Redmi Note Comparison 7 vs Redmi Note 8: better the "old" way or the new one?

At the beginning of the year we welcomed a new best-buy. Yes, we are talking about the Redmi Note 7 (here you find our review), a device capable of distinguishing itself for performance and quality at a competitive price. The Chinese company continued on its way by raising the bar and proposing the Redmi Note 8, a device that partly retains the predecessor's formula, but that comes with a Quad Camera. The new arrived - among other things already reviewed - will he have been able to keep up with the "old" glory of Redmi? Find out in our comparison Redmi Note 7 vs Redmi Note 8!

Redmi Note Comparison 7 vs Redmi Note 8

Specifications

Redmi Note 7

• dimensions of 159.21 x 75.21 x 8.1 mm for 186 g;
• LCD display from 6.3 inches diagonal with resolution Full HD + (2340 x 1080 pixel), drip notch and Gorilla Glass 5 protection;
• Qualcomm octa-core processor Snapdragon 660;
• Qualcomm Adreno 512 GPU;
• 3 / 4 GB of RAM;
• 32/64 GB of expandable storage via microSD;
• rear fingerprint reader and facial recognition;
• dual room from 48 + 5 mega-pixel with opening f/1.8, PDAF autofocus and Dual LED flash;
• front camera from 13 mega-pixels with AI and HDR Beauty mode;
• support dual SIM 4G, Wi-Fi ac Dual Band, 5.0 Bluetooth, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou, USB Type-C, mini-jack, IR sensor;
• battery by 4000 mAh with Quick Charge 4 Quick Charge;
• Android 9.0 Pie operating system with MIUI 10.

Redmi Note 8

• dimensions of 158.3 x 75.30 x 8.3 mm for 188 g;
• LCD display from 6.3 inches diagonal with resolution Full HD + (2340 x 1080 pixel), drip notch and Gorilla Glass 5 protection;
• Qualcomm octa-core processor Snapdragon 665;
• Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU;
• 4 / 6 GB of RAM;
• 64/128 GB of expandable storage via microSD;
• rear fingerprint reader and facial recognition;
• dual room from 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 mega-pixel with opening f/1.79-2.2-2.4-2.4, wide-angle, macro, PDAF autofocus and Dual LED flash;
• front camera from 13 mega-pixels (f/2.0) with AI and HDR Beauty mode;
• support dual SIM 4G, Wi-Fi ac Dual Band, 5.0 Bluetooth, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou, USB Type-C, mini-jack, IR sensor;
• battery by 4000 mAh with Quick Charge 3 Quick Charge from 18W;
• Android 9.0 Pie operating system with MIUI 10.

Design and construction quality

Looking at the specifications of both devices it is possible to notice a certain overlap in terms of size and weight: the difference between smartphones is really minimal. Also be the Redmi Note 7 that the recent Redmi Note 8 they are equipped with an 6.3 inch panel with 19.5 ratio: 9, a wide and not really manageable solution for those who are not used to the progressive increase in smartphone display size. Although they are not devices that are not too compact, both are easy to hold and offer good grip.

Design is the usual to which Xiaomi e Redmi have accustomed us: we have a drop notch, a more or less pronounced chinpoco more optimized for Redmi Note 8) and a vertical camera, in the upper left corner. The fingerprint reader is located in the center of the body. The more recent of the two stands out - apart from the Quad Camera - for a slightly less rounded shape, but otherwise the similarities are too many. A small note for the photographic sector: in both smartphones, the camera has a really protruding step, which not everyone will appreciate.

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Display

As anticipated poco does, Redmi Note 7 e Redmi Note 8 share the same display. It is a panel IPS da 6.3 inches diagonal with resolution Full HD + and report in 19.5: 9, the first with 409 PPI density and the second with 403 PPI. Also in this case the performances of the two models are very similar: we are dealing with mid-range displays with more or less faithful colors and good viewing angles. Perhaps with regard to the brightness in direct sunlight, the Note 7 settles a step above the newcomer, but in any case nothing really compromising for the challenger.

On both we have a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass and are TÜV Rheinland certified.

Unblocking methods

The two models present a fingerprint reader digital on the back, a module in perfect Xiaomi style, able to return a quick and efficient release. The Redmi Note 8 loses a few hits every so often, but we are pretty sure that with the next software updates things will only stabilize.

Present the appeal Face Unlock through the selfie camera set in the drop-shaped notch, good in well-lit situations but to forget when the darkness begins to dominate.

Hardware and Performance

The hardware part of our mid-ranges is obviously monopolized by Qualcomm, respectively with the Snapdragon 660 and Snapdragon 665, the latter equipped on board the Redmi Note 8. On paper the second one comes out of course winner: it is a more recent solution realized with Kryo 260 architecture (like the famous 660), but with production process at 11 nm. In short, a sort of upgrade for a chipset considered an evergreen.

However the Note 8 did not fully satisfy us due to some small slowdown. These are sporadic episodes - which also involve the opening and closing of the app, as well as browsing - and not at all worrying. The next software updates will almost certainly make the difference, as the Chinese company has often accustomed us to. On the other hand the good Redmi Note 7 has left behind its break-in period, resulting always fluid and quick in daily operations.

