Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro 6GB RAM

While the Pro model shares its dimensions, screen specs and design language with its Redmi Note 5 sibling, the two are actually as different as chalk and cheese. For one, the Note 5 Pro comes powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 636 chipset, in comparison to the Note 5 that utilises the SD625 SoC. Next, the Pro model also has a 6GB RAM variant, unlike the Note 5. Also, the cameras on the two phones are quite different - the Pro gets a dual camera setup (comprising 12MP + 5MP sensors) and a 20MP front cam with a selfie light. In comparison, the Redmi Note 5 sports a single 12MP camera at the back, and a basic 5-meg shooter at front, each with its own flash.

Up front is a 5.99-inch display, with the slimmest bezels you have ever seen on a Xiaomi phone. The screen's 18:9 aspect ratio means the front is almost all screen, and the overall device size is akin to a conventional 5.5-inch phone. While the front looks good because of the slim bezels and the dual cameras add a bit of character to the back, the Note 5 Pro may not turn heads for its looks. The metal unibody feels quite sturdy though. Because of the camera bump containing the vertically-arranged dual shooters at the back, the phone wobbles slightly when kept on a flat surface.

I don't really need to tell you how important smartphone cameras are in this day and age, and the Redmi Note 5 Pro comes packed in this regard. The 20MP front camera comes with its own selfie flash, and in terms of resolution, is pretty much the most powerful seen on a Xiaomi phone yet. It comes armed with a software-based depth mode as well, and can take good selfies. The dual camera setup at the rear comprises a 12MP main sensor with 1.25 micron pixel size, aided by a 5MP depth sensor. And thanks to this implementation, it offers a portrait mode that can do bokeh.

In terms of software, the Redmi Note 5 Pro runs MIUI 9 with Android Nougat as base. Expect the usual MIUI goodies, including complete customisability with themes, dual apps, second space for those who want to keep work and play (or wife and girlfriend) separate, a full-fledged security manager, permissions manager, a reading mode for the display, etc. I especially love the subtle features - such as the Copy OTP feature in messages and the option to turn off just one instance of a recurring alarm, useful for when there's a mid-week holiday.

The Note 5 Pro holds the distinction of being the first phone in India to come powered by the new Snapdragon 636 chipset. The octa-core Kyro CPU setup is clocked at 1.8GHz, and comes with Adreno 509 graphics. In real-life usage, it churns out a solid and smooth performance, without any overheating issues even when stressed. It's mated to 4 gigs of RAM in my review unit, but there's a 6GB RAM variant available too, suitable in case you feel you're a power user and need better multitasking capabilities. That said, I found the 4GB RAM model to be quite zippy overall. Out of the built in 64GB storage, around 53 gigs is available to use out of the box.