Xiaomi
Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 Review: Watch FIFA World Cup on 120 inch Screen
FIFA World Cup 2022 is knocking at the door, and who doesn’t want to watch these matches on a big screen? What if you can watch football matches on a 120 inch large screen! With that in mind, we are going to review Xiaomi’s Mi Smart Projector 2 that can display as large as 120 inch views. This projector is perfect for movie watching and other important events too. This projector is easy to use and set up, making it a great choice for those looking for a quality TV projector.
Key Features of Mi Smart Projector 2
The projector can be connected to any smart TV to cast your movies, streaming, and photos with ease. We have looked at the features closely, and here is what we have found.
Design
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 is nearly identical in design and construction to the original Xiaomi Mi smart compact projector. This compact projector is easy to transport. Those who are looking for a decent portable projector can choose it. The projector measures 4.5 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches (115 × 150 × 150 mm) and weighs 2.8 lbs (1.3 kg).
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The Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 comes packaged in only white plastic, with a front portion covered in a gray fabric. The projector comes with an average look, so it won’t overshadow the output signal it originates from, and you can match this gadget easily with your home décors and appliances.
The Mi Smart Projector 2 has the least connectivity possible with what it has to connect: HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, and audio output for headphones. Thanks to its Android TV OS compatibility and its ability to cast to connected displays. This project works fine for basic connections. However, if you wish to use entertainment devices connected to HDMI, you will likely need a converter or another device.
120 Inch Large Screen
The most exciting feature of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 is that it sports a large screen. It can display up to a 120-inch screen at a 1.2:1 throw ratio. Not to mention, large screens work quite effectively at displaying large pictures, movies, and games than those with smaller screen sizes. Additionally, they are also more efficient, providing more brightness and contrast when projecting images.
Read Xiaomi POCO M5 Review: Budget gaming phone with elegant design
Display Quality
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 offers superb picture quality and a tremendous screen if you have the space to accommodate its maximum 120-inch display, where it achieves its maximum distance of three meters from a huge surface.
This projector comes with four-channel LED RGB+BP brightness improvement technology with HDR decoding, which makes the colors feel more real.
However, this projector doesn’t generally make the pictures bright enough to fight the existing ambient lights in a room. To increase the odds of obtaining a bright image from the projector, you need to place the projector in a room with a low chance of sunlight entering through the windows or use this gadget at night.
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This Mi Smart Projector 2 will fit 1920 X 1080 pixels pictures only. However, it can’t deliver 4K images. At this degree of quality, you will find it difficult to find a better picture from any projector. As an alternative, you can examine the attributes of more luxurious televisions at this value point. Overall, the display quality is decent compared to other projectors in the market.
Xiaomi POCO M5 Review: Budget gaming phone with elegant design
POCO was founded in 2018 as a sub-brand of Xiaomi. In recent years, the company has started its journey as an independent brand and launched a bunch of quality Smartphones. With their ‘M’ series line-up phones, POCO has captured the budget mid-range market. POCO M5, the latest in this line, debuted in India on 13th September 2022. In this device, POCO brings impressive design and internal upgrades. Let’s take a look at the key features of the Xiaomi POCO M5.
Key Specifications of Xiaomi POCO M5
Design and Build Quality
The design of the POCO M5 is clearly its strongest and most interesting aspect. Anyone familiar with smartphones would know the distinct brand representation of the three-point camera system on the iPhone or the horizontal visor on the Pixel.
The M5 is a mix of both these design elements and then some more. The device itself is completely made from plastic with a faux leather texture on the back. The texture is only appealing visually as it still feels like plastic on the hand.
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There is a stretched-out visor on the back that houses the camera module and the large POCO branding. The two main sensors are aligned vertically with a small secondary one placed on the vertices.
As an entry-level mid-range device, users will be getting all the usual ports and button choices. Interestingly, the headphone jack is positioned on the top of the device in a typical POCO fashion.
