Mi Note 3 Review

We are one of the first who got Xiaomi Mi Note 3 for a review. The smartphone has a lot of interesting features that make it stand out from the crowd. Without further ado, let’s see what the new Mi Note has to show us.

Package and contents

A black box the smartphone ships in is really well-made. Inside we have a power adapter, a USB Type-C charging cable, a headphone jack adapter, a silicone case and a user manual.

Design

Mi Note 3 is a bigger Mi 6, but as stylish. Do not they look like siblings to you? Mi Note 3 has aluminum alloy frame with the back panel being made of glass. It is available in three colors: white, black and blue. We got the blue one and it looks very impressive.

The front is entirely occupied by a large 5.5-inch screen featuring a multifunctional button with fingerprint sensor under it and two touch buttons. A front camera, a speaker, and a light sensor are sitting in the upper part of the phone. At the rear of the smartphone, you will find a dual camera module and a dual-color LED flash. A SIM card slot is on the phone’s left edge, while the right edge is given to the volume controls and a lock button.

At the bottom of the smartphone, there is a USB Type-C connector and a speaker with a microphone. On top, we have IR-blaster to control “smart” devices.

Ergonomics

Journalists say that Mi Note 3 has a more compact body design than iPhone 7 Plus, although both smartphones sport the same display size. With that, Mi Note 3 makes a decent argument for itself in everyday use. But still, despite having not the smallest screen, the smartphone is lightweight just like Mi 6. You will be able to tuck the smartphone into the pocket of your jeans or trousers. The only thing to pay attention to is a glass back panel that makes the smartphone slide off smooth surfaces.

Functionality

At the heart of Xiaomi Mi Note 3 lies the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, which demonstrates exceptional performance along with amazing energy efficiency. There is no memory card slot as the smartphone comes with either 64GB or 128GB ROM, which Xiaomi though would be enough for a contemporary smartphone user. The blue version comes with only 128GB of ROM. The smartphone is also equipped with 6GB of RAM, which at the moment is one of the highest RAM numbers in class. Any modern game will work smoothly and won’t lag. MIUI works fast, we do not have a single complaint about it.

Display

The display of Mi Note 3 got shrunk compared to the previous generation. The last Mi Note smartphone had a 5.7-inch screen, and here we have a 5.5-inch one. Beside, OLED in Mi Note 2 changed into IPS in Mi Note 3. What did not change was a Full HD resolution. The display looks spectacular and offers advanced color gamut settings, ability to reduce brightness to 1 nit and special reading mode. In the direct sunlight, it works perfectly, the image does not look pale and is easy to read.

Cameras

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is equipped with the same camera module as Mi 6. There are two 12MP cameras, each with a different lens: one with a f/1.8 wide-angle lens and the other with a f/2.6 telephoto lens. A four-axis image stabilization system provides crisp shots even when your hands shake. The telephoto lens has a 2x optical zoom that allows you to create photos with a blurred background, which is the so-called “Bokeh effect”, previously available in mirror cameras.

The front camera offers 16MP and supports Adaptable AL Beautify selfie correction. It can remove wrinkles, even out the tone of your skin tone and even change your face shape. With the help of the front camera, you can unlock the smartphone. If you are uncomfortable unlocking the device with a fingerprint scanner, for example, when your hands are wet, just look into the camera and the smartphone will be unlocked.

Battery duration

There is a 3500mAh battery beating inside Mi Note 3, which allows you to use the smartphone for two days without recharging. It is a very good result taking into account all of the above specs. Mi Note 3 supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology that lets you to fully charge the battery in an hour.

Conclusion

Xiaomi Mi Note 3, a bigger brother of Mi 6, is ideal for those who like massive smartphones with a solid performance. Cool cameras, stylish design, a fast processing unit, brilliant display and impressive functionality — this is what you get under one roof.