By Samrat Amatya
Xiaomi has always been about providing great value for money. They have been doing so by providing feature-packed products at minimal prices. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI, the latest mid-tier device from Xiaomi, is one such smartphone. Priced at Rs 29,999 the phone brings a lot to the table including dual-cameras, a near bezel-less display, feature packed software and much more. But should you buy this smartphone? Is it the best mid-tier smartphone in the market right now? Well, let’s find out!
Multi-media Experience
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI is a multimedia powerhouse! At the heart of the whole experience sits a 5.99 inch Full-HD IPS display with an 18:9 near bezel-less design. Watching movies, catching up on some YouTube videos, and playing a few casual games are all an enjoyable experience on the device. The panel also gets fairly bright, helpful especially for outdoor visibility.
Speaking of gaming, the phone with its 4GB of RAM and Adreno 509 GPU flewthrough every title I threw at it. I also didn’t notice any visible lags or shutters while doing so either. Overall, the multi-media experience has been pleasing and I enjoyed my time with the Redmi Note 5 AI.
Photography Experience
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI packs a dual-camera set up made by a 12MP and a 5MP lens. The picture quality from the pair is amazing with great details and sharpness. The phone also packs a slew of features and modes to get the best images and videos. Packing a dual-camera set up, the phone comes with a portrait mode. The Note 5 AI does a decent job at adding a shallow depth of field to the photos. Though, there is still room for improvements as the bokeheffect did seem a bit over pronounced.
The phone also has f/2.0 13MP front camera for all your social media ready selfies. Just like its rear counterpart, the camera takes some amazing selfies with a layer of beautification added. The performance too was much similar as the shooter took some great self-portraiture. Overall, the performance of the cameras is great especially considering their price.
Day-to-day Experience
The Redmi Note 5 AI is an amazing smartphone that was able to keep up with all my day-to-day needs. Performing task like scrolling through Facebook and browsing the web was no problem for the phone. The octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor does its job well. On a side note, the phone packs 64GB of internal storage and supports storage expansion via a micro-SD card up to 256GB.
The battery life is another area worth talking about. The inbuilt 4000mAh non-user removable battery gave me 5-6 hours of on-screen time which is amazing. Normal users will easily be able to get a day and a half worth of battery life out of this phone. Redmi Note 5 AI also supports Quick Charge 2.0 for faster charging time. The phone, however, doesn’t come with the appropriate charger, out of the box, to support this feature.
Not only the internals but the externals of the phone are also very congenial. The phone comes encased in a metallic shell which gives it a premium look. Not only the looks but the whole in-hand feeling of the phone is quite meticulous. This plays a huge role in making up a splendid day-to-day experience.
Software Experience
The phone runs MIUI 9.2 based on Android 8.0 Oreo. The software experience of the phone is very smooth! I have always adored the software on Xiaomi smartphones and this phone is no exception. Not only is the UI aesthetically pleasing but also markedly functional. Everything is where it should be with no signs of lags and stutters. Subtle touches like the interactive icons and pristine animations are a sweet touch that makes the phone unique.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI is one of the most feature packed smartphones that checks all the right boxes. It has an amazing display, superb performance, impressive cameras, features-packed software, and all day battery life. There is no doubt that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI is the best mid-tier smartphone under Rs 30,000 here in Nepal. It is just that good!
