instead of the newer USB Type-C. Yes, it’s a budget smartphone and Micro-USB is not dead yet, but a smartphone coming in second half of 2016 should’ve been better.
Otherwise, the Note 4 is a winner all the way. The fingerprint sensor works great, and unlocks the phone in a quick snap each time. There’s also an IR port on the phone so that you can use it as a universal remote controller. Also, the Note 4 packs in the latest version of Bluetooth v4.2.
Redmi Note 4 Display
The Note 4 sports a beautiful 5.5-inch display panel with 1920×1080 resolution — good for a density of 401 ppi. The 2.5D arc glass accentuates the display. It’s vivid with great viewing angles and the colors and contrast are perfect. For a budget device, the display on the Note 4 stands out as one of the highlights.
Outdoors in sunlight, the display is a tad dim, and I preferred to keep it at maximum (or high) brightness than what was set automatically. Still it’s crisp and consistent from different viewing angles.
Redmi Note 4 Software
While I assumed the Redmi Note 4 comes with the latest version of the company’s proprietary UI, the MIUI 8, it wasn’t the case. On first run, I was greeted with MIUI 7.3 running on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
But then, there was MIUI 8 Stable waiting for me, and I updated immediately. While customized Android skins are a matter of personal preference, MIUI has been able to garner a large fan base. And credit where it’s due, it’s not misplaced. Xiaomi works hard on MIUI bringing features, UX tweaks, and nifty utilities to augment the Android experience.
One of the highlights of the MIUI 8 is Second Space that allows a user two configure two profiles on a device – like virtual desktops so to say. It allows you to keep separate apps or separate layouts for distinct personal and work needs.
Then there’s the new Dual Apps feature which allow you to run two instances of apps like WhatsApp that don’t allow multiple sessions with different accounts otherwise. Well, I don’t have any use for this feature personally, but a lot of people, especially the ones who use two SIMs, have always wanted a functionality like that.
MIUI 8 also boasts of ‘Quick Ball’ similar to the assistive touch on iOS. You can configure it for frequently used apps and actions on a single tap for easy accessibility. While it is very handy for phablet, Note 4 users would only appreciate it if one-handed usage is a big deal – like for those who take long daily commutes to work or school.
Redmi Note 4 Battery life
One of the highlights of the Redmi Note 4 is its superb battery life. Of course, it packs in a big battery at 4100mAh, but there’s also enough power optimizations under the hood that makes it last long – really long. While there’s no USB Type-C, the Note 4 does include MediaTek PumpExpress 2.0 technology for fast charging.
On moderate usage, you could stretch the battery life up to about two working days. For a power user like me, it lasted me whole day of being out and about and still had some juice left at the end of the day. Pokemon Go fans, rejoice!
Redmi Note 4 Camera
Unlike the last few Xiaomi devices, the primary shooter on Redmi Note 4 fails to impress. Yes, it’s a budget device and manages to click decent pictures, but Xiaomi itself has been one of the companies at the forefront of spoiling budget smartphone buyers offering too-good-to-be-true internals, camera, and build quality.
The 13-megapixel rear camera unit sports a dual LED flash. It does manage to click some nice photos with a decent depth of field effect, but the color reproduction and saturation is not the best. In not exceptionally bright conditions, like indoors or on a gloomy day, the photos are just okay. In well-lit conditions, I did manage to snap a few good ones on Auto mode.
The Note 4 has a great display, but once you take some of those average photos off the phone, you’d notice that the contrast is a tad off. The focus is spot on and quick though, almost the best in any Redmi devices till date.
The camera interface on the MIUI 8 is slick and offers a variety of options with seamless user experience. I’m hoping a firmware update would come soon to improve the camera performance. It’s not a bad camera, mind you, but with some of the budget devices – including last couple from the Xiaomi stable – impressing in this critical component, we’ve started to expect more and more.
Redmi Note 4 Bottom line
The Redmi Note 4 is a pretty good smartphone for its price. It’s a capable performer and a decent snapper, but there’s nothing exceptional about it. Except the price of course.
