Test of the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro: the Chinese double

Discreetly unveiled in China, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is the Chinese version of the MI A2 Lite, just as it was before MI 6X with regard to the MI A2.

Not being officially distributed in Europe, it will be necessary to go through an import shop to be able to acquire it.
At the beginning of December 2018 , count a little less than 160 Euros HT for the version of 4GB of RAM + 32GB of ROM.
It is this declension which is the object of this test article.

Marco recently tested the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite and his opinion was generally positive.
But what is his Chinese alter ego worth? The answer is below.

Best offers of the moment:

1. Aesthetics: a d esign pleasing to the eye

At Xiaomi, even entry-level smartphones have the right to a perfect finish and build quality.
And this is the case for this Redmi 6 Pro.

So here we have a chassis and an anodized aluminum case.

The grip is very good and the brand had the good idea to insert a transparent silicone back shell in the packaging.

If the copy presented here is blue, know that this smartphone is also available in black, red, gold and pink gold.

The front is 79.72% occupied by a 5.84-inch screen with a 19: 9 ratio.
The latter is surmounted by a notch integrating an earphone, the usual light sensors / Proximity and a front photo sensor.
No sensitive Android buttons under the display (they are integrated on the screen and therefore tactile), but a notification LED.

The left side of the terminal houses the SIM / micro SD drawer (2 nano SIM + 1 micro SD), while on the right side is the volume key and the ignition button.

The top edge houses an IR port, a noise reduction microphone and a mini-jack port.

In contrast, there is the presence of a micro USB port bordered on each side of a grid. The one on the left hides the primary microphone input while the one on the right protects the speaker.

Let’s return the phone to discover a vertical photo module that includes 2 lenses and an LED flash.
Below, there is a reader circular fingerprint and the Xiaomi logo (mi).

• Dimensions: 149.33 mm long x 71.68 mm wide x 8.75 Thickness Weight: 178 grams

2. Image and sound: a very beautiful image

The 5.84-inch IPS screen with 2.5D glass provides a very beautiful image in Full HD + resolution.

The color and contrast management is quite satisfactory and the viewing angles are wide open.

With 480 cd / m², the brightness is of good level and you will be able to consult without problem your smartphone outside.

On the negative side, I will record the fact that in video mode the screen tries to hide the notch in a black banner.
The latter has right angles whereas the opposite angles of the image are rounded, which has the gift of disturbing me.

Whether carried by the main speaker, the mini-jack or the earphone, the sound offers good quality.
The sound played by the speaker is relatively powerful since took no less than 121 db at the exit.

• Screen: 5.84 inches (IPS) with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels, ie a density of 432 dpi.
• Sound: 3.5 jack and mono speaker. Classic earphone

3. Performances: quite sufficient

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is part of the entry-level mobile segment.
Do not wait for

Despite everything compared to its price, this smartphone from the Middle Kingdom offers very good performances.

With scores of just over 78,500 points on Antutu and more than 8300 points on 3D Mark (Ice Storm Extreme), the Redmi 6 Pro is able to run all the big apps, but also wholesale fashionable 3D games like PUBG Mobile.

Our Chinese terminal is also comfortable multitasking, this being particularly related to the RAM provided in quantity (4GB).

Regarding storage memory, here we are on a classic 32GB of which 22.64GB will actually be available to the user.
A micro SD card (+ 256GB) can be quickly added to extend this memory

• Antutu Benchmark (v7.1.0): 78.509 points | 3D Mark (Ice Storm Extreme): 8326 points
• Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.0GHz | RAM: 4GB | Graphic processor: Adreno 506
• Storage memory: 32GB of memory that transforms into 22.64GB during the first start.

4. Connectivity: a 4G amputee

We are here in the presence of a device compatible with 4G LTE Category 6 networks (300 Mbps in download ).
Unfortunately, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is not officially planned for Europe, we will have to be satisfied with the B1, B3 and B7 bands, no B20 (800 MHz band) and even less B28 (the 700 MHz band)

And of course, we also have 3G + and 2G.

