Xiaomi Redmi 4x review

In the official Russian distribution, we can buy a lot of Xiaomi products. The most recognizable are, of course, smartphones, which are divided into several lines: redmi, redmi Note and Mi. Mi 10 is, of course, the best deal on the market. However, today's review will be devoted to a completely different model, created in order to stand out in terms of attractive price to offered features. Xiaomi Redmi 4X - a successful device?

xiaomi redmi 4x review

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 4X in the first quarter of 2017. The model is a slightly improved version of Xiaomi Redmi 4. 4X is smaller (139.24 x 69.96 x 8.65 instead of 141.30 x 69.60 x 8.90mm) and lighter (150 vs 156g), has more RAM memory (2, 3 and 4 GB vs. 2 GB) and built-in (16, 32 or 64 GB vs. 16 GB), a more advanced processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 vs. 430) and a slower Internet signal (802.11 b / g / n 2, 4 GHz vs 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 or 5 GHz).

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Appearance and ergonomics

Redmi 4x is a model from the “middle” segment. It offers a one-piece aluminum body with plastic inserts covering the antennas, which, compared to Redmi 4A, provides a much better visual effect. In terms of style, the Chinese did not rely on any new items. An ordinary smartphone from this manufacturer, continuing the stylistic language of other models in the offer.

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All this is of very good workmanship. All elements fit perfectly, nothing creaks, physical buttons do not flex under pressure - and this, unfortunately, is not a standard among representatives of this price category. However, we will quickly see one, in my opinion, a serious drawback. Lack of backlighting of the function keys under the screen.

Continuing on with the cons, I should also mention that the case feels slippery and you have to be aware of that in some situations. Even worse, the back wall "backlash". For some, even the simplest silicone case will be a good solution to this problem. But it is worth paying attention to the advantages of the Redmi 4X design:

• Minimalistic appearance;
• Ergonomic body;
• Comfortably lies in the hand;
• Stands out from other smartphones;
• Can be used with one hand.

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On the front, of course, the main place was occupied by the display, under which we have a notification indicator and touch buttons (from left to right): recent applications, start screen and return. Above it is a 5 megapixel webcam, a speaker for calls and a set of sensors. On the back, in turn, we will see the traditional combination, that is, a 13-megapixel camera with a single LED in the corner and a circular fingerprint scanner below it.

The bottom edge is distributed between the microUSB 2.0 connector, microphone and multimedia speaker. On top, in turn, are located: a second microphone, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and an infrared LED. Two nano-SIM cards or nano-SIM and microSD cards can be placed in the sliding tray on the right side of the smartphone. On the left are the volume and power buttons.

The fingerprint scanner is located on the back side, which on the one hand is an ergonomic solution, because we automatically touch it with our finger, taking the smartphone in our hand. On the other hand, the scanner becomes "useless" when the device is placed on a table or placed in a car holder.

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The reader easily recognized fingerprints when the screen was off, its speed was satisfactory, although we can find models with a faster scanner on the market. However, I doubt that the fractional second difference will matter to most people. The reader can also block access to selected files or programs.

Dimensions

Redmi Note 4 X has a classic shape that fans of this brand are well aware of. At the very bottom is the so-called grille to protect the speaker. Yes, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X has not two, but only one speaker, but more on that later. On the right side is the power button and volume control. On the left is a tray for a SIM card and memory cards. At the top, there is an infrared port for headphones and possibly an additional microphone that cancels out ambient noise. All this has dimensions: 69.96 x 139.24 x 8.65 mm

Display

The Xiaomi Redmi 4X smartphone is a device designed with current trends and user requirements in mind. Therefore, the Chinese decided not to go crazy with the screen size. It has a diagonal of 5 inches, which is a reasonable option, and its resolution is "regular" HD, which may surprise some people. The pixel density of 294 is not the best, but it is certainly enough for comfortable use of the smartphone.

The matrix is made using IPS TFT LCD technology. In the settings, we can slightly adjust the saturation of the colors and their temperature. Color reproduction at a decent level - in general, I did not expect more from this device in this topic. Viewing angles are quite acceptable, whites are great and blacks are good.

