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Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Smartphone Review

Quo Vadis. The Chinese smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is now - due to new marketing strategies of Xiaomi - just called Redmi Note 7. It is hard to categorize, given that it has the highest camera resolution currently available on a smartphone and a relatively weak Snapdragon 660. We tested the first official smartphone of the sub-brand Redmi in order to uncover its true potential.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

In the past, the Xiaomi Redmi mid-range smartphones from the Chinese electronics manufacturer's portfolio have been in a similar device class as Samsung's Galaxy J smartphones. The Note model of the Redmi family has since been through a few iterations. By the way: The name Note is a remnant of a time, when 5.7 inch displays made phones look more like a notebook than a smartphone; the name does not imply digital stylus support.

Now, Xiaomi is trying to strengthen the Redmi brand name by making it a sub-brand - the packaging will no longer carry the Xiaomi branding. This newfound independence could, in the long run, elevate Redmi to a similar status as Huawei's Honor. In that case, we could also expect higher-end Redmi models. The Redmi Note 7, which had been announced before the Xiaomi Mi 9, is the first smartphone with a 48 MP camera after all.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 inside of the Note 7 is a mid-range SoC. It can also be found on the Xiaomi Mi 8 LiteBQ Aquaris X2, and the Nokia 7 Plus, which is why we incorporate these smartphones into our review. We will take a look at Huawei's mid-range P20 Lite and the Xiaomi Mi 8 as well. While the latter represents the higher-end Xiaomi Mi series, it could still make for a good alternative since its price should drop significantly after the recent announcement of the Mi 9.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Redmi Note 12 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 8 x 2.2 GHz, Kryo 260, Octa-Core, 64 Bit
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.30 inch 19.5:9, 2340 x 1080 pixel 409 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, 10 multi-touch points, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 51 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 Infrared, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, USB type-C, Card Reader: microSD up to 256 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, fingerprint sensor, USB type-C 2.0
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, FDD LTE: B1,B3,B5,B7,B8, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.1 x 159.21 x 75.21 ( = 0.32 x 6.27 x 2.96 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
Primary Camera: 48 MPix Dual: 48MP (Samsung GM1, 1/2", 0.8 µm, f/1.8) PDAF + 5MP (f/2.4) depth sensor, dual LED, 1080p@30/60/120fps
Secondary Camera: 13 MPix HDR, AI portrait mode, Video 1080p@30fps
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, CHN AC adapter, USB charger, silicone case (+ EU adapter and USB OTG cable), MIUI 10.2, system languages: English, Chinese; game speed booster, 12 Months Warranty, FM radio, infrared, OTG, wireless display, quick charge 4.0, fanless
Weight
186 g ( = 6.56 oz / 0.41 pounds), Power Supply: 76 g ( = 2.68 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
227 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case – Redmi shines

Xiaomi's shop lists the Redmi smartphone in dream blue, twilight gold and black. All three variants have a glossy finish. Thankfully, the glossy rear is fairly resistant to fingerprints.

The camera protrudes noticeably from the case, resembling the back of the Moto Z3 Play without moto mod. The protruding optics also prevent it from being placed flat on a table, which makes using it in this state a wiggly experience.

The controls on the sides, standby button and volume control have some clearances, but they can easily be located and used regardless. The same can be said for the fingerprint sensor that is easy to find with the index finger.

As with the Redmi Note 6 Pro, the display sits on top of the case. This time around, the rounded-off plastic chassis no longer tarnishes the overall impression however.

While Xiaomi has reinforced the display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, there is no protection against dust or water. All in all, the chassis is rigid, which is not a given in this low price range: In our testing period, the Redmi Note 7 was available via the web shop of tradingshenzhen.com for as little as 207 Euros (~$235); usually it sells for just under 230 Euros (~$261).

Lock screen
Lock screen
Earpiece between display and outer chassis
Back
Left side, card tray
Included soft case
Redmi Note 7 in its case
Protruding camera
OEM demo photo
OEM demo photo of the black model
OEM demo photo of the dream blue model
OEM demo photo of the twilight gold model

Size Comparison

158.4 mm / 6.24 inch 75.64 mm / 2.98 inch 9.55 mm / 0.376 inch 186 g0.4101 lbs159.21 mm / 6.27 inch 75.21 mm / 2.96 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 186 g0.4101 lbs156.4 mm / 6.16 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 169 g0.3726 lbs154.9 mm / 6.1 inch 74.8 mm / 2.94 inch 7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs150.7 mm / 5.93 inch 72.3 mm / 2.85 inch 8.35 mm / 0.3287 inch 168 g0.3704 lbs148.6 mm / 5.85 inch 71.2 mm / 2.8 inch 7.4 mm / 0.2913 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - The Camera makes the Difference

The Redmi Note 7, which costs just 130 Euros (~$148) in the European Xiaomi shop, sold more than 100.000 units in just a few minutes - this is in part due to the uncommon features combined with its price: No other smartphone in this price range boasts a 48 MP camera. QuickCharge 4.0 is exceedingly rare in this device class and the 4.000 mAh battery fairly large as well.

