Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 32 GB / 3 GB

Less phablet

Recently, the terribly popular Chinese brand Xiaomi has turned the Redmi line of low-cost smartphones into a separate sub-brand. Specifically, the Redmi Note series formally belongs to the class of phablets (note: smartphones with a large screen), but now, when screens have become large everywhere, and the lines between ordinary smartphones and phablets have blurred, it is more correct to consider Redmi Note 7 simply as a strong “state employee” with an excellent frameless 6.3-inch screen, MIUI proprietary shell, capacious 4000 mAh battery, catchy design, USB-C and fast charging.

Beauty does not require sacrifice

You wouldn't usually say that about $200 smartphones, but the Note 7 turned out to be really beautiful. It is a pity that the photos are not able to convey the play of light and colour on the Gorilla Glass 5 glass and the lacquered plastic frame of the case. The Nebula Red colour with a monophonic edging looks especially advantageous. Formally, this is the same gradient coloring as Huawei and everyone else, but it is done somehow differently. Plus, it contrasts nicely with the blue-green gradient that has set the teeth on edge.

Decent performance

The heart of the smartphone is the Snapdragon 660 chip with Adreno 512 graphics. Different versions of the model differ in memory kits, where the minimum is 3/32 GB (as in this test), and the next ones are 4 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of storage. There is also a slot for a memory card, which takes the place of the second SIM-card. There is support for working with Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 5.0, but there is no NFC and this is a serious mistake. For some reason, the Chinese continue to underestimate the popularity of GPay in Europe. In general, the hardware is more than enough for any day-to-day operations with a smartphone – web surfing, streaming video and audio, GPS navigation, etc. It may turn out to be weak in some of the most demanding games or applications.

Excellent IPS screen

Now back to the screen. And this, again, is not the element that is usually praised in smartphones of this level. However, the screen here is really good, with almost the standard colour reproduction for this class, high contrast ratio, excellent factory calibration and Full HD resolution (2340x1080 pixels).

Accurate Dual Camera

The dual camera is also pleasing, which clicks quite high-quality pictures both day and night. According to subjective feelings, this is one of the best cameras in this price segment. The main thing is not to turn on the AI mode, which regularly "replays". Yes, and there are comments on the stability of the camera. For example, it sometimes does not autofocus in Pro mode, although the focus is set to Auto. And occasionally it freezes when trying to take a photo in 48 MP mode.

contender for the crown

Note 7 could become the king of the low-cost segment, if not for one thing. Namely, a competitor in the face of the Samsung Galaxy A30, which costs a little more, but for an extra $30 offers an excellent SuperAMOLED screen and NFC.