Redmi Note 4 Explained

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4/4X
Manufacturer:Xiaomi
Series:Xiaomi Redmi
Released:MTK:

Snapdragon:
Predecessor:Redmi Note 3
Successor:Redmi Note 5
Type:Touchscreen smartphone
Form:Slate
Weight:1651NaN1 (Snapdragon Variant)1751NaN1 (Mediatek Variant)
Os:Redmi Note 4: MIUI 11.0 based on Android 7.0
Redmi Note 4(SD)/4X: MIUI 11.0 based on Android 7.0.
Compatible Networks:GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
HSPA: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
LTE: B3, B5, B40(India Qualcomm)
LTE Cat.6 2CA(50 mbps uplink, 300 mbps downlink)
Cpu:Mediatek Helio X20 Deca core(TSMC 20nm HKMG) Max. 2.1GHz(2x 2.1 GHz Cortex A72 + 4x 1.85 GHz Cortex A53 + 4x 1.4 GHz Cortex A53) MT6796
or
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa core(14nm Samsung LPP FinFET) Max. 2.0 GHz (8x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53) MSM8953
Gpu:Redmi Note 4: Mali-T880 MP4(28nm process) 780MHz
Redmi Note 4(SD)/4X: Adreno 506(14nm process) 650MHz
Sim:Micro-SIM(SIM1), Nano-SIM(SIM2; Hybrid)
Battery:Non-removable Li-Po 4100mAh(typ)4000mAh(min) battery
Charging:5V@2A (10W) via microUSB 2.0 Port
Display:5.5inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen
1080 x 1920 pixels, ~401 ppi, 16M colors with 2.5D scratch resistant curved glass.Vendors: BOE, Tianma, EBBG(Late 2017 units onwards)
Rear Camera:13 MP, Sony Exmor RS IMX258
or
Samsung ISOCELL S5K3L8
or
Omnivision Purecel OV18355
All sensors have: f/2.0, 0.1s ultra fast phase detection autofocus (PDAF), 1.12μm pixel size, CMOS BSI with dual-LED (dual tone) flash, 5-piece lens, 4K/4K UHD, 120fps slo-mo support.
Front Camera:5 MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K5E8 f/2.0, 1080p, face recognition support
Memory:16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB eMMC 5.1
RAM:
2 GB, 3 GB or 4 GB LPDDR3 32-bit Single-Channel 933MHz
Memory Card:microSD, up to 128 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Connectivity:(* = Wi-Fi 802.11 ac band supported on MTK variant only)
Slogan:Power has a new look
Sar:0.375 W/Kg (Snapdragon Variant)
Codename:Mediatek : nikel
Qualcomm Snapdragon : mido

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is the fourth smartphone under the Redmi Note series developed by Xiaomi Inc.[1] It is a part of Xiaomi's budget Redmi smartphone lineup.[2] [3] It has two variants : The older version sold as Redmi Note 4 is powered by a Deca-core Mediatek MT6797 Helio X20 SOC. The upgraded version, sold both as Redmi Note 4X and Redmi Note 4 (where MTK version was not released) is powered by an Octa-core MSM8953 Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC.[4] The Redmi Note 4 was succeeded by Redmi Note 5.[5]

History

In January 2017, the Snapdragon version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 or Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X became the company's first major launch. It came with 2 GB RAM + 32 GB eMMC, 3 GB RAM + 16 or 32 GB eMMC and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB eMMC variants. The phone sports a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display (1080 × 1920 resolution), translating to a pixel density of 401 ppi.[6] The display also promises to have contrast ratio of 1000:1 and 72% coverage of NTSC colour gamut.[7]

On February 14, 2017, alongside the Chinese release of the Redmi Note 4X, Xiaomi released a limited edition set of the phone featuring Hatsune Miku. The set contained a customized box, the phone, a power bank and a protective case.

In October 2017, Lei Jun announced that the sales of Redmi Note 4X exceeded 20 million units globally and its reputation was good.[8]

The company announced that as many as 9,624,110 units of Redmi Note 4 were sold in India in 2017 and that it was one of their best-selling smartphones in the last quarter of 2017.[9]

The device sold over 10 Million units in India alone.[10]

The company discontinued the smartphone's sale in favor of the successors Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5.