If you’re in India, you’d not get this variant, mind you. Due to an ongoing legal tussle with Ericsson, Xiaomi cannot sell MediaTek-based devices in India. So, like in the past, Xiaomi will come out with a Qualcomm-based Redmi Note 4 for the Indian market. Hence, there is also a chance, Xiaomi only launches one variant of the same which would then most likely be the 3GB variant, or so we hope.
Should you buy it? Probably
At CNY 899 for the lower specced variant and CNY 1,199 for the higher one, the Redmi Note 4 is a value-for-money device, just like the Redmi Note 3 was. It’s not perfect, but at the price, you should be okay to adjust expectations here and there.
Available in three colors – silver, gray, and gold – at the moment you can pick one from the TinyDeal.com, the popular Chinese online retailer for $169.
See at TinyDeal
Facebook bans, then reinstates, iconic ‘napalm girl’ photo
Facebook’s policy on what constitutes as nudity is in the news again. This time, though, there’s a reversal involving a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo from the Vietnam war, The Guardian reports. The Terror of War is a photograph of children running from a napalm attack with armed soldiers behind them, taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut. One of the kids, Kim Phúc, is naked. When Norwegian writer Tom Egeland posted it along with six others as a status concerning photos that “changed the history of warfare,” the author’s account was suspended.
More than that, when the editor in chief of Norway’s largest newspaper, Aftenposten, published an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg about the removal, the article used the same image as its lead photo. Facebook reached out and asked the publication to either remove or pixelate the photo. And then Facebook took action and deleted the post from the newspaper’s profile page before EiC Espen Egil Hansen could respond, stripping the publication of its own editorial judgment.
“Even though I am editor-in-chief of Norway’s largest newspaper, I have to realize that you are restricting my room for exercising my editorial responsibility,” he writes. “I think you are abusing your power, and I find it hard to believe that you have thought it through thoroughly.
“The media have a responsibility to consider publication in every single case. This right and duty, which all editors in the world have, should not be undermined by algorithms encoded in your office in California. Editors cannot live with you, Mark [Zuckerberg], as a master editor.”
As The BBC writes, Norway’s prime minister posted the photo as well, only to have it removed in similar fashion.
Facebook has responded, both by reinstating the photo and offering reasoning for why the deletion occurred in the first place.
“While we recognize that this photo is iconic, it’s difficult to create a distinction between allowing a photograph of a nude child in one instance and not others,” the social network tells The Guardian. “We try to find the right balance between enabling people to express themselves while maintaining a safe and respectful experience for our global community. Our solutions won’t always be perfect, but we will continue to try to improve our policies and the ways in which we apply them.”
Facebook has repeatedly said that it’s a tech company, not a media organization. But this, combined with its checkered past concerning how it portrays news on the site, is evidence that Zuckerberg and Co. don’t quite realize how others view the site’s role in modern life.
Source: The Guardian, Aftenposten (Norwegian), The BBC
NYT: Apple car ‘reboot’ involves dozens of layoffs
The latest rumor surrounding Apple’s fabled Project Titan car comes from the New York Times, which reports “dozens” of layoffs as parts of the initiative have been shut down. This follows an earlier Bloomberg report that under new leadership by Bob Mansfield, the focus has changed from building an entire car, to focusing on developing self-driving car tech. According to the NYT, the layoffs were described internally as being part of a reboot, while Apple figures out what it can bring to a self-driving car that will stick out (probably not an AUX cable).
Over the last couple of years, reports have surfaced of Apple poaching employees from other companies including Tesla and the makers of EV batteries, so new directives might leave some of them out of the plan. Still, the company is said to have fully autonomous vehicles in testing, however, like similar projects from Google and Uber, the question is when we’ll see them on the road.
Source: New York Times
Roland’s new take on the iconic TR-909 delivers nostalgia aplenty
Roland’s Boutique line of synthesizers broke from cover last fall and today the company announced three more members of the series. Appropriately enough for 909 Day, the highlight of the trio is a revival of the iconic TR-909 drum machine. The new version, officially called the TR-09, “recreates the influential hybrid sound of its predecessor” thanks to ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) technology according to Roland.
