First Impression: Xiaomi Redmi 3S Is Note 3’s Sibling on a Budget
The latest Redmi phone gets a full-metal body and comes in two variants.
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How to better a near-perfect product? You come out with a smaller and cheaper avatar of the same. That’s been Xiaomi’s formula with the new Redmi 3S which gives you a full-metal body priced at Rs 6,999 onwards.
You get all the features of the Redmi Note 3 on a smaller display that offers 1280x720 pixels quality but with a bigger battery, you expect better value for the usage.
The similarities between the Redmi 3S and the Redmi Note 3 are striking.
The really good thing about the Redmi 3S Prime has to be the inclusion of the fingerprint scanner at the back. It must be noted that the Rs 6,999 variant of the Redmi 3S comes without the security feature.
The 5-inch size of the display means HD resolution doesn’t feel that bad in quality. You get 32GB onboard storage and 3 GB RAM with the Redmi 3S Prime. While the Redmi 3S gives you 16GB storage with 2GB RAM.
Fortunately, Xiaomi has opted for Hybrid-SIM slot that lets you choose between either 2 SIMs or 1 SIM with memory card.
Just like the Redmi Note 3, the Redmi 3S is the first in the country to come powered with the Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor. The phone’s performance has been consistent and stable without any heating issues.
The fingerprint scanner on the Redmi 3S Prime is reminiscent to that of the Redmi Note 3 — fast to respond and easy to access. You can add multiple finger IDs without hassle and your device is secured.
All the Redmi phones have come equipped with decent quality snappers, and the Redmi 3S Prime is no different. The 13-megapixel camera at the back with LED flash doles out quality pictures that one would find hard to get at this price range.
Before giving our initial feedback on the device, it would be right to highlight that the use of a 4100mAh battery for a 5-inch device is a definite blessing.
The company claims that the phone will easily last you for a day or two, and with our moderate to heavy usage, the phone kept running for more than 15-18 hours on a single charge. For a normal user, the phone’s battery life would never be a problem.
The Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime, for its price, is a strong contender in the budget segment that ticks pretty much every aspect that one looks for in his/her phone. However, it will be interesting to see if there will any takers for the fingerprint scanner devoid Redmi 3S, or spend Rs 8,999 for the Redmi 3S Prime, which falls really close to the range of the Redmi Note 3.
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