REDMI 3s: Budget Friendly Series
by mitch002
by mitch002
We review the Redmi 3 Pro!
While we were sleeping in our couch, I mean bed, we got a news that Xiaomi is going to release another variant of Redmi 3. First it was Redmi 3, then Redmi 3 Pro and not Redmi 3s (and we heard another one in Redmi 3x). We quickly noticed that this is the same unit as the Redmi 3 Pro only using another processor. In easier words, Redmi 3s is Redmi 3 Pro on a slower processor. We love the way it was build, the same as the Redmi 3 and Redmi 3 Pro, and taking those grid design away at the back makes it look more professional again this time around.
This variant got released 6 months after the successful January 2016 debut of the Redmi 3 series. Xiaomi as a company always stives hard to keep price low for the entry level clients, thus cheaper units are relased from time to time that will catch us off the hook.
Unboxing Video:
Xiaomi Redmi 3s Specs
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 Octa-Core processor (Quad Core 1.4Ghz Cortex A53 + Quad Core 1.1Ghz Cortex A53)
• Adreno 505 GPU
• 2GB / 3GB of RAM
• 5-inch HD display, 1280 x 720 resolution
• 16GB / 32GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 128GB (using sim 2 slot)
• 13-megapixel rear camera, phase detection AF, f/2.0
• 5-megapixel front camera f/2.2
• Fingerprint Sensor
• Dual-SIM (Sim 1 Micro Sim, Sim 2 Nano Sim / Micro Sd Card up to 128GB)
• 3G, LTE
• MIUI 7.3, Android 6.0.1
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• 4100mAh battery
Whats in the Box:
Network Compatibility
| Data Speed | Bandwidth |
| 4GFDD-LTE TDD-LTE | B1/B3/B7 B38/B39/B40/B41: 2555-2655MHz |
| 3GTD-SCDMA WCDMA CDMA2000 | B34/B39 B1/B2/B5/B8 BC0 |
| 2GGSM CDMA 1X | B2/B3/B5/B8 BC0 |
Budget Friendly Luxury
Xiaomi first shot at an all-metal smartphone in the form of the Redmi Note 3 has been a success not only in China but already branched out and warmly embraced by Mi fans in India. The Redmi 3s carried over the metal body of the Redmi 3 Pro series, it has since been elegant and slim and it’s the current trending designs even for other smartphone manufacturers in China. This time Xiaomi managed to make it more budget friendly in the form of a lower end SoC.
The Redmi 3s sports curved edges design and gently sloping sides to make it easy to grip on the hands. The Redmi 3s no longer has the criss-cross pattern present in the budget friendly Redmi 3 on the back which many commented that it’s a bit girlish in design.
The top of the phone shows the 3.5mm audio jack as well as the IR blaster and the noise-cancellation mic. While at the bottom we can find the Micro USB port, we were a bit disappointed with this one as we thought that they will sport the all new USB C port in this unit since its the standard among new smartphones these days. The loudspeaker is still located at the back of the phone which prevents sounds from being clear when its lying flat on the table.
The phone is pretty easy to carry, being the 5 inches smartphone that it is, this is the perfect size for one handed use. The HD display is pretty good and it is equipped with the sunlight display technology which is a big advantage when using the phone under the heat of the sun.
This model has the latest MIUI 7.3 installed and sporting Android Marshmallo 6.0.1, bootloader is locked therefore you have to checkout en.miui.com/unlock to flash your favorite custom rom should you require in the future.
Snapdragon 430, OK for daily driver, not as powerful as 616
The Redmi 3s main difference with its older sibling is mainly the SoC, Snapdragon 430's slower processor is slower to process task and multitask will be a bit slower. But looking at the bright side, it supports faster LTE connection in CAT 5 while 616 only has CAT 4 connection. Although slower in processing, the SoC 430 sill preforms well for daily task like calls, text, messengers, social apps and online games. Its performance for multitasking is also average considering it has 8-cores ready to help you push those tasks to the finish line. AnTuTu gave it a 38,439 points while the Redmi 3 2GB Ram 16GB we reviewed before received a 31,992 points.
As for the thermal performance, the Snapdragon 430 is pretty normal running at 31C for standby, 34C for normal usage and 37C for fullload. This is a bit cooler compared to the Redmi 3 Pro series.
Audio and Video:
We have tested the audio for the loudspeaker, it is pretty decent for a small phone of its size. We also tested watching 720p video via youtube and its pretty clear and crisp. Good job on that category for Redmi 3s.
Slow Focus Camera for a Budget Series
The camera used in this series we believe is not the same as the Redmi 3 Pro series as we have a little difficulty with the autofocus, thought results were not bad for indoor and outdoor shots, low light is a little disappointing but the rest are pretty much okay. We feel that this is one of the weak points of this phone.
Unedited Photos:
Super Duper Battery!
One of the main focus that we have notice from this unit, othert han its pocket friendly price, is its battery. We were able to let PC Mark do the battery stress test for us and after the long endurance test, it yielded a whooping 17 hour 59 minutes opposing to 13 hours and 54 minutes of the Redmi 3 Pro! This is what we all want, a long lasting battery, since the SoC consume less power, battery life should be longer.
Other Test Stats:
Mitch002 Verdict: Xiaomi Impressed us on the Battery Endurance
With the market so crowded with new smartphones, the Redmi 3s stands tall among them in terms of price and battery performance. Tho the SoC is not the one we are really looking for in a smartphone, but the budget always determine the SoC but doing a turnaround and getting more juice out of the battery is what average non-gamer consumer looks for in a phone, without frequently hitting the powerbank or the powersource. Overall the Redmi 3s is a sturdy phone, good performance, average camera and extra long battery life.
The 2GB Ram 16GB Storage is available for 699 RMB while the 3GB Ram and 32GB Storage is available for 899RMB on Xiaomi China Website.
Redmi 3s
Disclaimer: Please don't send me any PM regarding any type of Sales related inquiries. I'm a Xiaomi enthusiast but not a seller of Mi Products. I'm just a hardcore Xiaomi Fan, one notch higher than many of you here. Also I'm a Tech Blogger in the Philippines and all my review devices are either bought by myself from Xiaomi or borrowed from someone for a short period of time.
