8K Guy's Redmi Note 5 Wish List
I am a huge fan of Xiaomi's Redmi Note lineup, a series of budget phablets that offer excellent bang-for-your-buck. In fact, I have written reviews on both the Redmi Note 3 and Redmi Note 4, links below if you are interested. We are now in August and this means that we are approaching the launch to the next Redmi Note device. In case the title isn't clear enough, here is my wish list for the upcoming Redmi Note 5.
Redmi Note 3 Review: http://c.mi.com/thread-182660-1-0.html
Redmi Note 4 Review: http://c.mi.com/thread-198585-1-0.html
#1: Fast Charging
First in my list is fast charging, which I feel is really essential to a phone with large battery. With a 4100mAh battery, the Redmi Note 4 took close to 3 hours to charge from 0-100% with the included wall adapter. This is not an issue if you charge your phone overnight, but if you forget to do so, good luck! Some leaks are claiming that the Redmi Note 5 will support Qualcomm's QC3.0 and if so, charging time can be reduced to approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
#2: USB Type-C
At the moment, not many phones under S$300 are rocking the latest USB Type-C and I really hope Xiaomi will be one of the first to do so. Why USB Type-C? The only big advantage of having it on a budget device right now would be reversibility of the Type-C head, but having it is also a form of future-proofing. Within the next two years, we will be saying goodbye to Micro USB. Also, with most of the new devices (laptops, phones, action cameras, etc) sporting USB Type-C, carrying an extra Micro USB cable around can be really troublesome.
#3: Snapdragon 630/660
The Redmi Note 3 had a powerful Snapdragon 650 processor while its successor, the Redmi Note 4, got a weaker but more efficient Snapdragon 625 processor. Both processors have their pros and cons, depending on the user, and are targeted at different groups of consumers. For the Redmi Note 5, I hope Xiaomi will release a regular Snapdragon 630 version, plus a gaming edition with the Snapdragon 660 processor and more RAM. At the moment, leaks are pointing to a 14nm process Snapdragon processor, which could be either one of the two, or even the older Snapdragon 625 processor.
#4: Camera Upgrade
Back in May, Xiaomi announced the Mi Max 2 with the Sony IMX386 sensor on the rear camera, the same sensor on the Mi 6. While better lens, OIS and a telephoto lens puts the Mi 6 far ahead of the Mi Max 2, the bump to IMX386 was still a noticeable improvement for the Mi Max 2. If Xiaomi does the same to the Redmi Note 5, camera quality will greatly improve, though we can expect a small price hike from the S$259 of the Redmi Note 4.
#5: Removal of 2.5D Glass
If you have read my review, you will know that one thing I dislike about the Redmi Note 4's design is the 2.5D glass on the front. While it looks really good, it makes finding a good tempered glass screen protector a difficult chore. Many tempered glass screen protector I have tried on the Redmi Note 4 had an ugly air ring around the display, caused by the 2.5D glass.
Conclusion
As you may already have guessed, I am really excited to get my hands on a Redmi Note 5. I will definitely do a review on it here once it comes to Singapore. A lower-end Redmi Note 5A is also rumored to launch with the Redmi Note 5. If you would like to see a review on that as well, do leave a comment below.
