Xiaomi has given its phones a significant design upgrade in recent times, and the testament to this change is the Xiaomi’s latest budget smartphone, the Redmi 7. Previously we got to see some major design upgrades in the Redmi Note 7 Pro, which sported some really impressive aesthetics, but now, Xiaomi has taken this streak of aesthetical detailing down to its budget segment devices as well. Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi 7 smartphone which comes with a budget price tag but also ships some noteworthy upgrades on the inside when compared to its predecessor Redmi 6. After taking a quick look at the device, here are the few things which strike the eye and largely make up the first impressions of the phone.
Xiaomi Redmi 7 First Impressions: Design and Display
Instead of a durable metallic body, Xiaomi has taken a different route and put the Redmi 7 in a glossy plastic body. However, Xiaomi has not done this for absolutely any reason but instead has made this sacrifice to bring the beautiful gradient finish to its new phone. The company has also termed this new design as “Aura Smoke”, and we would have to say that it’s tough to hold anything against this design as it surely gives the phone an aesthetic appeal. Considering the budget price tag of the phone, this development on the design front also seems worthy, and it comes in two gradient colour options - Lunar Red and Comet Blue and a standard Eclipse Black.
If you would prefer something flashy, then the black and red blend on the Lunar Red variant fits the description. There is also a black rim on the edges of the phone which adds to the good design. Xiaomi has also said that the phone sports a P2i hydrophobic coating to make it splash resistance.
As for the display, the Redmi 7 can be considered as a good upgrade over the previous Redmi 6 as now the phone ditches the big bezels and features an expanded screen with a waterdrop notch. The display spans 6.26-inch and has HD+ resolution (720 x 1520 pixels) along with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The phone also sports Corning Gorilla Glass 5 which is something we rarely get to see at this price point.
Xiaomi Redmi 7 First Impressions: Hardware and Software
Instead of the MediaTek Helio P22, the new Redmi 7 sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC. This chipset is paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and the phone also offers the choice to expand the memory by 512GB using a micro SD card. The Redmi 7 also comes with a dedicated micro SD card slot meaning that the users won’t have to give up on their second SIM to accommodate the SD card. The phone offers Dual 4G and Dual VoLTE support as well like its predecessor.
On the battery front, the phone will pack a 4000mAh battery as compared to the 3000mAh on the previous device thus marking an impressive improvement. As for the software, the Redmi 7 runs Xiaomi’s custom UI, the MIUI 10 skin based on Android 9 Pie. Although the working of the device is smooth and it puts up little to no lag, the aesthetics of the interface is something which remained the same for over two years now. Hopefully, MIUI 11 brings a design refresh.
Xiaomi Redmi 7 First Impressions: Camera
On the imaging front, the Redmi 7 comes with an AI-assisted dual camera with the primary sensor being a 12MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and the secondary camera being a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, the phone sports an 8MP selfie shooter, and to the delight of users, the phone also supports full-HD videos at 60fps. Additionally, there are features like portrait mode and AI scene detection. There is also the palm shutter gesture using which you can click selfies from a distance.
Xiaomi Redmi 7 First Impressions: Verdict
Xiaomi has given a price tag of Rs 7,999 to the base variant of Redmi 7 that offers 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. And at this price tag, the phone will compete with other devices in the market like Samsung Galaxy M10 and the Realme 3. On paper, the Redmi 7 looks like a complete package and the design is something which will appeal a lot of users out there.
These were some of the things which the Redmi 7 reveals on the first look, but for a more detailed review make sure that you keep updated with this space.
