Review: For the Price, Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime Is as Good as It Gets
Their third iteration of the Redmi series comes in two variants.
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With Xiaomi, it has always been about products which offer value beyond the reach of most brands. What started with the Mi 3 was later subsidised to an affordable level with the Redmi series.
In 2016 we’ve got the Redmi 3 which has also got a Prime variant. Priced at Rs 8,999, Redmi 3 Prime is another contender in the market right now that and needs to get it right to be considered as a worthy buy.
Pros:
- 5-inch is a compact size
- Full metal body design
- Performs without glitches or heating
- Decent snappers
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Stock availability is a concern
- Charging takes a long time
What’s Good?
The 5-inch HD 1280x720 pixels display on the Redmi 3 gives us the belief that small-size phones are here to stay. It is endearing to see that Xiaomi has offered the same goodies available on Redmi Note 3 on the Redmi 3 Prime, without going overboard with its pricing.
The phone’s been given the full metal body treatment which definitely adds to the visual appeal. It is worth pointing out that the fingerprint scanner is only available on the Redmi 3 Prime. It would be fair to say that the scanner on the Redmi Note 3 has made its way to the Redmi 3 Prime as well, quick to respond, easy to access and works to offer a different set of features.
The 5-inch display ensures that the phone’s battery life gets a massive boost. Besides that, you get quality that is acceptable, unless you’d prefer the higher quotient of Full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) instead.
The phone is powered by Snapdragon 430 processor, along with 3GB RAM. It manages to give us the best in terms of performance. Multi-tasking is a breeze on this one; we hardly came across any heating issues with the phone, which can always be a concern with so much power under the hood.
Continuing with its rich vein of form with cameras on the Redmi series, the Redmi 3 Prime gets a 13-megapixel shooter at the back. Images clicked in broad daylight offer good detail and sharpness with equal level of light.
We have been impressed with the fact that Redmi 3 Prime gets a 4100mAh battery, which is bigger than the one on the Redmi Note 3. Even then the weight of the phone is manageable.
The inclusion of massive battery unit gives Redmi 3 Prime the power to last really long. We were easily able to get day and half out of the phone with really heavy usage. It will be fair to say that for a normal user, the battery will easily last for a couple of days, or even more.
What’s Bad?
It has come to a point where buying a Xiaomi phone is near impossible. Their flash sale model, combined with hard-to-match heavy demand-supply has forced many consumers to look elsewhere. With the Redmi 3 Prime, we expect nothing different. Surely this Make in India phone wouldn’t end up following the same route?
The low-light capability of the camera is nothing worth raving about. While it will be bit of a stretch to expect everything on a phone for under 10K, but still the quality could have been better. Also, the downside of having a 4100mAh battery is that the phone takes a long time to fully charge.
We also feel that for Rs 8,999, the Redmi 3 Prime is precariously close to the Redmi Note 3 (Rs 9,999). Unless someone has an eye for a 5.5-inch sized phone, it could become a sibling battle which ends up confusing the buyer.
Why Buy It?
Xiaomi Redmi 3 Prime has got everything you’re looking for in an affordable phone right now. The right size, accompanied with strong hardware and quality snappers that’ll keep you happy. You also get a long battery life as an added bonus, and who doesn’t like a phone that lasts long?
However, with Xiaomi, there’s always a problem being Out-of-Stock and by making another competent product, we fear the Redmi 3 Prime may go down the same road. So, the moment you get a chance to buy this phone, don’t think, just get it.
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