The side-mounted power button doubles as the fingerprint scanner. Other features like micro SDXC, dual sim, and USB Type C 2.0 are all present on the M5. At almost 8.9 mm in thickness, the device easily falls on the chunky side. But much of that has been offset by the boxy design which gives it a more premium and durable hand feel.
Read Walton Primo HM7 Review: Midrange processor in ultra-budget device
Overall, the design of the M5 is innovative with s sturdy plastic build. While it's not market disrupting in any way, it still poses a good value for its price.
Display
The front of the M5 features a 6.58-inch 1080P IPS LCD panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate. It’s just another average IPS panel with the only mentionable feature being the 90 Hz refresh rate. The high refresh rate is becoming increasingly common in the budget mid-range segment as it definitely elevates the overall user experience.
However, one of the quirks with the panel is that it has a max brightness of 500 nits. Without a dedicated HBM, it becomes a tad bit difficult to view the phone at max brightness in direct sunlight. The problem only gets compounded since it's an LCD panel.
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The colors and contrasts looked decent on the M5 display. Just like all its predecessors, the colors appeared to be on the warmer side. The viewing angles are also great with distortion found only at extreme angles.
The display won’t exude the best quality out there. But if you consider what you’re paying, it might still seem like a good option.
Camera
The M5 features three cameras on the back with the main sensor being a 50 MP wide-angle shooter. The other two accompanying lenses are 2 MP depth and macro shooters. It's clear that the additional sensors are just there to increase the sensor count of the camera module rather than actually having any meaningful impact on the overall photography.
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As expected, almost all the heavy work is done by the primary sensor. Thankfully, it does an exceptional job.
Colors and details look impeccable from the pixel binned 50 MP shots. The dynamic range is also clearly visible regardless of the subject and light periphery. But that’s the case with almost every smartphone when it comes to well-lit environments.
However, the M5 won’t let you down in artificial or low light as well. While there are still some noises visible in extreme dark shots, the variable shutter speed does an excellent job of exposing the subject to the correct degree. Images look relatively sharp and more pleasing compared to similarly priced devices.
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The videography of the M5 is limited to 1080P at 30 fps. While the main sensor is capable of more than that, it’s the processor which is the main constraint. There is also a 5 MP selfie shooter. It’s a generic lens and one that can be found in most entry-level devices.
Overall, the M5 won’t compete with higher-end mid-ranges like the Samsung A series when it comes to performance. But it certainly created a space for itself in its price bracket.
Processor and Performance
The POCO M5 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor based on the 6 Nm architecture. Previously POCO has used the Dimensity 900 processor on their M series devices. This is the first time that the brand went with Helio processors and there is a good reason for that. The octa-core 2 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 and 6 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 might seem slightly above entry level. But MediaTek has specially optimized this processor for gaming.
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The device can run the day-to-day tasks smoothly thanks to the efficient core design and in part to the 90 Hz smooth refresh rate making transitions and animations even more fluid.
The device can run the latest multiplayer games like COD, PUBG, and Asphalt 9 at 'Max' settings. Not to mention, the capability of a device of this budget to run 3D graphics-intensive games at max settings is surprising. However, the processor cannot bear the toll for long as throttling kicks in after about 30 minutes of gaming. So, it's better to run games with 'Medium' settings as it will give the best performance.
To wrap up the performance of the M5, it definitely punches above its weight.
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Battery and Charge Time
The POCO M5 has been equipped with a 5000 mAh battery. On ideal usage, the device can easily last a full day. To make things even sweeter, there is an included 18 W charger on the box.
Price of Xiaomi POCO M5
The official price of the POCO M5 is 12,499 Rs in India which is roughly equivalent to 14,735 BDT (1 INR = 1.18 BDT). POCO M5 is not officially available in Bangladesh yet. However, the official price of POCO M5 in Bangladesh may vary depending on availability, tax, and other policies.
