SpecEagle
SpecEagle review · Xiaomi

Redmi Note (1st gen) review: 2014 first Redmi Note 5.5" phablet.

SpecEagle Editorial·Mar 2014·$160
Overall
68/100
Class rank
#10 of 31
Tier
Mid-Range
Buy?
Look elsewhere
The verdict, up front

Xiaomi Redmi Note (2014).

Xiaomi's 2014 Redmi Note launched the 5.5" budget phablet line — MT6592 octa + $160 disrupted Note market.

01Display

74/100

74/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2014.

TypeIPS
Size5.5"
Resolution720 x 1280 HD

02Performance

70/100

At 70/100 this is one of the strongest performance showings among mid-range phones of 2014 — 7 points above the cohort average.

ChipsetMediaTek MT6592 True Octa
CPU1.7 GHz octa-A7
RAM1 GB / 2 GB

03Camera

70/100

70/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2014.

Main13 MP AF + LED
Front5 MP

04Battery

80/100

At 80/100 this is one of the strongest battery showings among mid-range phones of 2014 — 8 points above the cohort average.

Capacity3,200 mAh (removable)

05Software

74/100

At 74/100 this is one of the strongest software showings among mid-range phones of 2014 — 6 points above the cohort average.

What works
  • First Redmi Note line — 5.5" phablet at $160.
  • MT6592 True Octa 8-core.
  • 3,200 mAh removable.
  • 13 MP cam.
What doesn't
  • No LTE.
  • 199 g heavy.
  • HD only on 5.5".
  • MIUI Android 4.2 launch.
Cross-shop it against
Huawei Ascend P7
$500 · score 74/100

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 31-phone cohort of mid-range devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .