Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro (first impressions) in India just a few days back. The smartphone just like its predecessor Redmi Note 4 comes with a good design and hardware for the price, but disappointingly still runs Android 7.1.2. However, it seems that Xiaomi is fixing this problem very soon. A new report from GizChina reveals that Redmi Note 5 Pro running Android 8.1.0 Oreo OS was spotted at MWC 2018. This simply implies two possibilities, one that an Oreo update for the Redmi Note 5 Pro is drawing near. The second possibility is that an international variant of the Note 5 Pro will arrive running Android Oreo out of the box.
Interestingly, the second possibility means the Redmi Note 5 Pro may launch as Project Treble compatible. Every device launched with Android 8.0 and above is required to be Project Treble compatible.
If you are aware, Project Treble is Google’s initiative to speed up the process of Android updates that are often delayed by OEMs. It also allows smartphones with custom ROMs like Xiaomi’s MIUI to be updated much faster compared to before.
However, if the Redmi Note 5 Pro was updated to Android 8.1.0 rather than manufacture with it, then Xiaomi might easily bypass the Treble requirement. When updating from a previous Android version, adding Treble compatibility is not necessary at all.
Currently, there’s no news whether Xiaomi is planning to release an international variant of Redmi Note 5 Pro. The presence of the smartphone at the MWC 2018, however, suggests Xiaomi may be planning on extending the phone’s availability worldwide.
As for the smartphone, the Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a metallic bezel-less display design. The screen itself is a 5.99-inch FHD+ with a resolution of 2160x1080p and 18:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the Redmi 5 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.
The biggest USP of Redmi Note 5 Pro is the camera. The phone sports a dual-rear camera, featuring a combination of 12MP and 5MP rear sensors which come with f/2.2 aperture and f/2.0 aperture respectively. There’s a 16MP camera up front for selfies. Backed by a 4000mAh battery, the Redmi Note 5 Pro runs Xiaomi's MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1.2