The combination of 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage space is not an unusual one and with 6 GB and 64 GB or 3 GB and 32 GB, respectively, alternative choices are limited. Expanding the storage with a microSD card causes you to lose the dual-SIM capabilities of the Note 7, since there is only one slot for either a memory card or a second SIM card.

The USB type-C port is barely worth mentioning at this point. However, Xiaomi also uses it for audio output, which is less self-evident, while still providing a 3.5 mm jack for traditional headsets.

Finally, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660 is not exactly a highlight and while the Redmi Note 7 is notably equipped with an FM radio, it does not support NFC.

Top: Microphone, audio jack, infrared
Top: Microphone, audio jack, infrared
Left: Card tray
Left: Card tray
Right: Volume control, standby button
Right: Volume control, standby button
Bottom: Mono speaker, microphone, USB type-C
Bottom: Mono speaker, microphone, USB type-C

Software - Chinese Version requires additional Setup

Android 9 with security patches from January 5th (as of early march) is installed on the test device.

On the Redmi Note 7, MIUI version 10.2, which is the user interface developed by Xiaomi, is used on top of the Android operating system. The default Android buttons can be hidden if desired and gestures, such as those of Huawei's EMUI, can be used instead. The gesture controls are intuitive and slightly more straightforward than the native Android 9 gesture controls.

While we are testing the Chinese version here, an international version has since been released. Those who still opt for the Chinese custom ROM should be aware of the following: If you are not able to understand the offered Asian language, you can only choose English as an alternative system language. This affects most of the retroactively installed apps and games as well, even if they are installed from the German Play Store. Here, apps with integrated language management are the exception.

According to the manufacturer, the Play Store is supposed to come preinstalled. If, as in our test device, this is not the case, a seperate installation has to be performed. That said, some apps which are typically available on the German Play Store are not listed on the Chinese phone. The majority of preinstalled apps in Mandarin can be uninstalled; some apps belonging to the MIUI ecosystem such as the weather app are excluded from this however. For example, while you can install the Chrome browser, the preinstalled Chinese web browser cannot be removed.

There is also an MI AI app on the Chinese test device, which can provide additional intelligent assistance to users. MI AI requires a lot of permissions in order to be fully functional however, and currently only supports Mandarin.

Home screen
Home screen
Security features
Security
Quick settings
Quick settings
Favorites instead of the Google news feed
Favorites instead of the Google news feed
Customizability of the favorites screen
Customizability (1)
Further customizability settings of the favorites screen
Customizability (2)
Call back from the locked screen
Direct return call

Communication and GPS - No NFC for the Note 7

Since the nearfield communication technology is required for the wireless payment methods that are up and coming, smartphones without NFC (such as this one) have become exceedingly rare.

According to our measurements, the Mi 8 from Xiaomi completely outclasses the competition in this category, which is to be expected. Using our reference router Linksys EA 8500, the two smaller Xiaomi smartphones were able to reach decent download speeds of around 350 Mbit/s. The upload speeds varied widely however, causing it to lose its edge over some competitors while still performing better than average.

The network coverage of our Chinese model is severely limited. Both the GSM as well as the UMTS network lack several frequencies common in North and South America. The coverage is particularly lackluster inside the LTE network, where only the B1, B3, B5, B7 and B8 bands are supported. Thus, it not only lacks multiple frequencies common in America, but numerous frequencies common in Europe as well.

The now available international version at least supports the LTE band 20 on top of the aforementioned ones, which is relevant for Europe.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
615 MBit/s +158%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
346 MBit/s +45%
Nokia 7 Plus
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
307 MBit/s +29%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Adreno 512, SD 660, 128 GB eMMC Flash
285 (142min - 294max) MBit/s +20%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
238 (189min - 285max) MBit/s
Huawei P20 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 659, 64 GB eMMC Flash
233 MBit/s -2%
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
615 MBit/s +76%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +7%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Adreno 512, SD 660, 128 GB eMMC Flash
356 (342min - 371max) MBit/s +2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
350 (327min - 361max) MBit/s
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
281 MBit/s -20%
Nokia 7 Plus
Adreno 512, SD 660, 64 GB eMMC Flash
247 MBit/s -29%
Huawei P20 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 659, 64 GB eMMC Flash
198 MBit/s -43%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340360Tooltip
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Qualcomm Adreno 512; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø350 (327-361)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Qualcomm Adreno 512; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø356 (342-371)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Qualcomm Adreno 512; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø238 (189-285)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Qualcomm Adreno 512; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø281 (142-294)
GPS-Test, indoors
GPS-Test, indoors
GPS-Test, indoors facing the street
GPS-Test, indoors facing the street
GPS-Test, im Freien
GPS-Test, outdoors

The Note 7 officially supports the navigation satellite systems GPS, GLONASS and Beidou. Furthermore, the GPS-Test app registers Galileo and SBAS support. Those wanting to plan trips in the living room will have to enable A-GPS as well: The test device's reception is very weak indoors and a satellite uplink takes a long time to establish after which the phone only provides an imprecise location even when close to the wall.

Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
Garmin Edge 500 - Pond
Garmin Edge 500 - Pond
Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - Overview
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - Overview
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - Pond
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - Pond
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - Loop
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - Loop

Telephony and Call Quality

Telephony interface
Telephony interface

If you use the Redmi Note 7 with two SIM cards, the second card blocks the slot for the otherwise available storage expansion. Both slots fundamentally support 4G, although this can be deactivated in the telephony settings. VoLTE capability is available as well, provided your carrier supports it.

Xiaomi uses its own telephony app. Its luxury features include a direct link to the manufacturer's notes app and the ability to record calls. The record mode can be selected while a connection is still being made, which activates it as soon as the conversational partner accepts the call.

Calls are accompanied by a minimum amount of static. While the conversational partner can be understood clearly during normal conversation, the outgoing voice sounds slightly overmodulated. Starting at medium volume levels, the same can be said for the incoming voice when using a headset or the speakerphone.

Cameras - Artificial Intelligence for Front and Main Camera

Portrait mode of the front camera
Portrait mode of the front camera

Even the front camera, which has a relatively high resolution of 13 MP, benefits from AI-assisted software features. Although it only has a fixed-focus lens, it is able to recognize faces in the portrait mode, sharpening them and blurring out everything else, regardless of whether it is closer or farther. When we tried to portray the blossom in isolation, the entire image remained blurry, since the software was unable to recognize a face. It is also worth mentioning that even the front camera supports HDR.

The 48 MP sensor from Samsung on the back of the device is accompanied by a 5 MP depth sensor and a dual-LED. Aside from the AI mode that analyzes pictures and adjusts their colors, there is also a Straighten mode: It searches the subject for straight forms and lines, further straightening the picture while it is being taken. This can be useful for snapshots and for pictures where the smartphone cannot be held at eye level.

We compared the high-resolution pictures to those of the Honor View 20, which is equipped with a camera sporting the same fantastic resolution. While 48 megapixels is 48 megapixels, the camera software plays a crucial role as well: At first glance, the exposure of the Note 7's picture looks to be better, while the View 20's color representation is more natural. Zooming in on the pictures reveals a sharper portrayal of both the castle in the background and the twigs in front of it. Both cameras have an aperture of f/1.8.

In the default mode, both cameras shoot pictures at a resolution of 12 MP and the 48 MP are automatically divided by four when using HDR. Merging four pixels into one should theoretically allow the resulting pixel to benefit from the additional information. Here, the Honor's software does a better job than Xiaomi's: The houses behind the bridge (second picture) and particularly the clouds in the sky come across better, more natural and offer more details on the View 20. The Xiaomi smartphone blurs the house facades into washed-out areas.

This effect can be observed by looking at the meadow as well. We also compared the Note 7 to the LG V40 ThinQ, which has three lenses with different focal lengths:

Both smartphones depict single blades of grass and flowers sharply. Some crocuses in the center of the picture are completely devoid of color; this could also stem from excessive exposure however. That said, the meadow's greens blur into unicolored green areas in the distance and while the level of detail on the V40 ThinQ diminishes with distance as well, they do not quite become a mush of colors.

On the other hand, the Note 7 does a better job of compensating weak ambient lighting conditions. Although we did find washed-out areas in both pictures, they were much less severe on the Note 7 where the photo was still acceptable overall and significantly more pronounced on the V40 ThinQ, where the blurry areas were ever-present.

48 MP picture, Redmi Note 7
48 MP picture, Redmi Note 7
48 MP picture, Honor View 20
48 MP picture, Honor View 20
HDR photo (12MP), Redmi Note 7
HDR photo (12MP), Honor View 20

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images
ColorChecker Passport
ColorChecker Passport

As per usual, we performed further tests under controlled lighting conditions. The recorded image of the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport has not been altered. In order to facilitate the comparison, the bottom half of every box shows the original color.

A slight cyan shift causes blue tones to be more pronounced, while both bright and dark skin-colored tones and earth colors appear less vibrant; they appear brighter in the photo than they are in reality.

Reference card
Reference card
Detailed magnification
Detailed magnification

Accessories and Warranty

USB type-C cable, charger, EU adapter
USB type-C cable, charger, EU adapter
Soft case
Soft case

Inside the Chinese version's packaging there is a charger (CHN), a USB cable and a silicone case, which in the case of the black test device is also dark-transparent. Additionally, the vendor TradingShenzhen International has included an EU adapter and a USB-OTG cable with the test device and according to the official product page on tradingshenzhen.com, does so with every Note 7.

The warranty period is 12 months. The length of the official manufacturer's warranty period is unknown. At this point you may want to consult our FAQ concerning guarantees, return policies and warranty.

Input Devices & Handling

The preinstalled keyboards on our Chinese test device (Sogou keyboard for MIUI, Baidu IME for MIUI and a Mandarin keyboard) are fairly useless from the perspective of a German-speaking individual. Of course, it is possible to access popular alternatives such as Google's GBoard and Swiftkey once the Play Store has been installed, allowing users to select a German or an English keyboard layout. Thus, even the Chinese model can be used normally after some additional configuration. If the chosen keyboard supports it, the Redmi smartphone is able to provide haptic feedback as well.