Final Words
The latest M5 is a budget device from POCO. This device brought some refreshing changes to the design aesthetics, camera, and overall performance of the device. However, the display could’ve definitely been better as it lacks enough outdoor brightness.
Read Top 10 mobile phones coming to Bangladesh in September 2022
So, who should buy the M5? Anyone looking for a solid budget device can easily go for it. And for people looking for a gaming fix on the cheap, the Xiaomi POCO M5 is currently the best deal out there hands down.
Bangladesh's smartphone market shrank 3% in Q2 2022: Counterpoint
Amid soaring inflation, Bangladesh's smartphone market shipments dropped 3 percent year-on-year in Q2 2022, according to Counterpoint Research's Market Monitor Service.
"Bangladesh's smartphone market experienced a good start with Eid celebrations during April. The month contributed almost half of the quarter's total shipment volumes," Karn Chauhan, senior analyst at Counterpoint, said.
"However, the volumes declined adversely in May and June due to smartphone costs rising by up to 10 percent on increasing component prices and the addition of VAT. The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are expected to increase smartphone prices by up to another 20 percent in the coming months."
Bangladesh's feature phone shipments declined 12 percent year-on-year, mainly due to the shift towards smartphones, which resulted in a 9 percent year-on-year decline in the country's overall mobile handset market in Q2 2022.
In Q2 2022, Xiaomi secured the top spot in the smartphone segment and Samsung second spot with a 17.3 percent market share. Vivo took third place with a 10.1 percent share.
Symphony continued to be at the top position in the feature phone market.
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Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 Review: Pros, cons of the slick lightweight foldable phone
Xiaomi’s new line up Mix Fold series started its journey in 2021 with the Mi Mix Fold device. The ancestor Mi Mix Fold is still powerful and efficient. The latest Mi Mix Fold 2 was officially released in China on August 11. It is a more expensive model with a lot of features and high configurations, but it might also be more complex to use. Let's see more detail in this Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 review.
Key Features of Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Design and Display
It is considered the thinnest foldable phone. The stunningly designed Mix Fold 2 is very breathtaking. The flat front and back panels have slim bezels. However, there is no hole in the screen for the selfie camera in the front panel, but the outer panel does have a hole for the selfie camera. The rear half of the back has a triple rear camera module.
The Mix Fold 2's inner screen is an 8.03-inches Foldable LTPO2 OLED, which supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 120Hz. And the display is protected by a Schott UTG glass. The outer display is 6.56-inches AMOLED with HDR10+, 12Hz, Dolby Vision, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
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The phone weighs around 262 g, and its unfolded dimension is 161.1 x 144.7 x 5.4mm. Although it is a foldable phone, it is very lightweight and portable, which makes it easier to carry anywhere.
Although the Mix Fold 2 is not water and dustproof, this is the foremost matter to observe with regard to the durability of this gadget. Nevertheless, there currently aren't any foldable phones with the dustproof feature. Only the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has waterproof features. With that said, Mix Fold 2 is a strong device, as it's made from durable and premium components. Just be careful to take good care of it. Don't leave it near water and let it remain clean.
Camera
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 has really good camera sensors and features. If you enjoy taking photos and shooting videos, you will enjoy this phone's cameras. It has three rear cameras with a single front camera on the outer display. The primary 50 MP camera contains PDAF and OIS features.
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The PDAF or Phase Detection Auto Focus allows the camera to automatically focus on specific objects in a scene and track them as they move. This makes it easier for the photographer to keep track of where their subject is in the frame and makes it possible to take pictures with better accuracy and detail.
The OIS in Mix Fold 2 helps stabilize the image so that it is not subject to aliasing, which can cause the image to look blurred or jagged. OIS is often used in cameras that are used in live-view mode, which allows users to see the images being taken unchanged by the camera.
Apart from the 50 MP main camera, it has 8MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom, a 20MP front-facing camera, and 13 MP ultra-wide lenses.