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The minimum brightness allows you to use the smartphone at night without undue strain on the eyes - the blue light filter also proves to be useful in such a situation. On the street, Redmi 4X provides a fairly high level of maximum display backlight. Touch sensitivity is slightly worse, but still not bad.

Contrast and color saturation can be adjusted in three levels. Auto contrast can be set, which allows you to set the colors to warm, standard, or cool. Contrast can also be increased, but you cannot change the color temperature in these settings. In my opinion, the display looks best in automatic contrast and with standard colors. In warm colors, white looks yellow.

Camera

Cameras can be controlled using a special application prepared by the manufacturer. In the main mode, we can control the HDR mode and flash, as well as enable filters or switch between cameras. Additional options are available in modes, including panorama, night or manual mode.

I can praise the photos taken with the main camera, because their quality is satisfactory, however, only in good light. The amount of recorded detail is good, the contrast is good, the colors are natural (color saturation can be easily increased in graphics programs if someone needs it). The mid-tone range can be improved with the HDR mode. Drawbacks include a drop in quality around the edges of the frame at 16:9 and poor performance in more difficult lighting conditions when autofocus starts to falter. Nevertheless, I evaluate the Xiaomi Redmi 4 camera positively, primarily in terms of the price of this device.

The videos will be shot in Full HD. The processor used can handle 4K, so the manufacturer has deliberately chosen not to support this resolution. Movies look good and smooth, but the auto mode has issues with light changes and the image stabilization is mediocre, so we're just talking about acceptable performance.

The front camera gives you the bare minimum when it comes to selfie photos. I don't think anyone will be impressed by the quality of the shots, but once you get them set up (especially when it comes to dull and soft colors) they get better.

Communication and sound

The sound of the speaker is average, which is not surprising. It sounds better than many Chinese models, but far from ideal. For the more demanding user or movies from Netflix services, I recommend using headphones. Redmi 4X then produces good sound and sufficient power output. Additionally, we have a preset equalizer.

One multimedia speaker. Three words that do not inspire much hope, and practice shows that this is absolutely true. It reproduces low tones quite well. The louder, the worse the audible distortion becomes.

• connection quality / LTE: not bad, sporadic coverage problems far from urban areas,
• Dual SIM: passive (standby); we can choose a default number, LTE is not tied to a specific slot,
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth: the signal is well received and works quickly,
• GPS: locates quickly, but there are problems with applications that use it and run in the background,

Memory

New in Xiaomi Redmi 4X is the expansion of the internal memory for the user and the addition of RAM. The most powerful version of Redmi 4X has 4 GB of RAM, as well as 64 GB of internal memory for data and applications.

System memory test - AndroBench:

• continuous data read speed: 267.98 MB / s,
• continuous data write speed: 140.61MB/s,
• random data read speed: 52.8 MB / s,
• random data write speed: 9.24MB/s.

The smartphone is available in several variants:

Characteristics	RAM	ROM	Price
Xiaomi Redmi 4X	2GB	16GB	From 1800 rubles
Xiaomi Redmi 4X	3GB	32GB	From 3000 rubles
Xiaomi Redmi 4X	4GB	64GB	From 5000 rubles

Battery

The 4100 mAh battery allows you to achieve very good results in terms of operating time - with LTE, the result on the included screen (SoT - Screen-on-Time) ranged from 5.5 to 8.5 hours. With Wi-Fi it is possible to reach 9.5 hours.

Operating system

Xiaomi Redmi 4X offers MIUI 8.2 in a global version based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, but users can naturally look forward to the MIUI 9 update. In my opinion, the implemented software is excellent. It gives you plenty of personalization options, plenty of features and basic apps to launch - it's hard to complain about anything here. Now let's move on to the available features:

• Reading mode - can be active in all or only selected applications,
• Daily Lockscreen wallpapers - wallpapers that change at regular intervals,
• Themes - we have five to start with, but you can easily download many, many more,
• MiSound - headphone sound enhancement (Dirac HD),
• Prevent accidental use of the phone in your pocket,
• kids mode,
• Light mode - simplified,
• Fingerprint app lock,
• Notification panel and toggles - we can change its appearance, edit the battery indicator or show the download speed of data,
• One-Handed Mode - reduces work surface area to 3.5" or 4"
• Battery and performance - we can limit the activity of applications running in the background, enable / disable system animations and enable battery saver mode at selected times,
• Touch assistant - an additional circle that makes it easier to use the phone with one hand,
• Buttons - we can assign different actions to hold the buttons for a long time.

I really like the look of the system and the animation of transitions between screens. Everything fits together in accordance with the philosophy of Material Design. Xiaomi has also provided us with several different pre-installed apps to launch:

• Mi Remote is an application that uses infrared to control electronic equipment,
• Calendar,
• Music,
• WPS Office,
• SwiftKey Keyboard,
• Scanner - for QR codes,
• Control Panel - check the degree of memory consumption, clean it from unnecessary files and control power consumption.

The system is fully colonized and every user can use it easily. Of course, nothing prevents you from downloading a different version of the system. Moreover, packages with Android 7.0 are already circulating on the official forums. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X with MIUI 8.1 has also entered the Indian market, but they should already receive the latest version of Android 7.0 there.

Hardware and performance

Xiaomi is famous for installing very decent processors in cheap smartphones, often positively distinguishing their equipment from competitors. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is a perfect example of this because its heart is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, which we can often find in phones for over $10,000.

The Snapdragon 435 is a modern processor because it was manufactured on a 14nm process. This system consists of eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 2GHz and an Adreno 505 graphics chip. The smartphone offers 3GB of RAM. All this ensures a very efficient operation of the device and fast opening of applications.

The graphics chip is the Adreno 505, which combined with the HD screen may not be super-performing, but it handles the vast majority of games from the Google store well. It doesn't lose power under GPU load, and the phone stays pleasantly cool in most situations. Thus, high performance is an advantage of the phone.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X scored 61316 points in the Antutu test. However, this does not surprise me, because the smartphone works fine even after a month of use and installation of dozens of games and applications. I highly appreciate its liquidity and it can easily compete with expensive phones.

Equipment

The phone comes standard. The box contains a charger, a USB cable, a clip to remove the SIM card slot and a memory card, and instructions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages are the following:

• Excellent battery life;
• Above average performance in its class;
• Reasonable price.

Minuses:

• No NFC and LTE 800 MHz;
• Functional buttons without illumination;
• Relatively thick body.

Video reviews

After reviewing the test, it is also worth watching the video review of the Redmi 4X phone: 

Reviews

After many years, Chinese goods are no longer associated with complete hopelessness and lack of quality. Currently, companies from the Middle Kingdom are proving that the modern technology industry is just as important as offering high-quality services. All this is confirmed by reviews:

“Phone in use since 11/17/2017

Battery life is very good for its age.

Only during the first month there was a problem with turning on the flashlight, rejecting / answering calls, taking screenshots and dialing - all these anomalies happen when the phone is in the pocket (pocket mode is of course enabled).

The workmanship is very good, the aluminum does the trick.”

“I have been using the phone for over two years. It was enough for my needs. I can only say that it did not work: the camera sometimes crashed and shot poorly in low light and in motion, the keyboard display disappeared, a year later the side screensaver button began to stick. The phone works constantly, the battery lasts for about 1.5 days. The display is difficult to read in sunny weather, despite the maximum brightness"

Prices

At the start of sales, the smartphone cost from 12,000 rubles. Now it has been discontinued, and you can buy a phone only in the secondary market. It is good that in our time there are many ad sites. We were able to find a good model for 3000 rubles, with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of File memory.

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conclusions

Good components in a small package - this is Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro. In my opinion, this is the best choice for anyone looking for a powerful smartphone with a relatively small screen for less than 5000 rubles.

In my opinion, there are no critical flaws in the smartphone that exclude it from the list of possible purchases. We can only highlight the lack of LTE in the 800 MHz band and, possibly, a thick body. It’s also a pity that there was no fast charging and backlit function keys. Bad photos in low light are the standard for this class of smartphones, and in this regard, Xiaomi Redmi 4X does not stand out in any way - neither a plus nor a minus. The rest of the specs, as well as efficiency and battery life, are really good things about this piece of equipment.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is a smartphone that I can recommend if you put up with its minor flaws and the need to buy outside the official distribution channel.