As an alternative to the soft keys, gestures can be used to navigate Android. The touchscreen, which does not gather fingerprints even after prolonged typing, only has a small amount of friction. Inputs at the edges and in the corners were almost, but not quite always registered and executed immediately.

We did not experience any issues with the fingerprint sensor on the back and it unlocked the screen quickly.

Baidu IME for MIUI
Baidu IME for MIUI
Baidu IME, portrait mode
Baidu IME, portrait mode

Display - Minimalist Notch

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The Notch of the Note 7 has been reduced to a small, teardrop-like cutout around the camera, making almost the entire screen space available to apps. In cases where important information could be lost such as in games and in the browser, the area around the Notch is still not used, which can be seen on the landscape mode screen in the keyboard section.

The resolution of 2,340x1,080 pixels corresponds to a pixel density of 409 PPI on the 6.3-inch display.

Overall, the 19.5:9 aspect ratio lends itself well to video content. That said, the Note 7 lacks the Widevine L1 certification and thus cannot support services such as Maxdome or Netflix.

The display of the Note 7 does well in the comparison: It has an average brightness of 540 nits, which does not vary by more than on other mid-range smartphones across the screen. While the black value could be lower, it still leads to a respectable contrast ratio of 1:1639. The Note 7 also has particularly good color accuracy in the default profile, even when compared to higher end smartphones.

531
cd/m²
558
cd/m²
565
cd/m²
512
cd/m²
541
cd/m²
562
cd/m²
518
cd/m²
537
cd/m²
539
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 565 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 540.3 cd/m² Minimum: 1.24 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 541 cd/m²
Contrast: 1639:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.26
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
IPS, 2340x1080, 6.30
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
IPS, 2280x1080, 6.26
Huawei P20 Lite
IPS, 2280x1080, 5.84
Nokia 7 Plus
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
LTPS, 2160x1080, 5.65
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Super AMOLED, 2248x1080, 6.20
Screen
-20%
-47%
-16%
-43%
-15%
Brightness middle
541
421
-22%
528
-2%
458
-15%
675
25%
429
-21%
Brightness
540
389
-28%
525
-3%
463
-14%
650
20%
432
-20%
Brightness Distribution
91
85
-7%
89
-2%
92
1%
92
1%
88
-3%
Black Level *
0.33
0.33
-0%
0.51
-55%
0.22
33%
0.46
-39%
Contrast
1639
1276
-22%
1035
-37%
2082
27%
1467
-10%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.7
3.4
-26%
4.7
-74%
4
-48%
5.9
-119%
3.39
-26%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.6
5.9
-28%
8.9
-93%
7.4
-61%
9.5
-107%
5.25
-14%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.1
3.9
-26%
6.4
-106%
4.7
-52%
6.6
-113%
3.3
-6%
Gamma
2.26 97%
2.26 97%
2.22 99%
2.19 100%
2.36 93%
2.238 98%
CCT
6853 95%
7330 89%
7987 81%
7425 88%
7846 83%
7135 91%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 2336 Hz ≤ 18 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2336 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 18 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2336 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

At low brightness levels, the display begins to flicker at a frequency of more than 2.300 Hertz in order to adjust its luminance. Thankfully, the frequency is high enough that even sensitive people should not experience any issues.

The display quickly reacts to changes to the ambient lighting conditions. Both the brightness level and the automatic brightness adjustment switch, the latter of which can be useful in certain situations, can be accessed from the settings launchpad; there is also a blue light filter ("Reading Mode"). By enabling the appropriate setting in the display settings, the contrast can be made to automatically adjust to the ambient lighting conditions as well.

The automatic contrast adjustment significantly increased the intensity of blue tones in our tests, causing an overall cooler color representation - a cooler color representation is generally seen as pleasant. Additionally, users can select an individual color temperature prefererence for the automatic contrast adjustment or choose between the profiles "Default", "Warm" and "Cool". This does not completely fix the color temperature however: Even in the "Warm" profile, we measured a color temperature of 7.500 kelvin. As an alternative, the contrast can be increased manually.

If you make no changes, the default contrast profile is used. We were able to confirm its high color accuracy by using the analysis software CalMAN. We measured a Delta E value of only be 2.7 and at 4.6, the maximum deviation was low as well. Delta E values of 4 and lower are barely visible to the human eye.

CalMan color space (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color space (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color accuracy (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color accuracy (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan saturation (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan saturation (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan grayscale (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan grayscale (profile: Default, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color space (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color space (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color accuracy (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color accuracy (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan saturation (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan saturation (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan grayscale (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan grayscale (profile: Auto, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color space (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color space (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color accuracy (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan color accuracy (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan saturation (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan saturation (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan grayscale (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)
CalMan grayscale (profile: Warm, color space target: sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
26.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 61 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
60 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 27.6 ms rise
↘ 32.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Thanks to the high brightness and the equally good contrast ratio of the display, screen contents can be easily read outdoors. In direct sunlight, an increased amount of reflections exacerbate the readability.

Reflections under low-intensity sunlight
Reflections under low-intensity sunlight

Color distortions and deviations from the original colors cannot be observed when looking at the display from different angles: The image looks nearly the same from all sides.

