Ever since we learned that Xiaomi would be releasing a massive 48MP camera smartphone under its Redmi lineup, we have been immensely curious as to how the brand would price it. The wait is finally over, and the Chinese phone maker has officially unveiled the first Redmi-branded smartphone at an event held in Beijing. As predicted, the smartphone is called the Redmi Note 7 and indeed offers a 48MP Samsung GM1 primary imaging sensor. All this will come with a starting price of just 999 Yuan (about INR 10,300).
Redmi Note 7 Price in India, Availability
In China, the price of the Redmi Note 7 starts at just 999 Yuan which roughly equates to INR 10,300. This is for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant. A 4GB RAM and 64GB storage option will also be offered for 1199 Yuan (INR 12,500 approx.), while a 6GB RAM + 64GB storage model is priced at 1399 Yuan (INR 14,500 approx.). This phone will go on sale in China starting from 14 January 2019. Xiaomi hasn’t yet announced the release schedule for this phone for other markets, but we don’t expect the wait to be too long.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Specifications, Features
From the outside, the Redmi Note 7 is an attractive looking handset that comes in Twilight Gold, Fantasy Blue, and Bright Black color options. The first two of these seem to offer gradient finishes. Xiaomi says that the phone is incredibly durable despite using a rear glass panel. This is because the device is using 2.5D curved glass with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a welcome change from the metal unibody designs we have seen from Redmi phones in the past. There is no official water-resistance rating, but the phone is claimed to offer some level of water and dust resistance with the buttons and ports specifically treated for this purpose.
The standout aspect of the Redmi Note 7 is its 48MP + 5MP rear camera setup. The version launched in China right now is using a Samsung ISOCELL GM1 48-megapixel Ultra Clear sensor for primary photography. This sensor takes 48MP resolution images when the lighting conditions are ideal, or it will combine four pixels into one larger pixel to get a 12MP low-light shot. Another version of this phone with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor is also said to launch soon.
The 5MP secondary lens on the back is likely for depth sensing to aid in bokeh shots. The selfie camera of this phone is no slouch either as it offers a 13MP sensor with 1.6micron pixel size. Other than the addition of AI-based enhancements on both the rear and front cameras, the latter is even capable of AI face unlock. This will come in handy for those who might not want to rely on the provided rear-mounted fingerprint sensor all the time.
The display used on the Redmi Note 7 is a 6.3-inch LCD with a 2340 x 1080 resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. There is a tiny u-shaped notch at the top which houses the selfie camera. This screen is also said to support up to 450-nits of brightness along with a 1500:1 contrast ratio.
It is surprising that Xiaomi was able to equip this phone with a Snapdragon 660 chipset considering how aggressively the phone is priced. Furthermore, the phone will ship with MIUI 10-based Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. An impressive large 4000mAh battery comes loaded onto the handset, which happens to not only support Quick Charge 4.0 but also charges over the USB Type-C standard. You still get to enjoy a 3.5mm headphone jack on this device and there is even an IR blaster here so that you can use the phone as a remote control.