Lato Gaming the Adreno 512 and 610 GPUs will be more than satisfactory with the more casual and less expensive titles in terms of resources. For heavier games there is a slight decrease, but nothing that compromises the gaming experience. At most, when the device makes the tantrums it will be enough to lower the graphic quality of the title in question.

Software

Both smartphones come with the MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie; the second is waiting of the MIUI 11 release while for the Note 7 the update has already begun to appear for a few days. Setting aside the digressions on future updates, if you are accustomed to Xiaomi then you will know all too well the strengths and weaknesses of the famous interface of the Chinese brand.

The MIUI 10 is rich in features and customizations - perhaps it is even easy to get lost within all the possibilities offered - but on the other hand it is a solution very far from pure Android. Android stock or quasi-stock lovers would do well to focus on something else because there is no room here for minimalism in terms of functionality ... Xiaomi's minimalism is only in design, in fact.

Full Screen Gesture to fully exploit the large panel equipped on the two devices, Second Space, Clone App, Dark Theme, double touch to turn on the display screen and so on. You are spoiled for choice!

Camera

The main difference between the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 8 is undoubtedly represented by the photographic sector, in both cases headed by a Samsung ISOCELL main sensor from 48 MP. But while the previous model relies on a dual camera with a secondary 5 MP sensor dedicated to depth of field, the newcomer relies on a module made up of four sensors (48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP), with a ultra-wide lens, one macro and one for depth.

It goes without saying that the possibilities offered by the Note 8 are far superior to the rival and indeed it is so, at least in part. Looking at the various samples it is impossible not to notice that the Note 7 is slightly higher in terms of details. Also colors they seem more alive and in some cases it seems that the shots taken with Note 8 turn too much towards warm tones.

The situation is reversed by looking at the samples taken in poor lighting conditions: in this case the night mode del Redmi Note 8 reveals itself decisively more detailed and able to give some extra satisfaction. In short, it seems that the newcomer needs some software trick to fine-tune the management of the photographic sector.

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As already mentioned above, the Redmi Note 7 has months and months of updates behind it and as happened in the past with other Xiaomi devices, the MIUI tends to improve over time; It is probable that the Note 8 needs to wait as long before it can fully exploit its qualities with daylight shots. However, the ultra wide module and the macro sensor are a welcome addition as they allow you to make shots that are impossible for the previous model.

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Lato Selfie, the two smartphones mount a sensor from 13 MP, with shaky results. However even in this case it seems that the Note 7 is a notch above in terms of details and colors. In case of self-portraits with insufficient lighting the results will be poco exciting for both, with pasty photos and excessive background noise. As for videos, the Note 7 is able to shoot up to a maximum of Full HD to 60 fps while the Note 8 goes up to the clips in 4K is 30 fps.

Audio and connectivity

The connectivity package offered by the device is the same, in no uncertain terms. We have a slot Dual SIM 4G, you can enter one microSD to have more storage space, there is the Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11 Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac Dual Band. Satellite navigation relies on a module with support at GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou. Charging takes place via a door USB Type-C but fortunately on both there is the entrance mini-jack from 3.5 mm for headphones. Along the upper edge is a space IR sensor, but the NFC is missing.

On this last point a clarification is needed: from very little, the Chinese company announced the arrival in Italy of Redmi Note 8T. It is a renewed version of the Note 8, with support NFC, but with the same specifications and features. Consequently, this comparison can be considered valid also for the new 8T model.

Returning to the comparison between the two, both are equipped with a speaker positioned along the lower edge. The audio quality is well balanced - see also the presence of a chip SmartPA - and the appropriate volume, but in any case there are imperfections.

Autonomy

The autonomy of the Redmi mid-range is entrusted to a battery from 4000 mAh, solution that allows you to benefit from approximately 6 hours of display access. Obviously the result will always depend on your use of the device, but it is possible to notice that also in this case the Note 7 behaves slightly better than the next model.

The device is recharged in approx 2 hours with the charger supplied, similar to what happens with the Note 8. However, we remind you that smartphones support the 4.0 Quick Charge and 3.0 Quick Charge (18W) respectively, so - with the right chargers - you can shorten waiting times.

Redmi Note Comparison 7 VS Redmi Note 8 - Conclusions

Our comparison between Redmi Note 7 e Redmi Note 8 has now come to an end and if you have been careful you will have noticed that the needle of the balance hangs towards the first one. The new Redmi smartphone certainly brings advantages, such as a newer chipset and a photographic industry able to offer some more opportunities given the presence of a macro and a wide-angle sensor. However the device needs to receive a good shake (metaphorical) from the company, with an update able to improve the general performances and those related to the photographic part.

We are sure that this will be the case, given the previous experience with the Chinese brand, which is why - if you are undecided about the purchase - perhaps it is better to focus on the new road and be patient. Then the debut of the Note 8T makes things even more interesting and Xiaomi could make a move in a short time. Despite this conclusion, we cannot but praise the Note 7, a smartphone that can withstand the "signs of the times" and that today represents the most credible and concrete alternative to the successor.