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The Sony IMX766 sensor is the primary camera on this phone, which can record stable video in 8K and 4K resolutions, while the front camera can record videos in 1080p resolutions. This sensor offers great value for the price, making it a great option for people who want to capture amazing videos.
With its 50 MP primary camera, the Mix Fold 2 can capture high-quality images and videos with perfect detail and clarity. Plus, its portrait mode makes it the perfect choice for capturing photos and videos of your friends and family. Other camera features include HDR, Dual LED flash, panorama, gyro-EIS, and Leica lenses.
Software, Performance, and Storage
The phone contains a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. It is a 5G chipset with Cortex-A710 efficiency cores, Cortex-X2 power core, and Adreno 730 GPU. Further, it also contains TSMC's 4nm process technology which makes the cheapest power efficient.
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The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip makes the phone very fast and smooth. Also, you can play any game smoothly without any lag. The phone also remains cool even if you use it heavily, and it can provide excellent performance at its peak without dropping the frame rates.
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is capable of performing any task you throw its way- from graphics-intensive tasks to simple tasks. The phone can manage the heat with powerful GPU and fast CPU cores.
The Xiaomi Fold 2 is based on MIUI 13 running on Android 12. Moreover, the phone will get major security patches for four years and major software updates for three years. Even though Mix Fold 2 has greatly improved the software and user experience on the program, you can download apps and games from the Play Store.
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The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 has 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal memory. There is no card slot for expandable storage with a microSD card.
Battery and Charging
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 67W wired charging. The fast charging gives you the opportunity to charge 0-100% in just 40 minutes. However, it does not come with wireless charging capability. But the wired charging features Power Delivery 3.0 and Quick Charge 4+.
Price of Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
The base model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is priced at 8,999 yuan or BDT 1,25,625 (1 yuan= BDT 13.96). The 12GB RAM with 512GB will cost 9,999 yuan or BDT 1,39,585 625 (1 yuan= BDT 13.96). However, the official price of Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 in Bangladesh may vary due to tax, company policy and other issues.
Read Top 10 Upcoming Phones in August 2022 in Bangladesh
Final Words
Although Fold 2 is not waterproof and dustproof, it has some amazing features. Its camera sensors are outstanding, and it has a very bright display. The phone is also highly durable and has long battery life. Overall, you will experience a great user experience as the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 2 phone is lightweight and very easy to carry around.
Xiaomi launches humanoid robot CyberOne
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has unveiled a full-sized humanoid robot named CyberOne.
Fitted with advanced legs and arms, the robot supports bipedal-motion posture balancing and has a peak torque of 300Nm.
Xiaomi claims CyberOne can detect human emotions and even create 3D visual representations of the world.
Read: Humanoid robot made by Cumilla students turns heads
"CyberOne's AI and mechanical capabilities are all self-developed by Xiaomi Robotics Lab. We have invested heavily in research and development spanning various areas, including software, hardware, and algorithms innovation," Lei Jun, the founder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi Group, said.
The company revealed that CyberOne weighs 52kg and has a height of 177cm and an arm span of 168cm.
Compared to a quadruped robot, this humanoid robot is more mechanically complex, requiring more powerful motors, more degrees of freedom, and complex humanoid biped control algorithms.
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Xiaomi's humanoid robot CyberOne reportedly has 21 degrees of freedom in motion with a real-time response speed of 0.5ms for each degree, allowing it to easily simulate human movements.
Xiaomi reveals MIX Fold 2
Global smartphone company Xiaomi recently revealed its foldable flagship smartphone, Xiaomi MIX Fold 2, at a new product launch event in China.
Measuring 5.4mm unfolded, MIX Fold 2 offers a consistent viewing experience on its inner and outer displays.
Also, it delivers a Leica imagery experience and power efficiency with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform, according to a media statement.
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MIX Fold has a folded body of just 11.2mm – "slimmer than many other foldable devices."
