The first smartphone with four cameras at once was last year's Samsung Galaxy A9 - and there this scattering of lenses turned out to be completely meaningless due to mediocre post-processing, and even the quality of the cameras themselves. It was a smartphone for 40 thousand rubles, let me remind you. Today you won’t surprise anyone with a four-camera smartphone; there was already a device with six modules - Nokia 9 PureView (let’s honor its memory and award a separate prize for the fastest oblivion). But a four-camera smartphone for 17 thousand rubles? With a main module of 64 megapixels (so far we have tested only one model with a similar one - realme XT), with a 6.5-inch display, a 4500 mAh battery and - for the first time in the history of official sales under the Redmi brand in Russia - with NFC (technically, the first Redmi with NFC was the K20 Pro, but here it is sold under the name Xiaomi Mi 9T).
On the one hand, there is nothing new for Xiaomi; we are already accustomed to the fact that smartphones under this brand are crushing with their characteristics, which sometimes seem impossible for their price category. On the other hand, it’s still impressive. But the Xiaomi Mi A3 was also impressive in theory, but in reality it turned out to have quite a lot of pitfalls. Maybe it's the same story with Redmi Note 8 Pro?
Appearance of Redmi Note 8 Pro
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- Dimensions : 161.35 x 76.4 x 8.79 mm
- Weight : 199.8 grams
- Body colors : Pearl white, Pine green, Mineral gray
The design of Redmi Note 8 Pro is noticeably different from what we saw in Redmi Note 7. The smartphone has noticeably increased in size, the display diagonal has increased from 6.3 to 6.5 inches, and the thickness has increased due to the increased battery capacity.
Xiaomi got it right with the colors. The green Redmi Note 8 Pro looks very unusual (one of the most fashionable colors this season), the white one is really pearly and looks no less interesting, and the dark gray, almost black one is for those who are for practicality and plan to be with their smartphone seriously and for a long time .
Despite the glass cover, Redmi Note 8 Pro is not too slippery . When you take it in your hand, you don’t expect that it’s about to slip out, and when it hits an uneven surface, the smartphone doesn’t strive to immediately go off into unknown distances.
Redmi Note 8 Pro is poorly balanced and heavy. The battery is placed in the center of the smartphone, and yet, the top part feels overweight; finding a comfortable position when holding it in your hand is not so easy.
Placing a fingerprint scanner directly below the camera block is a bad idea . When you feel it with your finger, you end up on the lenses and stain them.
The cameras themselves stand out noticeably . Due to this, the smartphone dangles noticeably when lying on a hard surface, which does not add comfort.
Making contactless payments
Payment with Xiaomi NFC is instantaneous, as devices are synchronized in a second. The information transfer speed reaches 424 Kbps, so it will not be possible to transfer large files. But this is not required when making contactless payments.
For models on Android OS, the Google Pay application has been developed, which is downloaded from the Play Market for free. After launching the utility, you need to link a bank card, for which you will need to enter the name of its owner in Latin, number, expiration date and CSV code, which is located on the back of the card. You need to confirm the binding using a code that will be sent to your phone as an SMS message.
It is possible to link several bank cards, gift, credit and virtual modifications. When paying for the goods, the desired option is selected, after which the device is brought to the terminal at a distance of about 10 cm. The fact that the payment has been successfully completed will be indicated by the appearance of a tick on the display.
In rare cases, it happens that payment does not go through. This is due to the fact that Google Pay stops working. The problem is easily solved, because most often it lies in the settings.
Please note that NFC must be turned on in your Xiaomi phone, for which you need to go to the settings and select the appropriate item. There is no need to worry that if the module is always on, it will consume battery power. It has extremely low power consumption, so it will not affect battery life.
Buttons and connectors
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- Connector : USB Type-C
- SIM card slot: combined
- 3.5 mm jack: yes
- Stereo speaker : no
The Redmi Note 8 Pro retained the headphone jack and moved it back to the bottom. It's much more convenient.
The infrared sensor is also in place , on the top end. On the other side and noticeably lower, there is a microphone. Perfectionists will not appreciate it.
The earpiece is very good, but due to the size of the smartphone, it may take time to adjust to holding the smartphone so that your ear is exactly on it. I didn't succeed right away.
The second speaker in the G8 was abandoned , however, this did not affect the sound volume. The sound is still loud, but what is called budget. There is no depth in it.
