Mi Note 3 review – Premium Smartphone, not available in India

The Mi Note series by Xiaomi is for now limited to Chinese markets but you can buy one and get it imported into India. Here is the latest Mi Note 3 review that was launched in China, do not confuse this with the Redmi Note series, both are different. Check the review to know more.

Xiaomi has not launched the Mi Note series in India and probably may never do so. This series falls into a mid premium category, looks totally different and is kinda pricey. The Mi Note 3 is powerful, and the MIUI 9 is icing on the cake.

Overall performance was impressive, no lags and handset hardly heated up. There is no micro SD option but plenty of storage space. Camera performance was also pretty impressive. There are dual cameras on the rear and they shoots really cool portrait. Fast charging is supported and battery life is good enough.

Unfortunately Xiaomi has not launched this handset in India, so you need to buy this from International stores.

Mi Note 3 features, specifications

Inside the box (unboxing the Mi Note 3) :  Handset, user manual, SIM Tray ejector PIN, data cable (USB to USB Type C), 3.5mm to USB Type C adapter (there is no 3.5mm audio jack on this handset), silicon case and travel charger 12V/1.5A (fast charger)
Body : Using Metal frame and back comes with mirror finishing. Curvy design, comfortable to hold, slippery though, better use the silicon case it blends well and gives a very good grip
SIM Type : Nano + Nano, there is no Micro SD card slot
Weight : 163 grams
Screen  :  5.5 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, viewing angles, touch response and color reproduction are great, 2.5D curved glass
Connectivity :  4G, VoLTE (work on both SIM), WiFi, GPS, NFC,  and Bluetooth
Sensors : Accelerometer, Proximity, light and magnetic, gyro sensor, pressure sensor, hall, step
Security and Extra : Finger Print sensor, Face Unlock and IR blaster
LED Notification : Yes
OTG : Yes supported
RAM : 6GB (about 3.6GB free on first boot)
ROM : 64GB (about 54GB free on first boot)
OS : Android Nougat 7.1.1 + MIUI 9.1.2.0 Chinese ROM (English supported) – you will need to install Google Services / Play store

Mi Note 3 Performance

CPU :  Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 64 bit octa core 2.2GHz
GPU :  Adreno 512
Heating : Low
Max Battery Temperature : 35 degrees

Performance was buttery smooth, no lags, the best part was the battery temp was very much under 36 degrees even when playing games. This handset hardly heated up.

Mi Note 3 Benchmark

Antutu : 113920 /29435
NenaMark3 :  60.0fps (3-7)
Multi Touch : 10 points
Disk Speed :  259 MB/s read  and 230 MB/s write

Mi Note 3 Gaming Review

I played Asphalt 8 in high quality mode and it played well, smooth, no lags. Hardware can play high end games with ease.

Mi Note 3  Camera  Review

Rear Camera : 12MP + 12MP, auto focus, dual tone LED flash, f/1.8
Front Camera : 16MP
Video Recording : 4K resolution, slow motion, time-lapse

Camera quality is excellent. After the MIUI 9 update the inter face changed and there is a separate option for portrait photography. When using portrait mode you get guideline / help on the screen so you know what to do, to get the perfect shot, example for bokeh the distance may be too less or more, you will get the hint on the screen.

Front selfie shot also turned out great. Handset can shoot max 4K videos. Do check the samples below.

Camera Rating : 4.5 out of 5

Mi Note 3 Camera samples

Download Original Image files (right click and save) (do not use it for commercial purpose, without permission of gogi.in).

Other features

Sound was loud and clear. The finger print sensor on the front was very fast and accurate. This handset also comes with face unlock feature that also works really good. No other issues, smooth performance.

Do note this handset is running MIUI Chinese version, there is English option though and by default there is no access to Google Play / Google Services. Just search for Google from the Mi Store app and install the Google app which in turn will install all the apps needs to run Google Play Store.

Initially I did face some issues, like the Play store was not working and it got stuck at the Login screen. But after few days it just worked by itself. So in case you are using a MIUI 9 Chinese version and installed Google services / Play store and in case it is not working, check back again after few days.

Mi Note 3  Battery Review

Battery capacity : 3500  mAh (Non-removable)
Charging Time : Charge – 1 hour 15 minutes (12% to 100%) using the charger provided
Battery Life : 5 to 8 hours non-stop (moderate to heavy)
Daily usage battery life : One day to one and a half days, depending on your usage

Battery Test Results

Battery Temp at idle : 31 degrees
Running Benchmark app :  15 minutes / 5% / 35 degrees
Asphalt 8  game play : 23 minutes / 5% / 34 degrees
4K video playback with full brightness (WiFi /4G on) :  24 minutes / 4% / 34 degrees

Verdict

The Mi Note 3 looks premium and performance was impressive, the MIUI 9 makes it even better. This handset is not available in India and if you are planning to buy this, you can order from GearBest, you will need to pay custom duty consider that too.

Rating : 4.5 out of 5

In case you are planing to buy this you can get it from GearBest check the coupons below, use DHL shipping and you will need to pay custom duty for this product (less than Rs. 6000).

Here are the coupon codes for Mi Note 3

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 4G Phablet 64GB ROM / Coupon Code: MRwhose2  / Coupon Price: $391.99 (approx Rs. 26K)
Xiaomi Mi Note 3 4G Phablet 6GB + 128GB / Coupon Code: note3th / Coupon Price: $429.99 (approx Rs. 28K)
Xiaomi Mi Note 3 4G Phablet 128GB ROM

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