The Redmi sub-brand of Xiaomi has always focused on offering budget to mid-range options for users since its inception. But all of that changed with the introduction of the K series back in 2019. Fast forward to 2022 and Redmi is back with their latest device, the K50 Pro 5G. The phone was launched in China on 17th March with subsequent rollout dates globally. With super-fast charging speed, an incredible display, and a design to rival the likes of Samsung, does the Xiaomi Redmi K50 Pro 5G justify the hype? Let's find out in this detailed take on the device.
Key Features of Xiaomi Redmi K50 Pro 5G
Design and Build Quality
The Redmi K50 Pro is an all in all top-end phone. So, there aren’t any lacking in the design or the build quality of the device. Speaking of the build, the phone features a dual-glass design on both front and back coupled with an aluminum frame. The phone is IP53 dust and splash resistant. It can take a few gusts of water but don’t think of going swimming or showering with it.
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The design is another strong suit of the device. Each iteration of the K series has been different from the previous generation. While Xiaomi has always tried to be innovative with its design, it also kept the form and functionality in mind.
The back glass features a refractive matte finish which gives it a unique look under direct light. The power button here doubles as the fingerprint scanner as well. There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack on the device which was expected given the bleak future of the port. The top of the device houses the IR blaster along with the secondary stereo speaker. The bottom houses the Type-C port along with the stereo speaker and sim card slot. The hybrid slot is capable of housing dual nano sim along with a micro SDXC.
Overall, the design and the build quality of the K50 Pro justify its price point. And it's definitely something that will appeal to premium users.
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Display
A premium smartphone should have a premium display. And this time, Xiaomi has done exactly that with the K50 Pro. The 2K resolution OLED panel with 120 Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ is everything that a flagship phone should offer. And to top that off, there is the latest and greatest protection from Corning, the Gorilla glass Victus.
The panel itself is 6.67 inches in size. It can reach up to a max brightness of 1200 nits. Xiaomi has sourced their display from Samsung and all the bits and quirks from their flagship panels are present here.
Previous Xiaomi devices tended to warm up the colors. But that issue has been resolved in favor of a more balanced and natural color. Users can still tweak the color from the display settings.
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The high brightness makes the display easily legible under direct sunlight. The viewing angles are excellent with deep blacks and bright contrasts. This is hands down the best display in any Xiaomi device to this day.
Camera Series
If the camera module design on the back wasn’t impressive enough, wait for their specs. Xiaomi has absolutely stacked the camera system on this device to compete with the big names of Android.
The triple camera setup has a 108 MP main sensor with an 8 MP ultrawide and an 8 MP macro shooter. The f/1.52 main lens can capture stunning details in outdoor conditions. It completely preserves the dynamic range without compromising on the subject. While it is true that MP count doesn’t really determine the picture quality. But the pixel binding technology combined with improved post-processing makes for some amazing shots.
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The phone does relatively well in indoor conditions as well. The dedicated night mode solves the overexposure issues from the previous iterations and makes for decent low-light performance.
The front features a usual 20 MP wide-angle shooter seen on the K40 Pro. Xiaomi has absolutely gone all out on the videography of this phone. The phone supports up to 8K at 30 fps which is increasingly becoming standard on flagship devices. The main lens can shoot at 960 fps at 1080P for the ultra slo-mo fans out there. Overall, there isn’t anything to complain about the cameras. Rather Xiaomi did an impressive job at punching above their weight.
Processor and Performance
The Xiaomi K50 Pro features Dimensity 9000 which is a flagship processor from MediaTek. The octa-core 4 Nm processor has a configuration of 1 3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 and 3 2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 and 4 1.80 GHz Cortex-A510. The balanced architecture allows the processor some serious computational power challenging the likes of Pixel 6 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S 22 series.
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Needless to say, this phone blazes through everything that’s thrown at it. From casual web browsing to the intense gaming, the phone can handle everything without a hiccup. However, the phone does heat up a bit but that doesn’t affect the battery drain in any way.
The device will run Android 12 out of the box with MIUI 13 skin on top.
Battery and Charge Time
The Redmi K50 Pro features a standard 5000 mAh battery. But that’s not the main point here. What’s amazing is that Redmi has included a 120 W power brick with the device which can go from 0 to 100% in 19 minutes. The insane charging stats simply obsolete battery drain issues and puts into retrospect how mobile devices will be charged in the future. Redmi has definitely outdone themselves here.
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Price of Redmi K50 Pro 5G in Bangladesh
The 12/512 GB version of the Redmi K50 Pro 5G costs CNY 3,468 which roughly translates to 46,977 BDT (1 CNY = 13.55 BDT). However, the price is subject to change due to different factors like tax, supply chain, and company policy.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Redmi K50 Pro 5G ticks almost all the boxes when it comes to a flagship experience. It has an excellent design, amazing display, and insanely fast charging technology. The camera performance was also surprisingly great. The only gripe here is the OS which is the same old MIUI devoid of the stock android feel. But considering the value for money and performance users are getting here, it can be easily overlooked.