And again you have to choose between a second SIM card and a memory card. To immediately buy the older version, with 128 GB of built-in?
How to run Android Pay on Xiaomi?
When making a payment, you need to activate the service. For this:
- wake up Xiaomi from sleep mode;
- remove the lock;
- bring it to the terminal;
- If you need to select a source for debiting funds, open the application and select the desired card.
Redmi Note 8 Pro display
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- Diagonal : 6.53 inches
- Matrix : IPS
- Resolution : 2340 x 1080 FHD
- Brightness : 500 nits (HBM) / 420 nits (standard)
- Glass : Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Oleophobic coating : yes
Redmi Note 8 Pro has an IPS display, and this is correct , since with an AMOLED display Xiaomi would hardly have been able to make the price of the smartphone so “tasty”. But the IPS screen is also good here. Vivid colors, excellent contrast, high brightness (and a well-functioning light sensor). There is nothing to say about resolution.
The bezels are thin and the display is almost limitless. The cutout is made in the shape of a drop - quite large, but not so much that it seriously infuriates, the rest of the frames are quite thin. Xiaomi says that the Redmi Note 8 Pro display occupies 91.4% of the surface, this seems to be true.
The variety of settings is pleasing. As usual, you can play with colors and contrast, there is a reading mode with yellowness level adjustment, and there is a dark mode.
You can remove the cutout! Another little thing that will please many. In the settings, you can hide the waterdrop notch behind the classic black stripe or leave the borderless screen behind certain applications.
According to reviews from those who have already purchased, some copies of Redmi Note 8 Pro have stripes on the display . Be careful and check your smartphone before purchasing!
Setting up NFC on Xiaomi to work with Google Pay
The Google Pay service, which provides payment options, is pre-installed on all Xiaomi phones; you do not need to search for it and download it separately. If you don’t have it, installation is possible from the Play Market.
First of all, you need to make sure the NFC settings; to do this, go to the general settings of your phone and select “Connection and sharing”. There you will find the “NFC” section, where you need to do the following:
- Activate technology;
- Security element location – set to “Using HCE wallet”;
- Contactless payment - Select the Google Pay app and allow it to be your default.
Cameras Redmi Note 8 Pro
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- Main module : 64 MP, 0.8 micron, 1/1.7 inch CMOS photo matrix, 1.6 micron 4-in-1 Super Pixel, f/1.89, 79 degree viewing angle, tenfold digital zoom, AI support.
- Additional modules: Ultra-wide-angle lens 120 degrees, 8 MP, 1.12 microns, f/2.2, viewing angle 120 degrees; Macro lens 2 cm, 2 MP, 1.75 µm, f/2.2; depth sensor 2 MP, 1.75 µm.
- Front camera: 20 MP, 0.9 micron, f/2.0, AI support.
- Video: 4K, 30 fps, ultra-wide-angle video 1080p/720p, slow motion 1080p/720p. Front camera: 1080P/720p, 30 fps.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro camera is criticized by some, while others ardently praise it. Both are right. I'll explain why.
The 64 megapixel module is a really useful thing . Look at these pictures. They were made under the same conditions, but at different resolutions. In a photo with a resolution of 64 megapixels, the text on the ad is easy to read, but in a photo taken in normal mode, it’s a mess. The detail in the city panorama is also noticeably higher.
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In poor lighting, shooting at 64 megapixels does not produce anything , no matter what marketers say.
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The bokeh of the Redmi Note 8 Pro comes out very well , special respect for the ability to change the degree of blur and add studio lighting effects after shooting.
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Auto mode works well in good shooting conditions. Here, mid-range smartphones, not only Redmi Note 8 Pro, have already caught up with the flagships. The wide-angle mode of the Redmi Note 8 Pro is also quite good, the distortion is small
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There are strange glitches in the Camera app. Look how the lantern on the right is distorted. We change the subject and everything is fine again.
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The Macro mode on the Redmi Note 8 Pro is pretty weak . Even when shooting from a tripod and at a zoom closer than the stated 2 centimeters, the camera copes so-so.
The selfie camera in Redmi Note 8 Pro is not bad, but it has one drawback . It copes well with blur, but when shooting in portrait mode, the background is overexposed.
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Bottom line
In my copy, there was a layer of factory glue between the cameras and the body. I had a hard time getting rid of it. However, here's what it looked like out of the box.
