Xiaomi takes on Moto G4 Plus with Redmi Note 4

After the impressive Redmi Note 3, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has announced its successor. The Redmi Note 4 continues in the same vein by offering powerful hardware, latest version of MIUI and subtle design changes that give the new phone better grip and superior looks.

The Redmi Note 4 will be available in three price variants. The 2GB+32 variant is priced at Rs9,999, the 3GB RAM+32GB model will cost Rs10,999 and the 4GB RAM+64GB model is priced at Rs12,999.

The phone is likely to be pitted against the Moto G4 Plus (Rs13,499 onwards), which has already started receiving the Android Nougat update.

Metal versus plastic

Xiaomi is one of the first phone makers to bring full metal body design to the sub Rs10,000 segment with the Redmi Note 3. Its successor also has a metallic exterior but due to a flatter side panel, it offers better grip. The Moto G4 Plus with its plastic exterior looks plain but offers better grip and is lighter too. It weighs 155g, while the Redmi Note 4 tips the scales at 175g. Both phones offer fingerprint sensor. In Moto G4 Plus, it is placed on the front, while in Redmi Note 4 it is placed at the back. The speaker in the former is placed on the front too, while in the latter it lies at the base.

Powerful innards

The new Redmi Note 4 runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor. This is the first 14nm chip from Qualcomm outside the Snapdragon 800 series and has been used in mid-range smartphones such as the Moto Z Play (Rs24,999). This is the first instance when it is used in a budget smartphone. It is a more powerful chip than the 28nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor that drives the Moto G 4 Plus. The other highlight of the Redmi Note 4 is that its entry-level variant offers 32GB of internal storage which is twice of what the entry-level Moto G 4 Plus offers.

Custom UI versus plain Android

Xiaomi’s new smartphone runs Android Marshmallow with the latest MIUI 8 user interface on top. It is a funky UI with lots of customisation options that allow users to modify the colour of the phone’s display, apply new themes and keep two icons of the same app on the phone. The Moto G4 Plus has an upper hand as it has started receiving the latest Android Nougat update and will be available to users right away. The plain Android interface is a lot more user-friendly but can’t match the MIUI 8 in the cool quotient.

Bigger battery

The other major highlight of the Redmi Note 4 is the 4,100mAh battery which Xiaomi claims is 25% more efficient than its predecessor’s 4,100mAh battery. The Redmi Note 3’s battery easily delivers about a one and half day’s backup on modest use. The Moto G4 Plus is powered by a 3,000mAh battery that provides a day’s backup at most.