The device is equipped with a self-developed Micro Waterdrop Hinge which features a smaller bending radius, thinner screen modules, customised mini rotating hinge, and uses an integrated solder-free precision process to create a carbon fibre double-wing floating panel.
MIX Fold 2 sports an inner folding design, with two AMOLED flagship screens of two different sizes on two respective sides.
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The 6.56-inch display features Samsung E5 material, a resolution of 2520x1080, and supports a 120Hz high refresh rate and P3 colour gamut, with a brightness of up to 1000 nits.
On the inside, MIX Fold 2 flaunts an 8.02-inch Samsung Eco OLED display. It adopts POL-LESS technology, replaces the traditional polarizer with an ultra-thin colour filter, and uses a black matrix material to reduce reflection on the screen.
The two displays support 120Hz refresh rate, professional screen calibration on primary colours, a display brightness of 100 nits and Dolby Vision.
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MIX Fold 2 is equipped with a 50MP IMX766 main camera, with 7P lenses all using ALD low-reflection coating.
The device also features a 13MP ultra-wide angle camera and an 8MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and portrait capabilities.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 supports Dolby Vision HDR recording, as well as both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for video viewing.
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Xiaomi POCO F4 Review: Get Optimized Gaming Experience
The Xiaomi POCO F series is a mid-range phone from a Chinese manufacturer that is perfect for those who are looking for a smartphone with all the latest features. The F series has a design and build quality you can expect from top-notch options. POCO F series is available in different models, and recently the company has brought a new model Poco F4. The phone has already been released in India on June 23. Let's see the details of the Xiaomi Poco F4.
Key Features of Xiaomi Poco F4
Design
Poco F4 is an upgraded version of Poco F3. So, you will find some similarities in design, while there are some differences too. For the F4, however, Poco evolved the trend of releasing squared-off versions of devices with flat edges. In doing so, the brand took away some of the attraction of the preexisting F3 model while ensuring that, nonetheless, it integrated with the smartphone market rather than looking unique.
The camera on the back of the phone is neat enough, with a square component protruding from a rectangular base. The camera is located in the top left corner. As seen in most phones these days, F4’s, both the back and front cover are glass. Hence, nearly all of the front panel is taken up by the display, and you will find a tiny hole-punch camera at the top of the display.
Read Samsung Galaxy M13 5G Review: The Budget Samsung for 2022
Display
The full HD AMOLED screen on the Poco F4 is excellent for a device of this price. It is bright, reaching peaks of 1300 nits, and it supports refresh rates of up to 120 Hz. In addition to that, the phone support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. All things considered, it's a highly dynamic screen. Needless to say, the 395 pixel-per-inch pixels offer plenty of detail.
When you think about the mix of clarity, brightness, and contrast on this model of midrange phone, it is easily among the top options in its class. The shades are somewhat cheerful and vivid, and the dark shade is very deep.
However, the display detail depends on how you set it up, as it offers multiple setting options. However, the default color scheme is Vivid, which, depending on the intensity, can sometimes make certain hues too strong. Reds, oranges, and pinks are among the colors that lose saturation under their influence.
Read Top 10 Upcoming Phones in August 2022 in Bangladesh
Sound
The Poco F4 contains two speakers on either end of the phone. The speakers create stereo audio together. However, the speaker on the top part of the phone is not strong enough like the bottom speaker. They get loud enough to sound great, and they are also powerful enough to stream in the sizable room. But they are not very clear enough at the higher fringes of the frequency spectrum.
Camera
Modern smartphones contain lenses for just about every situation, and the Poco F4 contains three lenses. The 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. With these lenses, you can take close-up, telephoto, and wide-angle images in pretty much any scenario.
The primary sensor is usually a color sensor of 64 megapixels, which distinguishes right down to a 16-megapixel picture and merges four pixels to make it one. With this feature, Poco F4 is able to grab worthy pics.