Specifications

Hardware

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 MTK (codename nikel) is equipped with MediaTek MT6796 Helio X20 CPU and Mali-T880 MP4 GPU. It runs MIUI 8, (updated to MIUI 9.6) based on Android 6.0.

The Global 4 or 4X variant (SD - codename mido) uses Qualcomm's Octa-core 2.0 GHz Snapdragon 625 CPU and Adreno 506 GPU.

All variants included an 5.5inches 1080p display, 2, 3 or 4 GB of RAM, 16, 32 or 64 GB eMMC 5.1 Flash storage, a 5MP front camera, non-removable 4100 mAh Li-Po battery (BN41/BN43) and it supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac* (* = Wi-Fi 802.11 ac band is supported on MTK variant only) networks on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Phones also support hybrid SIM and Memory Card configuration in which the user can have either two SIM cards or a SIM card + microSDHC card at one time because one SIM card and the microSDHC card share the same physical tray slot.

Another notable feature of the phone is the presence of a fingerprint sensor at the back which can also be used for capturing images via the front or the rear cameras. The device also comes equipped with an RGB Notification LED light and is recognized as one of the last phones by Xiaomi to have an RGB light instead of the monochromatic White color notification LED used in devices launched thereafter.

The Redmi Note 4 (MTK) has screws on each side of the micro-USB port which allows easy access to internal components. The Redmi Note 4X does not have this pair of screws.

Also, the Redmi Note 4 (MTK) has a full metal body whereas the Global and Snapdragon variants of the phone have an anodized aluminum body with plastic inserts at the top and bottom for better signal reception. The global variant also does not have the diamond cut finish found on the MediaTek variant of the phone.

Software

On launch, it ran MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0, which was updated to MIUI 10.2 based on Android 7.0 for Snapdragon devices. Purchasing a Redmi Note 4 Snapdragon variant now will be running MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 instead of Android 6.0. The Global Snapdragon Edition of the device is slated to receive MIUI 11 update based on Android 9.0 in November 2019.

The MediaTek edition, however, runs on MIUI 10 based on Android 6.0.

The Sailfish OS was ported on a Qualcomm version of Note 4.[11]

Through Custom Roms, Android versions up to Android 13[12] is available for Note 4. It is one of the most widely supported phone in custom Rom community.

Variants comparison

NameCodenameDisplayResolutionRelease dateSoCRAM(LPDDR3 SIngle-Channel)Storage(eMMC 5.1)LTERear CameraFront CameraBatteryOperating SystemMIUI Distribution
Redmi Note 4 [13] nikelIPS 5.5"Full HD 1920 x 1080August 2016MediatekHelio X20

MT6797

2 x 2.1 GHz (A72) + 4 x 1.85 GHz (A53) + 4 x 1.4 GHz (A53)

3 GB32 GBYes13 MP5 MP4100 mAh (typical) / 4000 mAh (min/rated)MIUI 10Android 6.0

MIUI 8 when released

China, Global and Xiaomi.eu
64 GB
4 GB64 GBChina
Redmi Note 4X [14] Redmi Note 4[15] midoJanuary 2017QualcommSnapdragon 625

MSM8953

8 x 2.0 GHz (A53)

2 or 3 GB16 GBMIUI 11Android 7.0

MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 when released

China, Global and Xiaomi.eu
32 GB
4 GB64 GBGlobal and Xiaomi.eu

Reception

The smartphone received mostly positive feedback upon its launch because of its great battery life, CPU performance, good thermal performance, great price-to-performance ratio and a great day-to-day performance.