The new 909 includes a 16-step sequencer and TR-REC programming with both step and tap writing modes. The company also says that the TR-09 offers more flexibility than the original thanks to improved controls that allow for adjustments without stopping the beat. It also offers MIDI and USB connections for getting sounds out from the instrument to use elsewhere. The best part? It’s set to retail for $399.
This isn’t the first time Roland has paid homage to the TR-909. In 2014, the company announced the AIRA line with a range of devices that brought the sounds of the 808, 909 and 303 to synth and drum machine fans decades later. Speaking of the 303, the second of today’s announcements is a fresh take on that bass synth. The new TB-03 also makes use of ACB tech to harness “authentic sound and character of the original.” Besides the pitch and time write modes from the TB-303, the TB-03 adds a step write option and the ability to switch between modes while a loop is playing. It also packs an LED display and those handy MIDI and USB connections in the $349 package.
Last but not least, there’s a new version of the VP-330 Vocoder Plus. The new gear is labeled the VP-03 and like the other two members of the group, it too uses ACB technology to offer the sounds of the original instrument with a mix of synth and human voice. Vocoder, voice and string sources remain and there are inputs for an XLR microphone and optional keyboard as well. Other new features include 16-chord memory setups for one-finger playback, voice step sequencer for even more rhythmic effects and both MIDI and micro USB connectivity. The VP-03 will also set you back $349.
Unfortunately, Roland didn’t announce when you’ll be able to nab one or more members of the group. It’s also not the only company reviving old classics as Korg brought back a number of instruments including the ARP Odyssey and MS-20. Moog has also put some of its older synths back in production, most recently reviving the the Minimoog Model D.
Source: Roland (1), (2), (3)
Roland’s System-8 synthesizer does almost everything
As Roland’s product-packed 909 day comes to a close, one of the more impressive announcements is the new System-8 synthesizer. Taking a design cue from the Aira line, the new keyboard is packed full of features including the ability to add and control multiple synth profiles at once.
Using Roland’s Analog Circuit Behavior modeling, the System-8 recreates the sounds found on vintage and current synthesizers. Roland calls them “plug-outs” when in reality they’re more like plug ins. In addition to the built in sound, users can add the sounds from the company’s library of instruments. It ships with the Jupiter-8 and Juno-106 plug-outs that can be played without any additional hardware.
Roland offers additional synth plug-outs (including the SH-2, SH-101 and PROMARS) for purchase. What sets the System-8 apart from the Aira System-1 that also supports plug-outs is the ability to load and control up to three additional virtual synths at the same time. You can do things like patch sounds for deep patches and create custom keyboard splits.
The System-8 also has a 64-step sequencer, arpeggio with quick access buttons, three oscillators, chord memory, CV/GATE outputs and a vocoder. Plus it’s polyphonic and supports eight voices via the velocity enabled keys. It also has the usual MIDI and audio in and out ports. Priced at $1,499 it’s a bit pricier than anything else in the Aira or Boutique line, but you’re getting a lot of synth in a single package.
Source: Roland
Apple ‘Reboots’ Self-Driving Car Initiative Amid Project Layoffs and Closures
Apple has closed parts of its self-driving car project and laid off dozens of employees attached to it as it reboots its plan for self-driving vehicles, according to The New York Times. The move comes just over a month after the company reportedly began shifting its car project to autonomous driving systems rather than vehicles under Bob Mansfield.
Mansfield, a longtime Apple executive who was previously Vice President of Technologies, was appointed to oversee the car project in late July, adjusting the project to focus on the “underlying technology” for autonomous vehicles rather than actually building an automobile. The layoffs, according to The New York Times, are part of the strategic shift of the project.
Apple employees were told that the layoffs were part of a “reboot” of the car project, the people briefed on it said. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Apple had made some progress in the development of Project Titan, the codename for its car project, having a number of self-driving vehicles in testing. The cars were tested with simple, limited operating routes in closed environments, but the technology was far from ready for primetime, reports The New York Times.
The Cupertino company had recruited hundreds of engineers from Tesla, Ford, GM, other car companies and employees in other divisions of Apple to work on its car project, growing the Apple Car team to nearly 1,000 members.
