Review of Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime - the best compact smartphone of the year

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The new flagship of the budget line Xiaomi Redmi has everything that is required from a modern smartphone: a high-quality display, compact size, record autonomy, and an improved camera. The life hacker finds out what he is in business.

Xiaomi has gained popularity precisely with the budget devices of the Redmi line. For the fourth generation of devices, the company made an unexpected decision: instead of a lineup of two modifications (a compact smartphone with a diagonal of 5 inches and a larger one with a diagonal of 5.5 inches), five different smartphones came out at once.

A compact device without a Note prefix is presented in the following options:

• Xiaomi Redmi 4A (HD display, Snapdragon 425 processor, 2/16 GB and 2/32 GB memory);
• Xiaomi Redmi 4 (HD display, Snapdragon 430 processor, 2/16 GB and 3/32 GB memory, fingerprint scanner);
• Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime (Full HD display, Snapdragon 625 processor, 3/32 GB memory, fingerprint reader).

The most advanced version of the novelty got to the review of Lifehacker. Perhaps this is the most interesting device in the Redmi 4 series (including Redmi Note). But first things first.

Specifications

CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (8 cores, 2 GHz)
Graphics Accelerator	Adreno 506
Operating system	Android 6.0
RAM	3 GB
Persistent memory	32 GB
Memory card support	microSD up to 128 GB (instead of one of the SIM cards)
Screen	5 inches, 1,920 x 1,080, IPS
Number of SIM-cards	2 (combo slot)
Networks	2G: GSM 900/1 800/1 900; 3G: WCDMA 850/900/2 100; 4G: TD-LTE, FDD-LTE 1 800/2 100/2 600
Wireless Modules	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1
Navigation	Gps
Camera	Front - 5 Mp, main - 13 Mp
Ports	microUSB (OTG), 3.5 mm jack, IR transmitter
The fingerprint scanner	There is
Dimensions (edit)	141, 3 × 69, 6 × 8, 9 mm
Battery	4 100 mAh

Appearance

A five-inch Android smartphone is an exception rather than the norm today. Meanwhile, it is this diagonal that is the most comfortable for many. Xiaomi Redmi 4 turned out to be even smaller than its predecessors and could compete with miniature Sony, which still occupy a significant market share.

Moreover, the Chinese company has worked on the appearance and assembly of its devices. Previously, smartphones of the Xiaomi budget line resembled bars of soap with noticeable gaps between the plastic inserts for signal transmission and the main metal panel of the body.

It was replaced by an improved case, like the previously reviewed Redmi Note 4: the transitions between plastic and metal are invisible, the corners are ergonomically sharpened, the back cover is as close to the plane as possible.

The color transitions are still there, but now it looks stylish. The initially good build quality has improved significantly and will now give odds to the design of any device of a more famous brand. The speaker grilles have been moved to the lower end, like the iPhone and its fashionable clones.

The rest of the device is practically unchanged. The location of the interfaces is familiar: below is a microUSB connector, on the left is a SIM card tray (combined with a slot for microSD memory cards), on top is an IR transmitter and a headphone port.

The situation is similar with the controls represented by the volume swing and the power button on the right side.

The fingerprint scanner sits at the top of the back and fits under your index finger in any palm size. Works quickly and accurately, no worse than older brothers in the lineup.

The main camera remains in place, just above the fingerprint scanner. It does not protrude, it is completely hidden behind the contours of the body. The sensor and the front camera are symmetrically positioned, which gives the smartphone a cleaner look.

The buttons are still used touch-sensitive (although the option with a mechanical key was promised). There is a weak white backlight, completely invisible in good lighting conditions.

Display

There are no sides protecting the screen in the new version of the Xiaomi budget employee. Glass 2, 5D with sloping edges is used - beautiful, but very impractical: you cannot put the screen down on the table, and if the protection falls, there will be no protection. By the way, there is an excellent oleophobic coating that protects against dirt.

The screen of the new Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime is perhaps its best advantage. It uses a strikingly crisp, bright IPS panel with an excellent viewing angle. Looking at the display, you understand why such a pixel density is needed.

The color rendition of the screen is close to AMOLED, but without "eye-opening" (although, if desired, this can be changed using the built-in screen wizard). At extreme viewing angles, there is a slight color inversion (but are you really looking at the smartphone screen from the side?).

The brightness margin is sufficient, its basic settings are correct. The minimum backlight level is enough for reading in the dark, it doesn't hit the eyes. At maximum brightness, the device can be used in direct sunlight without discomfort.

In the current firmware version (MIUI 8), automatic brightness control works excellently. The level change occurs almost instantly.

The engineers of the company, having saved the younger version of Redmi 4A from the huge black frames, for some reason forgot about the older brother. They stand out rather unpleasantly.