Viewing angle stability
Viewing angle stability

Performance - Appropriate for a Mid-Range Device

The Snapdragon 660 (SDM660) has been powering mid-range smartphones and tablets for about a year now. Its four faster cores run at a clock rate of 2.2 GHz, the lower-powered cores at a clock rate of 1.8 GHz. The computing performance is comparable to the high-end SoC Snapdragon 821 from 2016, which is beginning to show its age. The performance of the graphics chip Adreno 512 cannot match the Adreno 530 of the Snapdragon 821 however.

In our performance benchmarks, the SDM660 candidates performed similarly to one another and fell behind the superior Xiaomi Mi 8 smartphone, while coming out ahead both in terms of CPU performance as well as graphics performance when compared to the P20 Lite with Huawei's Kirin 659.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1639 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1621 Points -1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
935 Points -43%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1646 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1579 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2441 Points +49%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1431 - 1646, n=11)
1598 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +209%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5913 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
5893 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
3749 Points -37%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5867 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5856 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
8548 Points +45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (4895 - 5913, n=11)
5694 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +129%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5576 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
5640 Points +1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
3116 Points -44%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5688 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
14299 Points +156%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (4983 - 5811, n=9)
5524 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +90%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
6870 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
6274 Points -9%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
5704 Points -17%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
6825 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
6332 Points -8%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
8967 Points +31%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (6274 - 7026, n=11)
6676 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +120%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
6187 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
6052 Points -2%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
4793 Points -23%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
6077 Points -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5965 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
7360 Points +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (5789 - 6426, n=13)
6050 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +76%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
26308 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
26605 Points +1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
12048 Points -54%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
26610 Points +1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
26175 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
57711 Points +119%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (22145 - 26731, n=12)
25633 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
29496 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
29116 Points -1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
11713 Points -60%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
29333 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
29306 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
77003 Points +161%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (25561 - 29496, n=12)
28454 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
19087 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
20437 Points +7%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
13387 Points -30%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
20085 Points +5%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
19050 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
30765 Points +61%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (15088 - 21016, n=12)
19093 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2073 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2062 Points -1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
138 Points -93%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2035 Points -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2059 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
4529 Points +118%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1825 - 2104, n=13)
2021 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +71%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1925 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1929 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
109 Points -94%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1895 Points -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1938 Points +1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
6554 Points +240%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1711 - 1986, n=13)
1893 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +103%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2834 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2719 Points -4%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
1760 Points -38%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2734 Points -4%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2638 Points -7%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2176 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (2383 - 2834, n=13)
2672 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +6%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2073 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2142 Points +3%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
704 Points -66%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2114 Points +2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2151 Points +4%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
4232 Points +104%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1887 - 2161, n=13)
2062 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +336%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2006 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2015 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
604 Points -70%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1980 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2024 Points +1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
5922 Points +195%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1734 - 2033, n=13)
1942 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +685%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2772 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2751 Points -1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
1671 Points -40%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2768 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2756 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2145 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (2238 - 2815, n=13)
2695 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +56%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1358 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1365 Points +1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
257 Points -81%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1332 Points -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1361 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3197 Points +135%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1124 - 1374, n=15)
1328 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +98%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1189 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1193 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
207 Points -83%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1161 Points -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1196 Points +1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3742 Points +215%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1061 - 1206, n=14)
1172 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +125%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2708 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2759 Points +2%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
1757 Points -35%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2749 Points +2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2628 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2118 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1883 - 2759, n=14)
2587 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +15%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1436 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1438 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
482 Points -66%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1441 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1432 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3512 Points +145%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1270 - 1442, n=14)
1400 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +356%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1262 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1265 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
401 Points -68%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1239 Points -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1268 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
4209 Points +234%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1134 - 1268, n=14)
1237 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +639%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2768 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2758 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
1638 Points -41%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2789 Points +1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2615 Points -6%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2227 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (2121 - 2797, n=14)
2662 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points +50%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
44 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
47 fps +7%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
19 fps -57%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
48 fps +9%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
51 fps +16%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
58 fps +32%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (42 - 59, n=14)
48.1 fps +9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +90%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
51 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
50 fps -2%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
19 fps -63%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
50 fps -2%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
46 fps -10%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
102 fps +100%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (43 - 51, n=14)
48.4 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +376%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
20 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
21 fps +5%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
8.9 fps -55%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
22 fps +10%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
22 fps +10%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
51 fps +155%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (19 - 40, n=14)
22.6 fps +13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +257%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
23 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
22 fps -4%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
8.7 fps -62%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
23 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
23 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
54 fps +135%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (20 - 23, n=14)
22.1 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +500%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
13 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
14 fps +8%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
5.6 fps -57%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
15 fps +15%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
14 fps +8%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
29 fps +123%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (12 - 30, n=15)
14.7 fps +13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +363%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
15 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
15 fps 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
5.2 fps -65%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
14 fps -7%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
15 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
32 fps +113%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (8.2 - 15, n=14)
13.6 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +547%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
7.8 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
8.4 fps +8%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
3.3 fps -58%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
9.1 fps +17%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.6 fps +10%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
24 fps +208%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (7.5 - 18, n=15)
9.13 fps +17%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +450%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
9.1 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
9 fps -1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
3.1 fps -66%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.3 fps -9%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
9.1 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
25 fps +175%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (8 - 9.1, n=14)
8.84 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +544%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
7.6 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
8.1 fps +7%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.2 fps +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (7.5 - 15, n=9)
8.86 fps +17%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +470%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.7 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
8.5 fps -2%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
8.6 fps -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (7.9 - 8.8, n=9)
8.57 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +623%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
4.8 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
5.1 fps +6%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5.2 fps +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (4.7 - 10, n=9)
5.68 fps +18%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +571%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
3.2 fps
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
3.2 fps 0%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
3.2 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (3 - 3.3, n=9)
3.17 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +681%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
143352 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
143551 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
88550 Points -38%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
141701 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
140875 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
288062 Points +101%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (116346 - 143551, n=10)
137699 Points -4%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
118368 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
118773 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
68232 Points -42%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
117165 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
115834 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
232931 Points +97%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (105973 - 120479, n=11)
116194 Points -2%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2342 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2332 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
1445 Points -38%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2369 Points +1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2394 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3923 Points +68%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1905 - 2428, n=12)
2307 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +144%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5141 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
5237 Points +2%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
3109 Points -40%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
4976 Points -3%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
5048 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
6556 Points +28%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (3745 - 5282, n=11)
4927 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +87%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2332 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2269 Points -3%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
1930 Points -17%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2503 Points +7%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2494 Points +7%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3521 Points +51%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1737 - 2799, n=11)
2349 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +167%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2308 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
2293 Points -1%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
848 Points -63%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2298 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
2279 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
7965 Points +245%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1970 - 2332, n=11)
2241 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +502%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1086 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6144
1086 Points 0%
Huawei P20 Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 659, Mali-T830 MP2, 4096
858 Points -21%
Nokia 7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1101 Points +1%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 4096
1146 Points +6%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
1288 Points +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
  (1027 - 1334, n=11)
1114 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +37%

