Buzz
With a price tag of less than 4 million dong, Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 offers users many outstanding features, surpassing competitors in the same segment such as a 48MP camera, waterdrop display, powerful configuration, and excellently colored back panel.
1. Review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: Powerful Configuration with Snapdragon 660, Incredible Price
With a price tag of less than 4 million dong, Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 offers users many outstanding features, surpassing competitors in the same segment such as a 48MP camera, waterdrop display, powerful configuration, and excellently colored back panel.
Affordable price doesn't mean cheap quality
In the same price range, phones of similar cost often have similar features. However, the way the product is finished and how the manufacturer coordinates the components will create value that captures users' hearts.
When looking at Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, its appearance is no longer unfamiliar, as most brands in this segment offer similar products. What users receive are unique features, a slight hardware differentiation, and most importantly, the software experience. Xiaomi, in particular, is consistently praised for delivering the best software experience with intuitive gestures.
The front features a borderless screen with a 'waterdrop' notch and a slightly thick chin.
The rear is quite impressive with a blend of colors that match current trends, using Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Somehow, phone manufacturers in the mid-range to budget segments all finish the back panel in glossy plastic or glass-like material. However, most are still plastic with color accents and finishing to mimic glass and glass-like characteristics.
But for Xiaomi, their approach to satisfying users is always about delivering superior features compared to competitors. That's why they've opted for toughened glass, durable with a 'gradient' color shift effect, along with the ability to split light into familiar vertical lines. If you're seeking a device that exudes youthfulness, color, and modernity, then Redmi Note 7 is the most deserving representative.
Premium features on a device priced at 4 million dong
Borderless screen, tiny 'waterdrop' notch
Nowadays, users can see that new products from various brands have shifted to using this waterdrop-style display. Partly because it's trendy, and partly because it's not overly costly to implement, helping devices maintain good affordability while significantly enhancing the user experience.
With the waterdrop screen design, Xiaomi has cleverly adjusted the display area for small details such as battery, connectivity, clock, and notifications from apps. Yet, it's still large enough to show complete information without crowding notifications.
The waterdrop notch occupies a relatively small area, so it hardly affects daily usage experience, and it's not a significant issue in a world where numerous 'notch' types flood the mobile device market.
48MP Camera, True but Not Entirely
On mid-range and budget devices, both Sony and Samsung have their own sensors to develop and sell to other manufacturers. Sony has the IMX586 and Samsung has the ISOCELL GM1, both boasting a 48MP resolution, pixel size, and differing internal technologies.
The truth about the camera on Redmi Note 7 is actually 12MP
In the normal usage conditions of most users, that is using Auto and familiar modes like night, portrait,… all photos are in 12MP size. To achieve the 48MP figure, one must use the Pro mode to enable the 48MP feature.
And when comparing, there's very little difference, hardly finding a noticeable gap between photos taken at 12MP and those at 48MP. The most discernible difference is that 48MP photos have higher file sizes (three times larger). So, if you expect to crop photos from simulated 48MP images, the shooting conditions must be truly optimal—ample light, precise focus, essentially requiring perfect conditions to produce perfect photos, and cropping will yield better quality…
But it's not because it can't achieve genuine 48MP that the camera quality on Redmi Note 7 is underrated. Xiaomi itself has continuously changed its cameras, and Xiaomi's photos are now significantly different from before, starting from the time of Mi MIX 2S. With AI on Redmi Note 7 acting as a reliable assistant alongside the camera hardware, it delivers more eye-catching color images, no longer as dull as before.
Some images taken by Redmi Note 7
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Camera
Colors are fresher, more vibrant, especially with green tones, sometimes a bit too green and unrealistic. A downside of this camera is that it still takes quite slowly. Normal shooting and even burst shots are not continuous but slightly laggy, perhaps due to simultaneous shooting and processing, thus not as smooth?
Night shots from Redmi Note 7 still feel 'old', the algorithm isn't optimized for capturing fast-moving scenes, and it could also be the limitation of the hardware equipped on the budget device. Trading off noise reduction and enhancing details results in longer shutter closing times and the inability to capture motion.
USB-C fast charging 18W, headphone jack still present
Looking broader, while other manufacturers are cutting various features, users always find Xiaomi superior in a few other aspects, like USB-C and 18W fast charging. When normal usage lasts 1 – 2 days, fast charging becomes a good solution to replenish the 4,000 mAh battery quickly without needing to charge overnight like previous devices.
And the familiar 3.5mm jack for all user types, at least for a budget product, these small points won't be inexplicably trimmed by the manufacturer to give the device a good appearance.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: The cheapest smartphone with Snapdragon 660
Always keeping its fans satisfied, that's about the configuration. In every situation and consistently over the years, when it comes to price, Xiaomi always offers a 'better' configuration. This time, at a price of less than 4 million dong, users are equipped with the Snapdragon 660 chip commonly found in mid-range devices.
With Snapdragon, the advantage always lies in good and durable performance, for both normal tasks and heavy tasks like gaming. Snapdragon has always excelled in gaming, trying out titles like Arena of Valor or PUBG Mobile, Redmi Note 7 performs well, offering smooth gameplay and comfortable experience.
Conclusion
Currently, Redmi Note 7 is being sold for about 3.7 million dong as imported goods, or 3.99 million dong for the official version with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. In its segment, Redmi Note 7, when compared to other brands, currently has no rival, with high performance and modern design, yet the price is remarkably competitive compared to the general market.