It’s sad that Xiaomi has such an approach to quality control, but, on the other hand, there’s no need to blather. They are selling you (us) a flagship camera for pennies, with a very fast processor, an NFC module (you need global firmware) and a nice design. In addition, there is a top-end 64 MP camera, which can easily outshine even the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+. Let’s not forget about the other modules, which also cope well with their tasks. They are not here for show, as is often the case with Chinese devices. In addition, USB-C, audio output, infrared port, and a large, high-quality screen with Full HD+ resolution will be a bonus. Just juice!
What questions could there be for a device so generous in terms of characteristics and capabilities? Run to buy! Here is a link to a seller verified by me and, I’m sure, many of you. Using it you can buy a smartphone for $249.99. To do this, you need to select a color, equipment and click on the “Buy now” button. Next, on the order confirmation page in the payment section, we indicate some kind of payment method (for example, Webmoney) - we need to place an order without paying for it yet.
Here, below, indicate the promo code GWsuperG and click on the final button “Place an order”. After some time, the store employees will adjust the price - then you can pay in the usual way: by card or some other way.
Redmi Note 8 Redmi Note 8 Pro Samsung Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Xiaomi
Gaming and performance of Redmi Note 8 Pro
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- Processor : 8-core MTK Helio G90T, 2 cores A76 2.05 GHz, 6 cores A55 2.0 GHz
- Graphics : ARM Mali G76 MC4
- RAM : 6 GB / 8 GB LPDDR4x @ 2133 MHz
- Built-in memory : 64 GB / 128 GB UFS2.1
The processor in Redmi Note 8 Pro is the most controversial . By choosing Mediatek instead of Qualcomm Snapdragon, Xiaomi, of course, saved money, but was this saving justified?
Mediatek has a bad reputation. Overheating and high power consumption are the two main sins that are usually mentioned to them. What's wrong with our hero?
Redmi Note 8 Pro has high performance, which is enough for games . The MTK Helio G90T is billed as a “professional gaming processor,” and although the Redmi Note 8 Pro scored less than 280 thousand points in synthetic tests, it performed well in games. In PUBG I immediately set the graphics settings to high and did not mess up; in Asphalt 9 I also coped with the maximum settings.
Redmi Note 8 Pro barely heats up . Even under high loads, the smartphone warmed up barely noticeably only after half an hour of play, and remained cold when using the navigator (by the way, positioning in the Redmi Note 8 Pro works very accurately).
Xiaomi laid out straws wherever possible . Are you expecting overheating? Even before the premiere, Xiaomi demonstrates what a long liquid cooling tube they stuck into the Redmi Note 8 Pro - longer than that of its “expensive competitors.”
Do you think the smartphone will start to slow down in a year and a half? Xiaomi pulls out its second trump card - Mi Turbo technology and explains that everything has already been checked in the laboratories, and everything is in order.
Are you afraid that Redmi Note 8 Pro will run out of battery quickly? And here is a 4500 mAh battery.
And yet, for now, MTK Helio G90T is a pig in a poke . We will find out whether Xiaomi’s choice was justified only six months to a year after we start using Redmi Note 8 Pro. It is impossible to answer this question in a couple of weeks of testing.
What about the rest?
Everything is fine! Especially when it comes to design. The device is available in two colors: emerald green and pearl white. I chose the first one, because even boys choose... well, you get the idea. Although after a couple of weeks of interacting with the device, I got a little tired of such a catchy color. Perhaps the white version will be calmer.
Of course, the case collects fingerprints extremely readily. But most of all, in terms of practicality, the strongly protruding camera block is annoying. The lenses are protected by a rim that barely protrudes above their surface. However, large and hard particles can still scratch lenses. You need to watch the surface where you place the device.
The fingerprint scanner is located on the back. Thank goodness it’s not on the screen, otherwise they would have inserted some ultra-budget AMOLED straight from 2012 here. I'm talking about Xiaomi Mi A3, if anything. Be that as it may, the sensor works perfectly. Removes the block quickly and without errors, and it is always convenient to reach the contact pad with your index finger. And no, the camera lens does not get dirty.
Battery and charging speed of Redmi Note 8 Pro
- Battery capacity: 4500 mAh (standard)
- Fast charging: supported
- Charger included: 18 W
There are no complaints about the operating time of Redmi Note 8 Pro . With fairly intensive use, the battery lasted for more than a day; if you slow down with photography and games, you can not charge your smartphone for a couple of days.
