Xiaomi has unveiled yet another set of smartphones under the Redmi 6 series lineup — the Redmi 6, Redmi 6A and Redmi 6 Pro. The Redmi 6A is meant for catering to the entry-level segment while the Redmi 6 offers a little more bells and whistles without hurting the wallet. The Redmi 6 Pro goes a notch above these two with a modern notch display (pun intended) and a big battery (a Xiaomi trademark). All of them feature as standard edge-to-edge display, more powerful hardware, dual cameras on the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6 Pro, AI-assisted face unlock and navigation gestures.
Unlike the cheaper MediaTek-powered cousins, the Pro variant is the range topper with Xiaomi's much-loved Snapdragon 625 chipset.
In fact, on paper, the Redmi 6 Pro seems similar to the Redmi Note 5 in terms of specifications. Like its sibling, the smartphone promises to deliver best-in-class performance, coupled with great cameras, two-day battery life while also sporting the trendy notch display, which will surely draw eye balls. Since we have had the smartphone with us for a considerable amount of time, here're our initial impressions on the Redmi 6 Pro.
Design, Display
Xiaomi seems to have settled on this design language and has dressed its latest Redmi 6 Pro in a similar fashion as the Redmi Note 5 Pro and other Redmi devices, except for the notch. This is a bit disappointing considering Xiaomi is now repeating the same design blueprint across its entire range. The rear panel is mostly made of metal, with plastic caps on the top and bottom. Compared to the Redmi 5/Note 5, it feels a little bulky and does feel slightly heavier — thanks to a large 4000mAh battery. However, in typical Xiaomi fashion, the ergonomics are spot on.
As mentioned, the Redmi 6 Pro features an almost bezel-less screen with a trendy cutout. Notably, despite the incorporation of the notch, the device still has visible borders to the left and right of the display and comparatively thicker chin, which is a bit annoying. The display's performance is impressive for its price, especially with a tall 5.84-inch full HD+ 19:9 IPS LCD panel with a 2.5D curved glass on top. It renders punchy colours and good sunlight legibility.
Specifications
The Redmi 6 Pro runs on a two-year-old octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipset. Although it's outdated, the SD625 has impressed previously with its tried-and-tested robust performance, and on the Redmi 6 Pro, it appeared to be doing the same — offering a fluid and snappy experience. The chipset is accompanied by up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. However, you can expand it up to 256GB via a dedicated micro SD card slot.
The handset will soon get the MIUI 10 update, however, currently like the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the Redmi 6 Pro also comes with MIUI 9.6 atop Android 8.1 Oreo, which seems to be eager — that's good. The UI feels quick and is eager to switch between apps and we have not come across any lag so far. What's not right here though is that the security patch isn't the latest one — it's still on the dated July 2018 security patch.
Camera
The cameras are one of the biggest highlights of the Redmi 6 Pro. It features a 12MP primary sensor with a f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor with the same aperture, which is used for sensing depth for the portrait mode. This is the same setup that we have witnessed on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. There's also a single LED flash and Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF).
Xiaomi says that the rear camera setup leverages AI power for better photography. You also get EIS for video shooting — a segment first, which should help you get less shaky clips. For selfies, there is a 5MP sensor with a f/2.0 aperture. However, it misses out on the front flash. In our limited time with the device, we got some good and natural-looking shots from the Redmi 6 Pro. However, we are yet to test out the Redmi 6 Pro’s cameras in diverse scenarios to give out a final verdict.
Battery
Moving ahead, while the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A pack a 3000mAh battery, the Pro variant features a massive 4000mAh battery, which claims to deliver up to two days of stamina on a single charge. We expect it to last for at least a day and a half under heavy usage.
Initial Impressions
The Redmi 6 Pro seems like a mix-n-match of the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro in terms of design and specifications. However, the inclusion of a notched 19:9 display and a dual camera make it a tempting deal. With a mostly reused hardware from previous offerings and Xiaomi's efficient MIUI OS, this smartphone should give a tough competition to the likes of Honor 9 Lite, ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1, Moto G6 Play and Xiaomi's own Redmi Note 5 as well as the Redmi Y2. The Redmi 6 Pro comes with a starting price of Rs 10,999 for the 3GB/32GB variant and goes up to Rs 12,999 for the 4GB/64GB variant.
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