Xiaomi Redmi 3S review: Game of Iterations

Final words

So, we are saying farewell to the last of the Redmi 3 kind - the Redmi 3S. Since the beginning of this year and the launch of the first Redmi 3, Xiaomi has been refining and improving devices for the sole purpose to reach more users across different markets.

Finally, the Redmi 3S has gotten everything perfect just before the Redmi 4 premiere. With the new Snapdragon 430 chipset and its Adreno 505 GPU the users can enjoy the benefits of OpenGL ES3.1 and a slightly faster performance. The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner is here to stay, too. And, of course, you can get the 3S in a Prime revision with double the storage and 3GB of RAM.

The Redmi 3S may seem obsolete to some, but it's the opposite of that. The phone is one of the best compact smartphones on the market with little to none competition because of the bargain pricing.

Just like its predecessors, the Redmi 3S offers a great 5" display, an amazing battery life, solid performance, top-notch build quality, and very capable cams on either side. The MIUI 8 on top of Marshmallow sweetens the otherwise cheap deal of €120 (or €150 if you are getting the Prime model).

Xiaomi Redmi 3S key test findings:

• Build quality is top-notch; the metal shell looks great;
• The display is quite good with high maximum brightness level of 490 nits and high contrast; has average color accuracy (but it could be excellent with warm color setting) and average outdoor visibility;
• Battery life is excellent with an endurance rating of 104h;
• Rich wireless and wired connectivity options including an IR blaster and FM radio;
• MIUI 8 is a clean and light Android Marshmallow launcher but with rich customization options and system tools. The new Dual Spaces and Dual apps options are great additions.
• The Snapdragon 430 chipset is doing alright and has plenty of power for the 720p screen resolution. The GPU is better compared to all other GPUs within the Redmi 3 series.
• Audio quality is excellent with an external amplifier (though with average loudness) and certainly better than you would expect with the headphones in. The loudspeaker loudness is average.
• Camera photos are good, with above average resolved detail and dynamic range, good HDR photos.
• The 1080p video samples are OK but not impressive. The audio recording is poor.

The Redmi 3S might be the best among the Redmi 3 series, but the Redmi 3S Prime is even better - for €30 more you can get 32GB storage and 3GB RAM for better multitasking. The Dual Spaces needs more RAM so if you plan to use this feature, get the Prime model if possible.

Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime

The Meizu's m3 is a great alternative with rich color options and similar capabilities. It's made of metal, matches the power and camera capabilities, so it's up to you to choose between MIUI and Flyme.

Lenovo K5 is another 5" option from a major manufacturer with similar capabilities. It lacks the newer GPU though, and Lenovo's launcher isn't as feature-rich.

Meizu m3 • Lenovo Vibe K5

Then there is the LeEco Le 1s which has a bigger and higher-res display, and even more powerful hardware. The Le 1s is very popular in China, but this is also the phone's undoing - the scarce availability outside its homeland.

LeEco Le 1s

You can get 5" smartphones from companies such as Samsung, Sony, Huawei or Oppo, but you will be either paying premium for the same performance and feature set, or paying the same for a less-capable device.

Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) costs the same as Redmi 3S Prime, and while it may up the screen class to AMOLED, it can't match the processing punch, camera capabilities, battery life, and build quality.

On the other hand, the Galaxy J7 (2016) is a close match to Redmi 3S specs albeit the bigger screen estate, but it costs double the price.

Huawei nova, a very cool new mid-ranger, also ticks the same checkboxes like the Redmi 3S, but it is priced about €400. And its camera isn't even that good.

Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) • Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) • Huawei nova

Xiaomi Redmi 3S has little competition in its niche and Xiaomi knows it. That's the reason the company feels comfortable to flood the lineup with new Redmi 3 members now and then, and instead of criticism, it gets cheers. But those are well deserved when you make one of the best mid-rangers (with a premium twist), and then go and sell it at an entry-level price.

Special thanks to HonorBuy for providing the review unit.