The browser tests paint a similar picture: The Redmi Note 7, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, Nokia 7 Plus and the BQ Aquaris X2 Pro all offer about the same performance, while falling behind the Mi 8; the P20 Lite remains the slowest device in the comparison. In practice, we did not observe any weaknesses during normal use. Here, games could serve as a better indicator, since they tend to seperate the wheat from the chaff in the smartphone category.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +56%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition (Chrome 69)
80.9 Points +48%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72)
54.7 Points
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
53.9 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
52.9 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (45.3 - 55.5, n=12)
52 Points -5%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro (Chrome 67)
49.4 Points -10%
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
23.42 Points -57%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +212%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition (Chrome 69)
14617 Points +37%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
10945 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72)
10679 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
10378 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8463 - 10945, n=14)
9973 Points -7%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro (Chrome 67)
9582 Points -10%
Huawei P20 Lite
4191 Points -61%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
10788 ms * -173%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (3796 - 4769, n=13)
4115 ms * -4%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro (Chrome 67)
4094 ms * -4%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72)
3948 ms *
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
3937 ms * -0%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
3880 ms * +2%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition (Chrome 69)
2317 ms * +41%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +58%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +114%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
63 Points +3%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
62 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72)
61 Points
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro (Chrome 67)
58 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (47 - 63, n=9)
57.1 Points -6%
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
34 Points -44%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition (Chrome 69)
251 Points +44%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72)
174 Points
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
171 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (159 - 182, n=8)
170.9 Points -2%
Nokia 7 Plus (Chrome 60)
168 Points -3%
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro (Chrome 67)
159 Points -9%
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
86 Points -51%

* ... smaller is better

None of the three variants of the Redmi Note 7 offer more than 64 GB storage space. Our test device is also equipped with 4 GB of RAM. A slightly better equipped model with 6 GB of RAM as well as a smaller version with 3 GB of RAM and only 32 GB storage space is available as well. The internal storage can be expanded by up to 256 GB with a microSD card that can be formatted as internal storage.

None of the mid-range smartphones in this comparison were able to achieve impressive results in terms of reading from and writing to the reference memory card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501. All of the smartphones in the comparison can write data to the internal storage at about the same speed and only the Mi 8 fell slightly behind in this exercise. The Mi 8 was able to demonstrate its prowess and its status as a higher end smartphone when it came to loading and starting apps as well as during the loading process of - an at times huge amount of - additional data for modern games.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7Xiaomi Mi 8 LiteHuawei P20 LiteNokia 7 PlusBQ Aquaris X2 ProXiaomi Mi 8 Explorer EditionAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
2%
53%
-1%
-7%
62%
7%
648%
Sequential Read 256KB
283.4
282.6
0%
293.9
4%
283.1
0%
280.8
-1%
692
144%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-4%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
418%
Sequential Write 256KB
204.7
172.4
-16%
198.3
-3%
211.6
3%
204.8
0%
205.2
0%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
-14%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
427%
Random Read 4KB
82.9
81.3
-2%
48.19
-42%
54.7
-34%
51.3
-38%
135.2
63%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
-29%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
192%
Random Write 4KB
16.06
18.75
17%
71.1
343%
19.62
22%
15.43
-4%
22.65
41%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
97%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1556%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
83.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
85.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
82.2
-1%
83.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-7%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
59.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
64 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
8%
69 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
16%
62.3
5%
61.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-2%

Gaming - Xiaomi with good Performance

The Snapdragon 660 with its integrated graphics Adreno 512 does a surprisingly good job: Racing games ran smoothly and we did not experience any rendering issues. The Note 7 may have to thank the preinstalled Game Speed Booster for this, since it prioritizes the game and keeps the clock rate at a consistently high level.

