Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro FAQ: All Questions Answered with Benchmark Scores, Pros, and Cons

Xiaomi recently introduced its first set of 2018 phones – the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Among these two, the ‘Pro’ variant is the one which most Redmi Note 4 users will consider as an upgrade as it gets Snapdragon 636 chipset, up to 6GB RAM, 18:9 display and dual rear cameras.

With the phone going out of stock within seconds you must be wondering is it a worth buying? Interestingly it is the costliest Redmi series phone in India till date. To end your dilemma of buy or not to buy the Redmi Note 5 Pro, we decided to answer most of the frequently asked questions related to this Xiaomi budget phone so that you make an informed choice.

Jump To:

• Xiaomi Redmi 5 Pro Specifications
• Xiaomi Redmi 5 Pro price & Availability
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Benchmarks
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Design & Display
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Performance & Storage
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Camera
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Miscellaneous
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Pros & Cons

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Specifications

• 5.99-inch (2160x 1080 pixels) FHD+ IPS display
• 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 with Adreno 509 GPU
• 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
• Android 7.1 (Nougat) with MIUI 9
• Dual SIM(hybrid sim slot)
• 12MP + 5MP rear camera with LED Flash,1.25μm and 1.12μm, f/2.2 & f/2.0 aperture
• 20MP front-facing camera with Sony IMX 376,
• Dimensions: 158.6 x 75.4 x 8.05mm; Weight: 181g
• 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
• 4000mAh (typical) / 3900mAh (minimum) battery

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Pro Price and Availability

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro India prices start for 4GB RAM variant is Rs 13,999 and for 6GB RAM variant is Rs 16,999
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro available on Flipkart and Mi.com and Mi Homes

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Benchmarks

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Design and Display

Question: How is the Redmi Note 5 Pro design?

Answer: In line with the latest trends, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is Xiaomi’s first smartphone with 18:9 display with trimmed out bezels. The phone has slightly curved edges on the rear that make it comfortable to handle.

The volume rocker and power button is placed on the right edge while the left edge has the slot to fit its hybrid sim tray. The IR blaster find a place on the top edge.

On the flip side, the phone has a protruding dual vertical camera setup.This camera hump leaves Redmi Note 5 Pro rear camera vulnerable to scratches when kept on a rough surface. The fingerprint sensor is present on the back panel and its easily accessible.

Personally, I am not very much tempted with Redmi Note 5 Pro design. The plastic trimmings on top and bottom of the rear panel make the phone looks cheap. In my opinion, the Mi A1 is best looking and most sturdy budget smartphone Xiaomi has launched in India.

Question: How is the Redmi Note 5 Pro build quality?

Answer: The Redmi Note 5 Pro built quality is at par with its competitors.

Question: How is the Redmi Note 5 Pro display?

Answer: The Redmi Note 5 Pro is the first budget phone from Xiaomi to feature an 18:9 IPS LCD screen with 1080 X 2160 resolution. The display appears to have good viewing angles and dynamic range. We didn’t find any issues with the brightness levels. The screen is reflective in nature.

Also Read: Top 15 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Useful Tips and Tricks

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro offer option to adjust display colors?

Answer: Yes, MIUI allows you to choose from pre-configured options.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro have a Bluelight filter?

Answer: Yes, the phone has a ‘Reading Mode’ that you can access from Settings>> Display.

Question: Is Redmi Note 5 Pro Water resistant?

Answer: No, the Redmi Note 5 is not water resistant.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with back cover and screen protector?

Answer: Xiaomi ships the Redmi Note 5 Pro with an average quality back cover that can even out the camera hump. Scratch guard or any other sort of screen protector isn’t bundled in the box. We’d advise you to buy a good quality Redmi Note 5 Pro back cover and tempered glass.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Performance and Storage

Question: How much internal storage space is free on Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: In 64GB variant, we got approx 53 GB of usable space.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have a separate microSD card slot?

Answer: Yes, it comes with a hybrid sim slot where secondary sim slot can hold a microSD up to 256GB.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro have USB OTG support?

Answer: Yes, USB OTG is supported.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have a fingerprint sensor? How many fingerprints can you scan and store?

Answer: Yes, like most rear 18:9 display phones it also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. You can store up to 5 finger imprints for authentication. The fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate.

