Xiaomi has just launched the much-anticipated Redmi Note 5 in Indonesia, the first market to receive the device in the region. Malaysians don’t have to wait too long for the flagship Redmi, slated for an official launch on 24 April.
As mentioned in a previous post, Xiaomi tends to rename some of its devices for different regions or markets, while at times will feature slightly different specs.
The Redmi Note 5 for instance, is marketed as the Redmi 5 Pro in India, with some minor differences in specifications. India’s Redmi Note 5 is repackaged as the Redmi 5 Plus.
For the Malaysian market, the Redmi Note 5 is based on the original Redmi Note 5 that was launched in China.
The Redmi Note 5 sports a 5.99-inch FHD+ display with a 18:9 screen aspect ratio, and is powered by the 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. Xiaomi claims this new generation chip is 60 percent more powerful than the Redmi Note 4 it replaces.
Unfortunately, judging from the Indonesian launch, we’re not likely to get the 6GB RAM model like in China. Instead, we’ll have to settle for the 3GB RAM + 32GB of storage or 4GB RAM + 64GB of storage versions.
This may be a case of hitting the right price points for the Malaysian market, but who knows Xiaomi may bring it in at a later date. Or you can always try a grey importer.
In terms of optics, the Redmi Note 5 rocks a 12MP f/1.9 main shooter with Dual Pixel AF and a secondary 5MP camera for depth, arranged in a now common iPhone X-like array.
On the front it packs a 13MP selfie camera, not the 20MP whopper as initially suggested.
The device comes with a large 4,000mAh battery that charges up via old school micro-USB.
The dual-SIM device uses a hybrid SIM tray so you’ll have to sacrifice a SIM slot if you choose to expand storage via microSD.
Pricing and availability
In Indonesia, the Redmi Note 5 with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage is listed at IDR2,499,000 (MYR706), while the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version sells for IDR2,999,000 (MYR847). Both variants will offer three colour options: Gold, Black and Blue.
The phone will be sold via Lazada Indonesia starting 25 April.
We’re about a week away from the Malaysian launch, and it looks like Lazada Malaysia will be offering the device.
Source: Mi.com via SoyaCincau