Earlier this year, Steve Zadesky, former Ford engineer and VP of Product Design, left the company for personal reasons. He had been in charge of the project and reported to Dan Riccio, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. Rumors have suggested that the departure of Zadesky resulted in delays of the project and internal strife due to challenges like unattainable timelines and organizational changes. The original launch target for the Apple Car was said to be in 2020, but changes and delays to the project had caused it to slip into 2021.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: nytimes.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Transport Canada advises airline passengers not to place Note 7 in checked baggage
Transport Canada has issued a statement about taking the Galaxy Note 7 on planes following a global recall and subsequent statement from the FAA.
In the statement, the airline regulator recommends Canadians traveling with the beleaguered device “be carried in the cabin, where an incident can be immediately mitigated,” and to avoid keeping the phone in checked luggage where a fire “could easily overwhelm the fire suppression system of an aircraft.”
The move mirrors a similar statement by the FAA, which “strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage.”
The full statement from Transport Canada is below:
The purpose of this safety advisory is to advise air operators, passengers and crew of the risks involved in transporting the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in checked baggage or inside the cabin of an aircraft. In light of recent incidents and concerns involving the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, Samsung announced on September 2nd, a global recall and replacement program for millions of these devices because of batteries exploding or catching fire.
Lithium-ion batteries that typically power these devices have the potential to overheat or short-circuit if they are defective, mishandled, or not packed properly. In turn, this can lead to a fire and cause a chain reaction with other lithium-ion batteries nearby. This type of fire could easily overwhelm the fire suppression system of an aircraft.
For this reason, Transport Canada is advising air operators, passengers and crew of this safety risk and recommends that Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices be carried in the cabin, where an incident can be immediately mitigated, and not in checked baggage. Transport Canada also strongly recommends against using or charging these devices in the cabin of an aircraft.
Earlier today, Samsung Canada told Android Central that new stock of the Note 7 would be arriving as early as next week for those who have turned their phones in to their carriers or directly to Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Google Chromecast 4K: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
Google’s Chromecast is going 4K.
It’s been a year since Google updated Chromecast by releasing Chromecast 2 with a new design, improved internals, and a refreshed app. The Mountain View, CA-based company has likely been developing a third-generation model since then, and according to a recent report, that new device should debut this autumn, and it’ll bring support for 4K streams. Here’s everything we know about Google’s upcoming dongle.
Google Chromecast: What is it?
Google launched the first Chromecast in 2013. It’s an affordable HDMI dongle that lets you wirelessly “cast” content to a television. It basically makes most TVs smart. Then, in 2015, Google launched Chromecast 2. It’s faster, more responsive, and just as affordable. And it arrived with an updated Chromecast app that serves as a one-stop shop for finding compatible apps and specific content across those apps.
For more information on Chromecast, see Pocket-lint’s review of Chromecast 2.
- Chromecast 2 review: Make any TV smart, effortlessly
- What is Google Cast for Audio?
- Chromecast now has a guest mode: Here’s how to turn on the feature
- What is Google Chromecast and why should you care?
- Roku Streaming Stick vs Google Chromecast
- Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Google Chromecast vs Roku Streaming Stick
Google Chromecast 4K: What is it?
Android Police has claimed that Google will soon invited the media to a hardware launch event. At this event, Google will announce two new Pixel smartphones, an updated 4K-capable Chromecast, a Daydream virtual reality device, and more details on its Amazon Echo-like Google Home speaker. Google might call its new Chromecast 4K the “Chromecast Plus” or “Chromecast Ultra”.
Google was reportedly going to launch a 4K version of the Chromecast in autumn 2015, but it instead released Chromecast 2 with a new disc-shaped design. It also released a Chromecast Audio device, which basically makes most speakers smart by allowing you to wirelessly “cast” audio content from a Chromecast-enabled app to a speaker connected to Chromecast Audio.
Google Chromecast 4K: What will it feature?
Chromecast 4K should support 4K Ultra HD content for the benefit of consumers that have upgraded to TV sets that support 4K content. If Google adds support for 4K to its HDMI dongle, it would beat both Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Stick, both of which are similar HDMI dongles, but they don’t yet support 4K content. Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV box doesn’t even support 4K.
