Xiaomi Redmi 3 review: Precious little one

29 January, 2016
Xiaomi Redmi 3 is not your usual budget smartphone. The word budget is hardly a good match for an aluminum unibody, a 5" IPS display, a powerful octa-core processor, a 13MP camera, and a beefy 4,100 mAh battery. And yet, here we are. The Xiaomi Redmi 3 may be cheap in price but it does not skimp on features...

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  • D
  • AnonD-428442
  • TIG
  • 30 Jan 2016

The problem with the Redmi lineup is the update support. Redmi 1 never get pass Kitkat, only getting lipstick UI update. Xiaomi provides great value for the money, but I don't see why it is so difficult to be more generous in updating the Redmi lineup when they already put an effort in faking MIUI UI update on it. I mean a bunch of people on their free time managed to get Lollipop and Marshmallow running on the Redmi 1S.

    • D
    • AnonD-494892
    • Hkt
    • 30 Jan 2016

    Good review sir can u plz upload screen on time and graph screenshot

      • v
      • veer
      • Hkt
      • 30 Jan 2016

      WOW

      This phone has a 4100mah cell in 100$

      For comparison
      1900 mah iPhone case for 100$.LOL

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • RJ7
        • 30 Jan 2016

        good review

          • A
          • Arup
          • HsL
          • 30 Jan 2016

          i dont like the hybrid sim option we cannot use 2 sim cards and micro sd card together

            Nice review, but I hope GSMARENA make charging time review as well.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • 7X0
              • 30 Jan 2016

              Why people compare this to J7? I have a J7 and the reason why it can achieve a similar battery life despite having 25% less battery is because of the AMOLED screen.

                • L
                • Li Chang
                • uBS
                • 30 Jan 2016

                Having no NFC is NOT a disadvantage.

                  • D
                  • AnonD-352420
                  • jLB
                  • 30 Jan 2016

                  AnonD-147, 30 Jan 2016kudos for using 200nits as standard ^-^Still a compromise, because 200 does not always look like 200. With a low reflection and a high contrast, a good panel can look better and clearer at half the brightness of a cheap panel...
                  So a "real world" brightness would be the best solution, but this is for sure difficult to measure.
                  And still you would have differences between sunlight and indoor.
                  So to make it accurate you have to use one indoor and one outdoor test.

                  So using 200 for all phones is just as good or as bad as using 50% brightness...

                    • D
                    • AnonD-147
                    • bCq
                    • 30 Jan 2016

                    kudos for using 200nits as standard ^-^

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • 0Tw
                      • 30 Jan 2016

                      AnonD-493662, 29 Jan 2016First of ALL THANKYOU GSMArena team for using 200nits as... moreThat battle would be automatically lost to older models. Older models (say redmi 2) feature replaceable battery. A removable battery always wins over sealed batteries, even if they (the sealed ones) have twice the rating.

                      3 reasons:

                      1) Instant recharge (pop in a spare)
                      2) More battery life even at low ratings (carry a spare)
                      3) Battery does not lose half its charge level after a year of heavy use (buy a new one).

                      2016 would be the year of retarted battery life (literally, battery life has been retarted ever since sealed batteries became the norm).

                        • D
                        • AnonD-493662
                        • 61x
                        • 30 Jan 2016

                        nick, 29 Jan 2016Samsung Galaxy J7 has smililar battery life from 3000mAh ju... moreLet us calculate and use your "smart" logic.
                        efficiency = (endurance/capacity)x100 higher is better.
                        everything less than samsung galaxy J7 is crap.

                        J7 battery 3000mAh endurance 91, it has 3,03 efficiency point
                        redmi3 battery 4100mAh endurance107 , efficiency 2.61 (crap)
                        meizu m1note, 3140mAh endurance 66, efficiency 2.10 (crap)
                        meizu m1metal, 3140mAh endurance 61, efficiency 1.94 (crap)

                        now lets go to flagship
                        sony Z5, 2900mAh endurance 73, efficiency 2.52 (crap also)
                        note 5, 3000mAh endurance 85, efficiency 2.83 (crap also)
                        mate 8, 4000mAh endurance 103, efficiency 2.58 (crap also)
                        galaxy S6 2550mAh endurance 73, efficiency 2.86 (crap also)

                        conclusion: your logic is ... well.. not make sense

                          • D
                          • AnonD-352420
                          • jLB
                          • 30 Jan 2016

                          nick, 29 Jan 2016Samsung Galaxy J7 has smililar battery life from 3000mAh ju... moreThe j7 uses the weaker but more efficient new gen low range exynos chip and only 150nits of brightness. The SD 615/616 is horrible in battery life so this rating with this chip is nothing but impressive, I don't think you can call it bad optimization since its the best SD 615/616 rating there has ever been.
                          The exynos from the j7 is weak, especially in the graphics department but that gives him the same advance than a 1liter engine in your car has, it dies not need a lot of power. This in combination with the low 150 brightness just boosts up the video playback score. Also the modems are pretty new and efficient.
                          I would say the SD 615/616 is the better chip if you have enough battery capacity to overcome the low efficienty... And that's exactly that xiaomi did. Easy and good solution

                            • M
                            • Milo
                            • tCQ
                            • 30 Jan 2016

                            The next question, is a flagship almost 4 times the price 4 times better? It definitely isn't 4 times more functional. Then again, a flagship is a luxury item, so price is out of the question. This is a practical budget phone for anyone who doesn't have a lot of money to burn.

                              • D
                              • AnonD-150040
                              • PT}
                              • 30 Jan 2016

                              I hope it will soon be available in the Philippines. Can't wait to compare it with my Lenovo a5000!

                                • D
                                • AnonD-150040
                                • PT}
                                • 30 Jan 2016

                                @gsmarena your video review of redmi 3 soon to be out on YouTube? TIA

                                  AnonD-234961, 29 Jan 201691 is not similar to 107. 107 means the Redmi 3 has 17% mor... moreYou're right, they're not similar as the Samsung phone has better life. It manages that score, which you say is 17% lower, with a screen that is both bigger, and a battery that is 25% smaller. Dude was right, Xiaomi has chappy optimization. Meizu is a better China brand for phones

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-468126
                                    • PA7
                                    • 30 Jan 2016

                                    The thing is that this phone didn't provides the actual dual sim, they're just like the additional specification that captivates readers

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-493662
                                      • Kip
                                      • 30 Jan 2016

                                      now picture compare againts another flagship
                                      nexus 6p and meizu pro 5
                                      http://prntscr.com/9wlqax
                                      against samsung S6 and apple 6s
                                      http://prntscr.com/9wltkw

                                      well.... this phone is a "recommended" i would say, no doubt.
                                      as main daily driver or as backup ... what ever
                                      it is a good phone for the unbelievable price
                                      And as per the reviewer team said
                                      "we can recommend it in a heartbeat."

                                      NB: i just realize this will be the 2nd best in the battery test table LOL

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-234961
                                        • ndn
                                        • 29 Jan 2016

                                        nick, 29 Jan 2016Samsung Galaxy J7 has smililar battery life from 3000mAh ju... more91 is not similar to 107. 107 means the Redmi 3 has 17% more battery life and is also on the second place in all-time battery life top.

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