Performance

Processor versions are the second difference between the models in the line. The Redmi 4 uses the same platform as the Redmi 3S. The Redmi 4A has an even weaker processor. But the Prime version has distinguished itself for the better. Instead of a single-chip platform (SoC) Snapdragon 430, it has an 8-core Quallcomm Snapdragon 625. Of course, the solution is not a flagship solution, but many large brands do not hesitate to use it for the mid-price segment.

The platform is made according to the most modern 14-nanometer process technology. The smaller process technology provides a fairly good performance, long run time and no heating of the case under high load. Such a platform allows Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime to work faster than the version with an HD screen.

The results of synthetic tests can hardly be called impressive, but they show that the majority of users will have enough performance in any use case.

This is noticeable during testing: there are no lags or freezes of the shell, games run smoothly, web surfing and watching streaming video do not force the phone to slow down.

Operating system

The smartphone runs MIUI 8.2 based on Android 6.0.1. Unlike standard Android, the proprietary shell has advanced settings, a convenient shutter, its own gestures for control and a steep interface scaling.

There is a simplified version of the shell, which is activated from the settings and turns Xiaomi Redmi 4 into a kind of simple dialer. At least calling the required functions works the same.

Autonomy

The new budget employee is equipped with a battery of the same capacity as in Redmi Note 4 - 4 100 mAh. This is a kind of record for compact smartphones with a diagonal of 5 inches. And if this may not be enough for a larger smartphone, then the Redmi 4 Prime with autonomy is fine.

A smartphone can live for months without a load. The standard mode of use with a couple of hours of correspondence in instant messengers, web surfing in 4G, using a smartphone as a player and a game console eats up the battery no earlier than on the evening of the second day. Moderate consumption of content allows it to live for about 3 days.

The total operating time of the screen under load exceeds 10 hours. On synthetic tests - almost 11. This is a result comparable to the performance of smartphones from major brands running optimized firmware.

Why are there ordinary devices: most devices with capacious batteries (over 5000 mAh), for example, tested by Lifehacker Leagoo Shark 1, show a shorter battery life under load.

Cameras

The main camera in Redmi 4 Prime uses a 13-megapixel module with an f / 2.2 aperture. The photo system is supplemented with a phase-contrast autofocus system and a two-color flash. Today it is the de facto standard for budget smartphones. However, most Chinese cameras show that the quality of shooting does not depend on the number of megapixels, but on the optimization of the software.

This was most noticeable in the last test of the Xiaomi Redmi 3S. The device took grainy shots, stuck in HDR shooting in the dark and did not shoot well in difficult lighting. Compared to it, the quality of photos of Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime is a cut and a half higher.

The device correctly recognizes the lighting level and white balance. Of course, you shouldn't wait for professional photos, but even in the “Auto” mode in good lighting (even combined) you can get good shots that do not require additional processing. HDR mode optimized, bugs fixed.

Together with fast autofocus and a bright enough flash, this allows you to get good pictures for viewing on a smartphone screen or for uploading to social networks. Of course, you can save the document too. You shouldn't have expected more from a device in this category.

A 5-megapixel module without autofocus is used as a front camera. Of course, there are a bunch of additional processing options, but such a camera is only suitable for undemanding users. Selfie lovers may not like it: the lack of a flash requires a sufficient level of lighting.

Sound

This characteristic in the review of budget smartphones most often looks ridiculous. There are no dedicated audio processors in them, working software chips are rare. However, Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime is paying off its price quite well, since the new generation of Qualcomm processors has a good integrated DAC.

For a noisy street and MP3-quality sound will be enough. In general, enough for everyone who does not pursue the quality of the Meizu MX4 Pro (and for everyone to whom this name does not mean anything). If necessary, you can use the excellent system equalizer with tons of settings.

The main speaker is loud, but the sound quality is sufficient only for ringtones. Low frequencies are cut off. The earpiece speaker has a large volume reserve and sufficient clarity.

conclusions

The Redmi line is perhaps the best Xiaomi development. Almost all of these devices can be recommended for purchase. Some versions are better for one category of consumers, some for another.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime is slightly more expensive than the base model. If the younger version with the Snapdragon 430 processor will cost the buyer $ 135 (with the RE4X coupon), then the older version with the Snapdragon 625 processor costs almost $ 170.

The price is reasonable when you look at the state of the market: the closest competitors like Huawei Nova are now even more expensive and have a slightly different balance of characteristics. Meizu, with its 3 / 5s lineup, is not comparable to the Prime version of the Redmi 4 due to a significantly weaker processor, HD screen and low battery life. The most adequate comparison of the Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime can be made with the Lenovo ZUK Z2, but this is a premium device, despite the cost.

Among the strong characteristics of Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime:

• good screen;
• excellent autonomy;
• comfortable shape and stylish design;
• well-developed software shell.

With such advantages, the disadvantages fade away: high-quality cameras and sound are the lot of a completely different category of smartphones. Therefore, the novelty deserves the title of "the most suitable device for every day" or "the most balanced smartphone with a diagonal of up to 5 inches."

And the price - what is the price? Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime earns every dollar invested.