Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro and its cameras – detailed review

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.

Indian version IN

Screen

Large and with sufficient resolution for such a diagonal - 6.53 inches. The aspect ratio is 19.5 to 9, but personally, the phone still seems too wide to me, especially when it is wrapped in the included case. You can do basic things with one hand (gesture controls help a lot with this), but you'll need both hands to fully use it.

The sensor is sensitive and responds correctly to all swipes, taps and complex gestures. The screen is covered with a protective shell of Gorilla Glass v5, pleases with Full HD+ resolution and large viewing angles - regular high-quality IPS.

The teardrop neckline at the top hypnotized my eyes at first. Then it all went away, and I stopped noticing him at all. Data about the charge level and network, time and enabled wireless interfaces are harmoniously placed on the sides of the cutout. But if a drop irritates you, it can be easily hidden.

There is a double-tap wake-up function.

Chinese version CN

Performance

Under the body lives a powerful processor from Mediatek Helio G90T. This is an eight-core installation with a 12 nm process technology and core clock speeds of up to 2050 MHz. The graphics accelerator accelerates to 800 MHz, using the Mali-G76 MC4. There is 6 GB of RAM, and there was not a single case when it was not enough for me, although I heavily loaded the device.

On the Antutu test, the device collected 286 thousand points, and this is slightly more than last year’s flagship from Samsung – the Galaxy S9.

European version EU

Cameras

Juicy. Detailed to the point of revelation. Clear and wow, so pleasing to the eye. I'm talking about the photos that these four camera modules of the Redmi Note 8 Pro create. They can do a lot.

The macro mode left a hair in focus, which was 5 cm from the camera. My Redmi Note 5, no matter how hard I tried, could not focus on a hair from the same distance.

An ultra-wide lens lets you put a new spin on regular shots. And in the 64 megapixel shooting mode, I took the most detailed photos. Even with cropping, no serious flaws are noticeable.

Landscape photographs are also beautiful in their own way. If you play with the settings in manual mode (in the application interface it is called “Pro”), you can create a masterpiece that is close to professional, or you can ruin everything).

If you are not confident in your photography skills, trust artificial intelligence. It is trustworthy: in most cases it correctly identifies scenes and independently selects the optimal settings for white balance, ISO and shutter speed.

This is where the AI ​​tried to find the best option, shortening the shutter speed as much as possible while keeping the frame light. As a result, some moving cars are slightly blurred, but the photo is not dark.

The front module has a resolution of 20 megapixels and allows you to take selfies that you are not ashamed to post on Instagram. Portrait mode is also available when photographing with the front camera, which is nice. The front camera passes the hair test, and quite successfully.

The “Portrait” mode has additional functionality - software changing the background, but it works too clumsily. There is also a change in aperture size from f1 all the way to f16. It is clear that the camera lens is not truly capable of such feats; the parameter is adjusted by software. Essentially, this is the depth of the background blur. It works quite well. And there is also a set of filters that Xiaomi used to be available only when taking photographs with the main camera.

All sorts of face whiteners, eye enlargers and wrinkle smoothers have not gone away.

Why are so many cameras needed?

Firstly, for show-off. And secondly, to pamper the user with various useful sensors. The hero of our review has a wide-angle lens, macro and depth sensor.

Scanner

The fingerprint scanner located on one block next to the cameras looks harmonious. But how inconvenient it is in practice: you constantly miss your finger and smudge the camera lens. Wiping it is a matter of five seconds, but it would be better to move the sensor a centimeter lower. There are no comments on the speed of operation: it is reactive and works the first time. Alternatively, you can enable face unlock, but this is a less reliable way to protect your phone.

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+.

Powerful battery - not quite

Under the hood is a 4,500 mAh bank. In theory, this will be enough until the Second Coming. However, in reality, a smartphone does not last more than a day and a half. At the same time, the time while the screen was on, in my case, did not exceed 5 hours. What is wrong with me? I'll tell you, and you can draw your own conclusions. Auto-brightness - yes, two SIM cards - of course, a bunch of pre-installed, but quite standard applications, viewing Instagram, chats in Telegram, a lot of photos with built-in cameras - all this is also available. I think this is an absolutely normal usage scenario, from which you can squeeze a maximum of 5 hours of screen time.

Don't forget that games seriously drain the battery. So, 30 minutes of a royal battle takes 9-10% of the charge. The situation with video playback is better - YouTube consumes only 7% of the charge in an hour.

Fast charging supported. And even the kit includes a corresponding 18-watt adapter. But the speed leaves much to be desired. The smartphone gains 4,500 “maxes” in exactly two hours. And the first thirty minutes are pleasing only 35%. Large, but slightly stupid battery. I hope that autonomy will be further optimized in the future.

Bonuses

The first bonus is that the manufacturer has equipped the smartphone with dust and moisture protection according to the IP52 standard. This means that the Redmi Note 8 Pro is not afraid of splashes and some amount of dust, which can penetrate inside the case without affecting the functionality of the device.

The second bonus is that the 3.5 mm mini-jack remains in place. That is, you don’t need to switch to wireless headphones, use an adapter, or, even worse, look for a headset with a USB-C connector.

The third bonus is an IR transmitter, with which you can control home appliances (TV, air conditioner).

Bonus four – the latest MUIU 11 Global. It cares even more about the user. For example, it forces you to unlock your device at least once every three days with a password/PIN code, and not with a fingerprint - this is so that you don’t forget it by accident. A folder with pre-installed games also appeared in the menu. These are funny casual games in which advertising works properly. They are removed in the usual way, so there is no cause for concern.

The fifth bonus is an NFC module for contactless payment. For Belarusians, this function is becoming relevant, so I would recommend choosing a new smartphone with NFC if you don’t mind paying at the supermarket with your phone.

Russian version RU

Comparison of Redmi Note 8 Pro and Note 8

A little earlier I reviewed the Redmi Note 8, so I can objectively compare these two modifications. The Pro version is larger, more powerful and has a higher resolution main camera. This affects photographic abilities, but only slightly. Is it worth upgrading from Note 8 to Pro? Only if you do not have enough screen diagonal; in all other cases, replacement is irrational.

If you are choosing between the regular and Pro versions, the following list will help you decide.

Differences between Note 8 and Pro in simple words

1. “Pro” has an additional color that looks premium - it’s green. We have a smartphone in review in exactly this color. You can also buy Redmi Note 8 Pro in Minsk in black and white colors.

2. “Pro” is more productive: it has more RAM gigabytes - 6 versus 4, and a more powerful processor. Only the Pro has Mediatek, and the regular eight has “Dragon”. If you don't like MTK products, then go for the cheaper version. For your information, this particular MTK chip does not suffer from very high temperatures under load.

3. “Pro” has a larger screen – 6.53 inches versus 6.3.

4. “Pro” has better developed photographic abilities due to the resolution increased to 64 megapixels. If you need a camera similar in capabilities to flagships, then your choice is the Pro version. If you just need a good camera, then the Note 8's 4 cameras will be enough for you.

5. PRO has a larger battery, but due to the larger screen diagonal and processor power, you obviously won’t get longer battery life. Therefore, when choosing between 8 and PRO, do not rely on the capacity indicator - in fact, the battery life is approximately the same.

Global version MI Global Stable

Verdict

Does the 64-megapixel module of the Redmi Note 8 Pro shoot four times better than a standard 16-megapixel mobile camera? No. Is a smartphone worth the money? Definitely yes. Does it have a good camera? Definitely yes. Is the Note 8 Pro better than the flagships? If we compare in terms of price and quality ratio, then yes; and if only in terms of characteristics, then no, this is not a flagship filling.