Xiaomi started this year in India with the launch of the Redmi Note 5 Pro (first impressions) and its smaller sibling Redmi Note 5. The Note 5 Pro, in particular, was a surprising offering from the company as it brings best in class performance for the asking price. The Note 5 Pro is also the world's first device with Snapdragon 636 SoC and paired with up to 6GB of RAM, the device is a stellar option under Rs 20,000. But assume that you can afford up to Rs 25,000 and looking for a decent phone from a recognised brand, here's where the Moto X4 comes into the picture. Between Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000, the Moto X4 has been a de-facto option since its release, but should you really get the Moto X4 by investing a little more or just settle down with the Redmi Note 5 Pro? Read on to know more.
Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Moto X4 Design & Build
The Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a glass build on the front and an aluminium unibody design on the back. The phone sports a full-screen design with minimum bezels surrounding the display. There’s no physical home screen button as Xiaomi sticks to on-screen navigation. A dual vertical camera module is located on the top left corner of the rear panel while a circular fingerprint scanner is centred at the back.
The Moto X4 (review), on the other hand, has a glass build on both the front and rear with an aluminium frame. The rear has a much a curvier appearance and the circular camera module housing the dual sensors and LED flash sticks out with a noticeable protrusion. The X4 comes with more premium look and feel in comparison to the Redmi Note 5 Pro and that's the reason why it stood out from the crowd.
Also, the Moto X4 is compact when taken into hands as it packs a 5.2-inch display, and it even comes with the standard 16:9 aspect ratio. But the glass back and gorgeous design makes it a winner over the Note 5 Pro. That said, if you're in search for a metal bodied phone with a larger display, then the Note 5 Pro should be your option.
Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Moto X4 Display
The display on the Redmi Note 5 Pro is a 5.99-inch Full HD+ (1080x2160p) IPS LCD with 18:9 aspect ratio and 403 pixels per inch density. Xiaomi boasts of it having a maximum brightness of 450 nits, meaning it is easily legible under direct sunlight.
The Moto X4 has a smaller 5.2-inch Full HD (1080x1920p) LTPS IPS LCD display with 16:9 aspect ratio. Both the smartphones come with Corning Gorilla Glass protection on top to protect from scratches. The Note 5 Pro’s larger display and FHD+ resolution edges out the X4. In real life scenarios, both the displays perform equally well, and the downside with both of them is they are reflective panels.
Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Moto X4 Hardware
The Redmi Note 5 Pro is the first device to be powered by the all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. This octa-core CPU comes with 4 Kyro 260 cores clocked at up to 1.8 GHz and the other four at up to 1.6 GHz. It includes the Adreno 509 GPU, 4/6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Powered by this chip, the Note 5 Pro offers best in class performance. In real life too, the phone offered excellent performance with no hiccups or lags at any point.
Underneath the Moto X4 is the slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset. It has an octa-core Cortex-A53 clocked at 2.2GHz and Adreno 508 GPU. It also comes in 3GB, 4GB and 6GB RAM options. The Snapdragon 636, however, delivers 40% boost in performance SD 630, making the Redmi Note 5 Pro a easy winner in the performance department. Applications opened tad faster on the Note 5 Pro, but the RAM management is better on the Moto X4 though. I have been using both the phones with 4GB of RAM.
Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Moto X4 Camera
Things get quite interesting in the camera department, as the Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with big improvements over its predecessor. On the rear, there’s a 12MP Sony IMX485 camera with 1.25-micron pixels on the sensor and a f/2.2 aperture while a 5MP Samsung colour sensor used for capturing depth information. The photos taken during the day with ample lighting conditions offer plenty of detail and very good colours. The Portrait Mode also works really well even in low light conditions.
As for the front, there is a 20MP Sony IMX375 sensor with f/2.2 aperture. The camera is accompanied by a LED selfie light. Overall, the camera delivers sharper selfies with portrait mode effect.
The Moto X4 also comes with a dual camera module. There’s a 12MP primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture, 1.4-micron meter pixel size, PDAF, dual pixel technology; and an 8MP secondary lens with f/2.2 aperture, 1.12-micron meter pixel size, PDAF. On the front is a 16MP selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture with support for FHD video recording. The Moto X4 does a commendable job in the photography department, but despite its decent camera fails because of inferior dynamic range and details.
Watch the video to know more about the camera performance on both these phones.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zgni9x0Ilsk
Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Moto X4 Battery & OS
The Redmi Note 5 Pro is backed by a hefty 4000mAh battery, while the Moto X4 has a smaller 3000mAh battery. The X4, however, offers Turbo Charge fast charging feature something which the Xiaomi device lacks. Still, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is rather power efficient and can go for two days without charge out matching the Moto X4 quiet easily.
As for the OS, Redmi Note 5 Pro ships with MIUI 9 which is based on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system. The Moto X4, on the other hand, is on Android 7.1 Nougat (new units are shipping with Android Oreo, but my unit is yet to receive OTA update).
Xiaomi is already rumoured to be working on the Android Oreo update for the Note 5 Pro, and it's expected to come out in the next couple of months.
The MIUI 9 is a heavily skinned UI, and you can't even notice a single resemblance to stock Android, while the Moto X4 boots stock Android with subtle customisations such as Moto Gestures, Moto Voice, Moto Key, etc. Overall, the software experience is different on both the phones, but the addition of stock Android means the Moto X4 has the upper hand. However, if you're looking for features on your smartphone, then you should get the Note 5 Pro itself.
Conclusion
Both the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Moto X4 are pretty good devices with decent specifications. However, Xiaomi’s latest bezel-less design and improved cameras for the Redmi Note 5 Pro are way too much to handle for the older Moto X4. The Redmi Note 5 Pro’s performance, battery life, in fact, set a new precedent for what a mid-range smartphone can offer. But the Moto X4 is the only device in India under Rs 25,000 to offer IP68 water and dust resistant properties. If you're looking for a compact, good looking glass body smartphone, the Moto X4 is an ideal choice for you.