We don’t yet know what else Chromecast 4K might feature. Keep in mind Chromecast 2 was updated to be compatible with 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, and it comes with three radios rather than a single-band Wi-Fi antenna, so you experience less interference than you do with the original Chromecast on a 2.4GHz network. It’ll therefore be interesting to see how else Chromecast 4K can be improved over Chromecast 2.
Google Chromecast 4K: What will it look like?
We don’t yet know what Chromecast 4K might look like, but Google just drastically switched up the design last year with the release of Chromecast 2. While the first Chromecast looks like a basic USB stick, Chromecast 2 has an all-new look, with the purpose of making it easier to squeeze between ports behind your TV. It’s a small, plastic, hockey-puck-shaped device with a glossy and colourful front and matte bottom.
Google Chromecast 4K: When will it be available?
Google will supposedly announce the updated 4K-capable Chromecast at a hardware-focused event on 4 October. If that’s true, we expect the device to be available for purchase either immediately or shortly after.
Google Chromecast 4K: How much will it cost?
Google currently sells the current-generation of Chromecast and Chromecast Audio for £30 ($35) each. It is unknown whether the 4K version of Chromecast will cost more.
Want to know more?
Browse Pocket-lint’s Chromecast hub for the latest and breaking news.
Master the latest iOS update with the Complete iOS 10 Developer Course (98 per cent off)
iOS 10 is nearly here, and time is running out to get a head start on mastering it.
With app developers eager to learn its newest features, iOS 10 is going to make a splash in the tech industry. So, knowing the update’s ins and outs is a great way to get their attention. WIth the Complete iOS 10 Developer Course, you can start mastering iOS 10 the minute it launches.
For a limited time, the Complete iOS 10 Developer Course is on sale to Pocket-lint readers for only £21.83 ($29).
Packed with more than 80 hours of training, this course will teach you how to build apps with iOS 10. You’ll explore coding with Swift, Apple’s very own programming language, and you’ll learn how to integrate iOS 10’s newest features like facial recognition into your own apps. On top of mastering Swift, you’ll also get exposed to SiriKit and use it to improve app functionality with Siri.
You’ll also immerse yourself in game design and use SpriteKit Games to build your own titles. Whether they’re for TVOS, iPad, or even Apple watch, you’ll learn how to design games and apps for several platforms.
As an added bonus, the Complete iOS 10 Developer Course comes with the Complete iOS 9 Hacker Training course bundled in for free. Featuring over 90 hours of iOS 9 training, this course will provide you with even more app-building practice as you build over 100 apps from scratch with Xcode 7 and Swift.
Bundled together, these two courses retail for £1127.80, but Pocket-lint readers can get the Complete iOS 10 Developer Course on sale for only £21.83.
Enter to win an iPhone 7 in our limited-time giveaway
Dying to get your hands on Apple’s next big smartphone?
Save yourself the £600 expense, and sign up for the iPhone 7 Giveaway instead. 100 per cent free to enter, this giveaway gives you a shot at winning Apple’s newest and most innovative smartphone yet. What better way to upgrade your smartphone than by winning the most anticipated one for free.
Simply sign up for the iPhone 7 Giveaway, and you’ll be a step closer to owning this year’s most talked about smartphone.
While details on its features are still speculative, the iPhone 7 is rumored to bring the latest in camera, battery, and waterproofing technology. With Android phones already building hype around their own waterproof phones, it’s clear that Apple is intent on matching the excitement with their own devices.
What’s more, many suspect the iPhone 7 will usher in a new wave of design changes. From repurposing the home button to removing the headphone jack, sources speculate that Apple is intent on dramatically changing the image of its beloved smartphone.
Whether you’re in dire need of an upgrade or just want the latest Apple technology in the palm of your hands, the iPhone 7 Giveaway gives you the chance to win a milestone in smartphone engineering.
Enter to win yours today, and you’ll have a shot at beating the rush when iPhone 7 finally hits store shelves. Totally free to enter, the iPhone 7 Giveaway can save you £600 on your next smartphone upgrade.
