Comparison: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 vs Redmi 5

Battery

The difference in battery sizes, not only stand out, but are painfully obvious when you’re using the phones. The Redmi Note 5 lasts considerably longer than the Redmi 5 under heavy usage. 

When it's 4,000mAh battery against a 3,300mAh battery, the usual first reaction is to just towards the bigger battery but in reality, battery size isn't determining factor for battery life.

Under normal use, nothing too heavy, both phones have comfortably functioned for a little longer than 24 hours. The Redmi Note 5 is actually somewhere between 24hours and 48hours.

Camera

The primary cameras on both the phones are 12MP with auto-focus (AF) .Since the cameras are the same, the pictures should come out the same as well, right?

When taking photos in natural light the results are pretty similar, but under artificial light the Redmi Note 5 captures more details and the differences in colour are more perceptible. When taking photos against the light, the bigger phone’s images have better saturation and background details are greater. 

There is such a thing as over saturated, but that isn't the case here. By better saturation it's implied that the hues of the objects are captured more accurately rather than being dulled out or appearing like a shadow.

On the other hand, the Redmi 5 performs better under low light conditions. The images are relatively more crisp and gradient shifts can be seen, whereas the Note 5 muddies the colors and the focus object melts into the background. 

The Redmi 5, on its own, isn’t too impressive in the low light department but it is better in comparison to its counterpart. It captures more details and colors, but edges of objects are too smooth. The Note 5 keeps the edges sharp.

The secondary cameras have the same 5MP sensor on both the phones, but the Redmi 5 comes equipped with a front camera flash. Though the selfie comparison was clicked during the day, where the flash feature should have no bearing on how the picture turns out, the Redmi 5 camera produced a smoother image whereas the Redmi Note 5 camera had more detail and the edges are better defined. 

When it comes to recording videos, the Redmi 5 can support Full HD frames whereas the Redmi Note 5 can record in 4K.

Verdict

The Redmi 5 may be the budget phone most users are looking for, but the results of the Redmi Note 5 speak for themselves. The superior battery, processor, RAM and storage cumulatively deliver better performance and usage experience. 

The extra Rs 3,000 is well worth its value when it includes more than double the battery capacity, double storage and a bigger screen. The Redmi Note 5 is automatically a better device because you’ll be able to do more with it. 

This isn’t to say that the Redmi 5 isn’t worth its salt. For Rs 8,999, it’s still one of the better phones in the market, it just depends on what your requirements are as a user. 

If you’re one that loves freebies, then the Redmi 5 comes with its own cover. But sadly, no out-of-the-box headphones with either device.