Question: How is the day-to-day or general performance?

Answer: Well, day-to-day performance is its strongest suit of the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The phone comes with up to 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 chipset and Adreno 509 GPU which together performs really well.

We encountered no app crashes or freeze issues. The RAM management also doesn’t seem to be too aggressive which is sort of a good thing as the app will take less time to load. Overall, we are quite content with the performance of the phone.

Question: How is Redmi note 5 Pro gaming performance?

Answer: Gaming is extremely smooth as we didn’t notice any frame drops at high graphics settings while plating heavy games. Sensors are also quite responsive.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro have heating issues?

Answer: No, it doesn’t.

Question: How much difference in performance can I expect between 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM variant of Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: In the short run you’d be hardpressed to find any difference. The 6GB RAM variant, however, offers the assurance of durable performance in the long run.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Camera

Question: How is the Redmi Note 5 Pro camera quality?

Answer: The Redmi Note 5 Pro camera thrives in good light conditions like most cameras. The daylight images were crisp, vibrant and bearly noticeable noise. The portrait mode also worked well.

Where it fell short of Mi A1 camera is 2X optical zoom and low light camera performance. Having said that the Redmi Note 5 Pro offers a really competitive camera. You can head on to our Redmi Note 5 Pro Camera Review for more details.

Question: How is the performance of the Redmi Note 5 Pro selfie camera on?

Answer: Xiaomi has managed to surprise us with the performance of the Redmi Note 5 Pro Selfie camera. It is far far better than the Redmi Note 4. Apart from the regular selfie, the front camera also comes with a portrait mode which manages to take impressive bokeh shots. 

Question: Can the Redmi Note 5 Pro shoot 4K videos?

Answer: No, at best it can capture 1080P videos and 30fps. Xiaomi says that the 4K recording update is coming soon.

Question: Is the Redmi Note 5 Pro camera better than Mi A1?

Anwer: Both cameras are pretty close and both are imperfect in their own ways. The Mi A1 seems to have an overall edge over Redmi Note 5 Pro, but the difference isn’t much. Certainly not enough to influence the buying decision.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Miscellaneous

Question: What kind of SIM cards does Redmi Note 5 Pro support?

Answer: It comes with two nano-SIM card slots. It is a hybrid SIM tray one has to choose between secondary SIM or microSD card.

Question: Do the Redmi Note 5 Pro SIM card slot support 4G LTE?

Answer: You can get 4G LTE on any of the two SIM cards (one at a time). The remaining slot will have access to 3G/2G networks.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro support FM radio app?

Answer: Yes, FM radio is present on the phone.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro have IR blaster?

Answer: Yes, it does.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro has LED Notification light?

Answer: Yes.

Question: How is the call quality on Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: We faced no issues with the call quality on the device.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro support Reliance Jio SIM cards/ 4G VoLTE? Do both SIM slots support 4G VoLTE?

Answer: Yes, 4G VoLTE is supported on both SIM slots but you will be able to use it in one SIM at a time.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support native Jio Video calling or ViLTE?

Answer: Yes, It does support ViLTE.

Question: Does the Redmi Note 5 Pro have Face Unlock option? How well does it work?

Answer: Yes. The Face Unlock is reasonably fast when it works, but it is not very accurate or reliable.

Question: How is the Battery backup on Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: The 4000mAh battery on Redmi Note 5 Pro performs really well. It lasts good two days on a single charge when used responsibly. Charging time is 2.5 hours using the bundled charger.

Question: Should I buy fast QuickCharge 2.0 charger for Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 supports QC 2.0, but you won’t get much difference in charging time with a QuickCharge supported charger. With fast charger, charging time is reduced by around 20 minutes only.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Final Thoughts; Pros and Cons

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro manages to do well on the account of performance, battery life, and selfie camera. By introducing 18:9 display and Face unlock it is one of the better budget smartphones you can you today.

Currently, the Moto G5s Plus and Xiaomi Mi A1 are its competition, but the real challenge for the Redmi Note 5 Pro will come from Asus Zenfone 5 (first impression) and Moto G6 Plus. Till the other two arrive in India, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is set to rule the budget den.

5 Reasons To Buy And To Not Buy Redmi Note 5 Pro