Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro First Impressions: What Has Really Changed?

Xiaomi is getting ready to introduce its next Redmi phone in India: Redmi Note 6 Pro on November 22. Given the success of Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched back in February this year, expectations will be high from the new variant. But Redmi Note 6 Pro has already been launched for markets like Dubai, Thailand.

So what exactly changes with the Redmi Note 6 Pro? Here’s our first impressions of the new Redmi phone based on the early review unit that Xiaomi has shared with us.
Redmi Note 6 Pro looks very similar to the older Redmi Note 5 Pro from the back, which is not surprising. Xiaomi has not really changed the design of the Redmi Note series drastically, though the newer phone is made of 6000 series aluminium, which promises a more sturdier body.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro’s display is slightly bigger at 6.26 inches, which has a notch on top. It also comes with two cameras on the front, which is a 20MP+2MP combination. The notched screen means the display aspect ratio is now 19:9, compared to the 18:9 ratio on the older the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The side bezels have not entirely disappeared and the top and bottom bezel remain quite prominent just like it was on the previous phone.
Redmi Note 6 Pro continues with a 12MP+5MP camera combination. But Xiaomi has changed the sensors. Redmi Note 6 Pro does not have Phased Detection AutoFocus (PDAF) like the previous variant. Xiaomi has gone for Dual Pixel Autofocus, which is superior. Redmi Note 6 Pro’s 12MP camera also has a bigger pixel sensor at 1.4um and improved aperture of f/1.9. The Redmi Note 5 Pro’s 12MP camera had a 1.25um pixel size and f/2.2 aperture.

How much of a difference this makes in actual usage can only be determined once we have used the camera extensively. For now, though, the camera shots are nice, it is quick to focus, and the overall picture quality is not bad. Whether this is a drastic improvement compared to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which also had an excellent camera for its price, still remains to be seen.
The other major change is the dual-front camera, in comparison to the single 20MP camera on the earlier phone. The Redmi Note 6 Pro’s camera continues to have Portrait mode on both the rear and front.

Redmi Note 6 Pro runs MIUI 10 Global ROM, though this is based on Android Oreo for now. Xiaomi is yet to roll out an Android Pie update for its MIUI. By default, Redmi Note 6 Pro has the older buttons format available. But the interface now has improved gestures under the full-screen mode.

When you turn on the Full-Screen Gestures, Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 gives a mini tutorial on how these work, which will be helpful for users. One just has to swipe from the bottom to the top on the go back to home from an app. You can swipe from the bottom and hold to pause in order to go to the Recents menu and close apps. When you have an app open, just swipe right or left from the edge to go back to the previous app that was open. In our limited usage, the MIUI 10 gestures are working smoothly and do not appear to be that complicated.

Redmi Note 6 Pro: What has not changed?
The Redmi Note 6 Pro is still powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor like the older phone. We do not expect that the performance will be drastically different. Redmi Note 5 Pro was a stable phone, and a good performer in the mid-budget category, and Redmi Note 6 Pro will likely continue this trend.
We have the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage option for review. Xiaomi is expected to launch a 4GB RAM+64GB storage variant as well like it did earlier. The Redmi Note 6 Pro also has a 4000 mAh battery like the previous variant. The battery should easily last more than a day for regular users, like we saw with the previous variant. It still continues with the micro-USB charging port at the bottom, though it has support for Qualcomm’s Quick-Charge 3.0. The SIM tray continues to be the dual-hybrid one with nano-SIM + MicroSD slot or a micro-SIM + nano-SIM option.

Redmi Note 6 Pro: Expected price
With Xiaomi’s phones, the price is really what matters and tends to drive sales. With the Redmi Note 6 Pro, the expectation is that it will start at Rs 15,000 minus one, like the previous phone. This will likely be for the 4GB RAM option, the 6GB RAM option could cost close to Rs 17,000. Xiaomi recently slashed the price of Redmi Note 5 Pro phones by Rs 1000 and they are now starting at Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999 respectively for the 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM variants.

Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro review: Faster performance coupled with better cameras

Redmi Note 6 Pro: Early verdict
It might seem like the Redmi Note 6 Pro is here too soon, but in fact, Xiaomi is continuing with its 10-month upgrade cycle. It will be hoping that users on Redmi Note 4 or older Redmi phones now upgrade to the newer Note variant. How the phone is priced might really end up determining this.