The frame rates in "Asphalt 9" mostly stayed just below the 30 FPS limit.

The Game Speed Booster app doubles as a game launcher: It recognizes installed games automatically and allows for adding and removing individual games. Aside from the boost, the menu of the app offers a few options, which help minimize disruptions during gaming sessions. This includes the option to disable notifications as well and while calls are excluded from this, they can be automatically accepted and forwarded to the hands-free mode when Game Booster is active and the appropriate setting enabled.

Asphalt 9 - Legends
Asphalt 9 - Legends
Subway Surfers
Subway Surfers
Asphalt 9 - Legends Compare
051015202530Tooltip
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7; Standard / low; 1.4.1a: Ø28 (24-31)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7; High Quality; 1.4.1a: Ø28.2 (26-30)
Subway Surfers Compare
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7; 1.100.0: Ø59.7 (51-60)

Emissions

Temperature - No excessive Heat Development

GFX battery test
GFX battery test

The moderate heat development of the Xiaomi smartphone is in line with its mid-range processor: The Redmi Note 7 never reaches uncomfortably high temperatures in real-world scenarios.

During use, the recorded case temperatures reached a maximum of 34 degrees Celcius (~93 degrees Fahrenheit). Even under continuous load, which the phone experienced during the GFX battery test, the Snapdragon 660 managed to maintain a fairly constant frame rate.

Max. Load
 33.8 °C
93 F
32.8 °C
91 F
31.4 °C
89 F
 
 33.1 °C
92 F
32.7 °C
91 F
32.2 °C
90 F
 
 32.5 °C
91 F
32.9 °C
91 F
31.4 °C
89 F
 
Maximum: 33.8 °C = 93 F
Average: 32.5 °C = 91 F
28.8 °C
84 F
31.1 °C
88 F
33.9 °C
93 F
28 °C
82 F
31.2 °C
88 F
34.2 °C
94 F
29.2 °C
85 F
31.1 °C
88 F
33.6 °C
92 F
Maximum: 34.2 °C = 94 F
Average: 31.2 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  28.9 °C = 84 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.5 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.8 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.4 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers - Headset recommended

Pink noise graphs
Pink noise graphs

The Note 7 is ahead of all smartphones in this comparison in terms of maximum volume - including the high-end Mi 8, which with the lowest dB(A) value almost sounds a bit shy. The Mi 8 is not just ahead of the devices in this comparison when it comes to bass, mid-tones and treble, it also achieves good results in general. By contrast, the Note 7's bass is a real weakness, which is why it is unable to achieve good results in practice.

It is worth enabling the Mi sound enhancer if you are using a headset: The predefined settings for different headset types significantly change the audio output and have a similar effect as sound profiles. If you are listening to music using the speaker, they are greyed-out however. The fact that users can choose between a USB type-C and a traditional 3.5 mm audio jack headset is a notable advantage of the Note 7.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.635.42528.224.53124.624402124.4502834.76327.226.88025.422.210023.621.512519.223.91602040.820016.449.72501756.631516.560.440015.665.250014.37063012.869.78001470.3100014.673125014.276.816001476.9200014.179.5250014.479.4315014.277.4400014.675.5500014.173.1630014.666.9800014.767.71000015.1731250014.968.4160001557SPL26.687.6N0.869median 14.6median 69.7Delta0.98.135.24232.941.837.230.431.736.639.641.828.331.427.331.526.934.226.731.42429.620.938.320.947.619.546.618.55417.562.817.559.415.758.915.86316.666.415.869.315.471.315.573.41674.815.875.91676.516.371.216.371.616.271.316.467.516.459.628.684.11.153.6median 16.4median 632.211.331.727.933.935.647.65031.234.63837.527.128.327.129.424.627.320.634.318.840.918.546.417.749.71752.216.55916.961.114.463.71468.313.567.513.765.913.967.312.767.812.770.112.769.412.566.611.96311.461.611.564.411.664.111.552.811.442.570.167.725.778.725.721.20.743median 13.9median 63median 13.2median 60.84.310.312.517.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Redmi Note 7Huawei P20 LiteXiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei P20 Lite audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life – Excellent

