Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 hands-on: 48MP camera for $150

Update: April 15, 2019 – Check out our full review of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 to see our final verdict on the phone.

Original story, Feb. 27, 2019 – Earlier this year the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 launched in China. Now it’s India’s turn, with the official launch taking place tomorrow. If the launch in China is any indication, the Redmi Note 7 is going to be an excellent value with great hardware. During MWC 2019 we had the opportunity to spend a little hands-on time with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.

Easily the star feature on the Redmi Note 7 is the camera, consisting of a 48MP f/1.8 main camera (Samsung GM1) and a 5MP secondary shooter. The phone utilizes pixel binning to take better shots, though shots will actually come out at a 12MP resolution as a result. The front-facing 13MP isn’t as exciting but gets the job done well enough and is contained within the display’s small waterdrop notch.

The design of the Redmi Note 7 isn’t too different from other phones on the market. It’s your typical glass sandwich design but it does come in some really eye-catching gradient colors. We personally had the chance to play with the red model, and really liked how much the color made the phone stand out.

The display on the front is 6.3-inch HD+ LCD. From short time spent with it, it looked pretty good for an LCD. It’s not going to have the deep blacks of an AMOLED, but this is far from a bad panel — especially for the price.

The Redmi Note 7 is powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset, which is pretty powerful for a budget device. The Note 7 will be offered in multiple storage/RAM configurations: 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB, and 6GB/64GB. Other specs include a 4,000mAh battery, USB Type-C connectivity, 18 watt wired charging, an IR blaster, and a headphone jack.

Xiaomi has a history for packing solid specs into an affordable package and the Redmi Note 7 is no exception. While we don’t have exact pricing for India just yet, the phone launched with a starting price of 999 yuan (~$147) in China. Even the most expensive configuration should be right around $200.