GSMArena states: "The Redmi Note 4(X)'s Snapdragon 625, which we consider to be the ultimate mid-range chipset for this generation, provides excellent performance with great power efficiency and thermal properties. The battery life of this phone is jaw-dropping, the MIUI experience is smooth, and the camera does well in all occasions. All these goodies come in a sturdy metal body, which adds to the already great value of the Redmi Note 4(X)." Also, in GSMArena's device review, the Snapdragon edition of the phone scored much better than the specified figures, getting a 1500:1 Contrast ratio, 484nits of maximum luminance and excellent colour accuracy for the class.https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_note_4_snapdragon-review-1593p3.php [16]

According to AndroidAuthority: "The Redmi Note 4(X) is not perfect, but it is a well-rounded package that one wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a budget or mid-range smartphone. Packed in a neat chassis, the smartphone performs great and is a compelling value-for-money smartphone."[17]

Gadgets360 also rated the phone 8 on 10, appreciating the device for its battery efficiency, good performance for the class and good thermal efficiency.[18]

AndroidCentral also considered Redmi Note 4 (SD variant) to be one of the best smartphones one can buy in the mid-budget range even after 6 months of launch.[19]

TechRadar called Redmi Note 4 to be an overall impressive device overall, though lacking the X factor, getting 4/5 ratings.[20]

Initially, upon launch, it was not received as the true successor of the Redmi Note 3 (Snapdragon variant) mostly because of the use of the Snapdragon 625 as opposed to the Snapdragon 650 in Redmi Note 3 in terms of the RAW performance of the CPU and GPU. Though perceived initially as a theoretical downgrade by media, XDA Developers also considered the device an upgrade to Redmi Note 3, citing its overall sustained performance, on par day to day performance and better battery and thermal performance by a good margin.[21] [22] The new Snapdragon 625 was well received by users as well as reviewers after using the device for a while owing to the better fabrication process, battery life and thermal efficiency of the new chipset over the Snapdragon 650.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi 4 Review- The Best Budget Smartphone!. The AndroidPoint. 2017-05-02. 2017-06-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20170617230115/http://theandroidpoint.com/xiaomi-redmi-4-review-the-best-budget-smartphone/. dead.
  2. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 . GSMArena. 23 May 2017.
  3. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Review . ndtv. 19 January 2017 . 23 May 2017.
  4. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 . GSMArena. 23 May 2017.
  5. News: Xiaomi to launch Redmi Note 5 Pro as Redmi Note 5 in China. GSMArena.com. 2018-07-03. en-US.
  6. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review. 2017-02-17.
  7. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Price and Features - Mi India. www.mi.com. 2019-02-07.
  8. Web site: "价格屠夫"名不虚传!红米NOTE4X:单机销量突破2000万. share.iclient.ifeng.com. 2017-12-01.
  9. Web site: Xiaomi sold more than 9.6 million Redmi note 4 last year. 14 February 2018 . Times Now, edited by Suraj Sarkar 1805. 2018-02-14.
  10. Web site:
    1. RedmiNote4: 10M phones sold in one year! #MIUI10 stable ROM is now available for Redmi Note 4. Check out: https://in.c.mi.com/thread-1663267-1-0.html … Excited that tomorrow we are launching #RedmiNote6Pro, the 1st phone from Xiaomi with Quad (4) Cameras. #Xiaomi #RedmiNoteLegacypic.twitter.com/96fDSyFI96
    . Jain. Manu Kumar. 2018-11-20. @manukumarjain. en. 2019-02-07.
  11. Web site: Adaptations/libhybris/Install SailfishOS for mido - Mer Wiki. 2021-11-17. wiki.merproject.org.
  12. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 . 2023-03-23 . XDA Forums . 15 March 2023 . en-US.
  13. Web site: 红米Note 4 参数 - 小米商城. www.mi.com. zh-CN. 2017-09-07.
  14. Web site: 红米Note 4X - 小米商城. www.mi.com. zh-CN. 2017-09-09.
  15. Web site: Redmi Note 4 - Mi Singapore. www.mi.com. en. 2017-09-07.
  16. News: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625) review: Take Note!. GSMArena.com. 2017-09-12. en.
  17. http://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-redmi-note-4-review-749774/ Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review
  18. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Review. Pratap. Ketan. NDTV Gadgets 360. 19 January 2017 . en. 2019-02-07.
  19. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review: Six months later. 2017-07-25. Android Central. en. 2019-02-07.
  20. Web site: Redmi Note 4 Review. 23 January 2017 .
  21. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 XDA Review: All Geared Up for Another Year of Success. 2017-03-18. xda-developers. en-US. 2019-02-07.
  22. Web site: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 XDA Performance and Battery Life Review (Compared to Redmi Note 3). 2017-02-19. xda-developers. en-US. 2019-02-07.