Energy Consumption

The energy consumption values of the six smartphones are an indicator for the high influence of the SoC and its energy management on the total energy consumption: Whereas the Note 7 and the other three SDM660 candidates performed about the same in tests with varying load levels, the Kirin 659 of the P20 Lite was able to secure it a noticeable advantage. The Xiaomi Mi 8 was the odd one out however. Here, the display cannot be held responsible, since the Mi 8 only has a marginally higher resolution while using the more efficient OLED display technology.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.11 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.61 / 1.95 / 2.03 Watt
Load midlight 4.56 / 9.15 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
4000 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
3350 mAh
Huawei P20 Lite
3000 mAh
Nokia 7 Plus
3800 mAh
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
3100 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
3000 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
1%
-3%
3%
-1%
-69%
-32%
-3%
Idle Minimum *
0.61
0.56
8%
0.98
-61%
0.65
-7%
0.63
-3%
1.8
-195%
1.052 ?(0.56 - 2.9, n=14)
-72%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-47%
Idle Average *
1.95
1.99
-2%
2
-3%
1.76
10%
2.16
-11%
2.9
-49%
2.62 ?(1.4 - 8.6, n=14)
-34%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
26%
Idle Maximum *
2.03
2.05
-1%
2.11
-4%
1.78
12%
2.18
-7%
3.5
-72%
2.88 ?(1.54 - 8.9, n=14)
-42%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
20%
Load Average *
4.56
4.62
-1%
3.9
14%
4.47
2%
4.48
2%
4.8
-5%
5.1 ?(3.47 - 9.4, n=14)
-12%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-22%
Load Maximum *
9.15
8.94
2%
5.62
39%
9.13
-0%
7.87
14%
11.2
-22%
9.08 ?(5.93 - 18.5, n=14)
1%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
10%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Redmi Note 7 was able to use its 4.000 mAh battery to its advantage in the battery test: It has the most stamina regardless of load level and even outlasts the more economical P20 Lite - though not by much and only due to its higher battery capacity. As battery life is an important consideration for a smartphone purchase, the Note 7 receives a recommendation here.

Additionally, it supports QuickCharge 4.0 and the empty battery can be fully charged with the included quick charge adapter in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Charging the phone for 30 minutes yields around the same charge percentage (32%).

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
32h 30min
WiFi Websurfing
12h 48min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
15h 40min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 19min
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
4000 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
3350 mAh
Huawei P20 Lite
3000 mAh
Nokia 7 Plus
3800 mAh
BQ Aquaris X2 Pro
3100 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
-29%
-35%
-22%
-31%
-17%
Reader / Idle
1950
1678
-14%
750
-62%
1703
-13%
1374
-30%
1401
-28%
H.264
940
662
-30%
470
-50%
706
-25%
658
-30%
921
-2%
WiFi v1.3
768
547
-29%
582
-24%
672
-12%
605
-21%
694
-10%
Load
259
150
-42%
247
-5%
158
-39%
145
-44%
191
-26%

Pros

+ 48 MP camera
+ excellent stamina
+ almost borderless Display
+ expandable storage
+ supports USB type-C and 3.5 mm jack headsets
+ neat chassis
+ dual-SIM

Cons

- hybrid slot: only either dual-SIM or storage expansion
- system language English (CHN model)
- no IP certification
- no DRM L1 support
- no NFC
- few LTE bands
- mono speaker
- camera noticeably protrudes from the case

Verdict

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 supplied by
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 supplied by

So, how does the Xiaomi phone with its high camera resolution and the otherwise mid-range hardware stack up against the competition?

The Note 7 has a clear advantage over the P20 Lite. It outdoes it not only in terms of raw performance, but in other areas such as Wi-Fi performance and running times as well.

The Qualcomm competition is fairly evenly matched. At between 200 Euros and 250 Euros (~$227 - ~$284) depending on the storage configuration, the prices are similar to those of the Note 7. Due to this, the choice comes down to details such as extra features and aesthetics, although not one of the three other candidates is able to rival the Note in terms of camera resolution.

At the time of testing, the 64 GB version of the Xiaomi Mi 8 still sold for around 350 Euros (~$397), with the larger 128 GB version being only 10 to 15 Euros (~$11 - ~$17) more expensive. Aside from the higher price, the higher performance of the Mi 8 has to be evaluated with the lower stamina in mind, which is why we cannot give a definitive recommendation at this point.

The Redmi Note 7 is a good mid-range smartphone; the 48 MP camera is its defining feature

In a vacuum, we can appreciate the functional MIUI from Xiaomi, which offers a lot more than we were able to cover in this review, as well. That said, the Chinese model also contained a lot of unnecessary software and some of the AI features apparently cannot be used in Europe.

Near the end of this review, we received information concerning the three now available versions of the Redmi Note 7:

  • Redmi Note 7 China: 48 MP camera, up to 6 GB of RAM, no band 20 LTE
  • Redmi Note 7 Global India: 12 MP camera, up to 4 GB of RAM, band 20 LTE
  • Redmi Note 7 Global Europe: 48 MP camera, up to 4 GB of RAM, band 20 LTE

This should make the sleek Chinese smartphone even more appealing to Germany and Europe.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 - 11/04/2019 v7
Inge Schwabe

Chassis
78%
Keyboard
66 / 75 → 88%
Pointing Device
82%
Connectivity
45 / 70 → 64%
Weight
89%
Battery
90%
Display
87%
Games Performance
16 / 64 → 25%
Application Performance
56 / 86 → 65%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 90 → 85%
Camera
60%
Average
72%
77%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Inge Schwabe, 2019-03-15 (Update: 2022-10- 6)