Beside that, we find the connections expected on a smartphone modern, namely: WiFi (a / b / g / n), (A) GPS / Glonass / BDS, an infrared port, 2 SIM slots, a micro SD slot, a USB 2.0 micro port (OTG), a mini-jack port, etc.

Regarding outdoor network hooks, they are bonn es, whether in 2G, 3G or 4G.
On the other hand, we can not say the same inside.
Indeed, I have often been unable to hang the 4G, and worse to find myself without an Internet connection because I only captured the Edge.
It is very likely that this was due to the absence of the band B20.
On the other hand, I did not note any problem concerning the

At the level of sensors, we can count on an accelerometer, a compass, a gyroscope and the usual sensors of brightness / proximity.
We also find a Fingerprint sensor, efficient and fast.
The smartphone can also be unlocked via facial recognition, a technology that is fast here and works very well, even in the dark.

• SAR (Specific Absorption Rate): 0.547 W / kg. This is a very good score for a mobile designed and marketed in 2018.

5. Operating system: a customized Android

Xiaomi probably offers one of the most popular overlay to date.
An overlay (some speak from fork ) named MIUI and counting millions of users and fans

Our Redmi 6 Pro has the latest version of Android Oreo (8.1) on which Xiaomi came to overlay its overlay MIUI 9.6.
A system that also has the particularity of being followed regularly by the mark.

We thus find here all the aesthetic and ergonomic modifications of MIUI.
Note the presence of some additional applications, with access to the Google Play Store, all in French since we are here on a multilingual version.

Among these additional functions and applications, we have in particular:

 

– Themes: allows to customize the screen to your liking

– Remote control: allows you to control some remote devices like your TV
– Security: a RAM / ROM cleaner, a battery manager, an anti-virus, etc.
– Mi Video: a nice and efficient video player
– Etc.

 

Note that it is also possible to hide the notch via a small passage through the Settings menu.
The 3 Android hotkeys can also be replaced by a system of gestures .

 

• Operating system: Android Oreo 8.1 | Fork: MIUI 9.6

6. Usage: overall satisfactory

 

Beside the basic uses of a modern smartphone, there are still two points that make it possible today to distinguish the different mobiles between them: photo quality and autonomy

 

Let’s say it right away, the photo quality offered by this smartphone signed Xiaomi is quite satisfactory, whether with the rear sensor or with the front sensor.

 

The dorsal photo module is based on a dual lens of 12 (f / 2.2) + 5 megapixels (f / 2.2), while the front we find a sensor of 5 MP opening f / 2.0.
The photo application is simple to use and we are entitled to the assistance of Artificial Intelligence.

The back sensor is capable of shooting in 1080p at 30FPS.

Regarding autonomy, we really do not have to complain! The 4000 mAh battery will allow this smartphone to be used for 2 days before asking to be recharged (in the context of a reasonable mixed use).

The Redmi 6 Pro features fast charging technology.
A full charge of the battery with the 5V / 2A charger provided by the brand will take about 2.5 hours.

A 60-minute YouTube video (all connections on, 50% sound, 50% brightness) will have consumed 11% of the energy in the battery. is much better than the usual 20%.

• Dorsal camera: 12 + 5 megapixels, with autofocus and LED flash
• Battery : Fixed of 4000 mAh.

In conclusion: an excellent smartphone but …

 

Overall, this Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is an excellent smartphone.

It offers a very beautiful panoramic image, a good sound, a very good quality of manufacture, quite honest performances, a good photo quality, but now, it has an Achilles heel.

Indeed, not being originally intended for Europe this Chinese smartphone does not have all the necessary tape for full use at home. So, no B20 and even less B28 in 4G LTE.
This has the effect (depending on your operator), not being able to capture 4G everywhere, and even to end up without an Internet connection with mobile data.

So we end up with a very good smartphone that has its weak point.

• • Pros: There are too many of them to list them all.
  • Cons:

No B20 in 4G, no USB-C port.