Fast charging = half an hour at a power outlet. It’s very cool that Xiaomi wasn’t greedy and immediately put an 18-watt charging block in the Redmi Note 8 Pro box. With it, the smartphone is charged to 40% in 30 minutes, 65% in an hour, and reaches 100% in just over two hours. Considering the capacious battery, as well as the fact that the Redmi Note 8 Pro is still a mid-class smartphone, the performance is excellent.
Autonomy
And one more point for which our smartphone is famous. The 4.5 Ah battery and optimized shell give the user the opportunity to hang out with the phone away from a power outlet for up to three days. If you actively use your smartphone, then expect that you will have to charge it at least once every two days.
You need to charge via USB Type-C (thank you, Xiaomi), there is fast charging - Quick Charge 4+.
Owner recognition
- Fingerprint scanner: yes, on the back
- Face recognition: yes, 2D
Recognition works surprisingly well. A very sensitive and lightning fast fingerprint scanner, just as fast and not capricious Face ID. There is nothing to complain about.
The location of the fingerprint scanner is absolutely stupid. This is a case where ergonomics was sacrificed for design, and completely in vain.
Benefits of NFC
The NFC module can be used to exchange data between devices that support this technology. Such a module can even be found in printers today. Therefore, NFC can fully replace a computer. From it you can download information to flash drives.
Xiaomi smartphones with NFC - the possibility of contactless payment. All top phones of the Chinese brand Xiaomi support this technology. It’s easy to use: just touch your Xiaomi smartphone with NFC to the terminal and select a card. Are there any delays in payment? The transaction is processed immediately. All payments are absolutely safe: they are protected by special technology that creates one-time passwords for each request for funds from the terminal.
Is Redmi Note 8 Pro worth the money they are asking for it?
Definitely yes. In the very difficult niche of inexpensive smartphones priced up to 20,000 rubles, Redmi Note 8 Pro is already a leader, at least in terms of customer interest. Xiaomi once again repeated the same trick as with Redmi Note 7 - it made a perfectly balanced smartphone with excellent performance characteristics and at a reasonable price. For this, you can forgive both the flaws of the camera and the notorious Mediatek.
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Positioning
The manufacturer has endowed the device with remarkable photographic skills - there are four camera modules, the main one of which has a resolution of 64 megapixels. A large screen with a miniature “drop” for the front camera and stylish body colors. White with pearlescent shine and emerald green look like an esthete’s dream – that’s me without exaggeration.
Essentially, Redmi Note 8 Pro is a smartphone with near-flagship capabilities and a budget price. That is, a camera phone in an expensive-looking shell at an affordable price. Therefore, the fact that Belarusians lined up behind him is absolutely logical. It also has disadvantages, which I will also talk about in the review.
Data transfer
Please note that Xiaomi phones with NFC do not support sending/receiving large files, which is explained by the low speeds of the technology. You can send files such as documents, pictures, screenshots. A prerequisite is the presence of the corresponding module on the sending and receiving devices. Then you should check that the option is enabled, then bring the smartphones closer with the back surface of each other and wait for a sound signal. This will complete the data sending process.
Recently, Xiaomi is increasingly equipping mid-price devices with such a chip. This contributes to the fact that contactless payment is increasingly becoming part of our lives, making it more comfortable and safe.
If the terminal does not read the card
Sometimes it happens that the terminal does not read Xiaomi NFC. There are several ways to unlock the software:
- Open “Security” on your smartphone, section “Permissions”, “Others”, Android Pay. Here you need to tick all the boxes;
- There you can find “Autorun”, where you can put a checkmark next to the option name;
- Open the settings menu. Go to the battery section, then - “Charge consumption by applications”. If the line opposite enable is already activated here, then you need to click on the “Select application” item, Android Pay. Check “No restrictions” and “Allow”. If there is o here, there is no need to change anything;
- From the settings, click on the “Notifications and status bar”, “Application notifications” section. Select the appropriate program, check all the boxes;
- Go to the “More” section, which is located in the settings. Open “Security Element Location”, then “Use HCE Wallet”. Open the “Contactless payment” section > “Main payment method” > Android Pay (for Miui 9).
NFC is a useful option on a Xiaomi smartphone from the Mi or Redmi line. Users can easily make payments in stores, provide ID when at home. You just need to learn how to enable and configure the option.