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The phone comes with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature. The camera's OIS feature gives you more control over how your phone takes photos, even for massive movements.
Those who have the proper skills for taking excellent photos can take full advantage of the high-definition camera on the phone. Among the options is a six-lens 4K cinematic camera with capabilities such as AI Skyscraping 4.0, AI Erase 2.0, Panoramic selfie, and more.
Performance
Poco F4, at its heart, is a mobile device with a gaming function and can easily be observed by examining its smooth-as-butter performance. The device's Qualcomm Snapdragon 870A chipset and UFS 3.1 LPDDR5 memory ensure that the data is transferred at a maximum speed on the phone. Once again, it affords a user a smooth and consistent transition from app to app.
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The only thing bothering me is that the phone gets very hot relatively quickly when playing video games at the top settings. However, it has a cooling system to prevent the phone from catching on fire, but you will definitely feel a small temperature increase on your hands.
The phone comes with different memory variations. It comes with 3 RAM variations 6GB, 8GB, and 12GM. For the storage, you will get two versions, 128GB and 256GB. However, Poco F4 doesn't come with external SD card options.
Optimized Gaming Experience
Part of the reason why the POCO F4 is exceptionally good with video games is that it includes a game optimizer called Game Turbo that can help you be more productive while playing. You can choose Classic Mode (default) or Pro Mode (for professional gamers). You can also adjust settings for initiating, accuracy, responsiveness, and graphical performance.
Read Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Series: Leaks, rumours, everything we know so far
Battery
The phone's Li-Pro 4500mAh battery comes with a 67W turbo-charging feature and takes only slightly over 38 minutes to charge from 0 percent to 100 percent, irrespective of how much battery power it has. The phone also comes with a power delivery 3.0 and 3+ quick charging features.
Price of Xiaomi Poco F4
The 6GB with 128GB variation is priced at 27,999 rupee, which is Tk. 33,730 (1 rupee= Tk. 1.20). The 8Gb with 128GB variation is 29,999 rupees or Tk. 36,139 (1 rupee= Tk. 1.20). However, the official price of Xiaomi Poco F4 in Bangladesh may vary due to tax issues and company policy.
Final Words
The Xiaomi Poco F4 is an effective competitor as a smartphone and a gaming experience, which can meet your requisites the most for gamers. On top of that, the massive battery is good to go for a few days if you are a normal user. The vibrant screen and flawless performance make it an enjoyable gadget for anyone.
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Series: Leaks, rumours, everything we know so far
Xiaomi has been a global leader in affordable smartphone experience. One of the subsidiaries of the brand, Redmi started its journey in 2013. The company is now synonymous with the “Affordable flagship experience” tag. The company’s latest offering, the Note 12 series is expected to hit the market in late October in line with last year’s release of the Note 11 series. Here is everything known so far about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Series lineup.
Leaked Features of Redmi Note 12 Series
Design and Build Quality
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 series launched with a plethora of options, each catering to a specific customer base. Last year we got the Note 11, Note 11 Pro, and the highest-endNote 11 Pro+. In line with this release, Redmi launched the T variant on May 24th this year. This leads to the speculation that the Note 12 series will be launched in October.
Notable leaker Digital Chat Station has confirmed that there won’t be a significant design overhaul with the Redmi Note 12 series. In fact, it will mostly be the same design and material with some aesthetic changes here and there.
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Even with that, users will be getting a glass front and back device with an aluminum frame all around. The build quality of the Note 11 series was exceptional for its price and the same is expected to continue with the Note 12 series as well.
Last year, the headphone jack was present in all three models. This year, the headphone jack might be omitted for the Pro+ model. This is not a confirmed leak so take it with a grain of salt. The other physical features like the speaker, sim tray, and the buttons will all reprise in their previous positions.
Overall, the design isn’t really something to get excited about. It's the same tried and tested formula from Redmi and that isn’t a bad thing. The Note 12 series can be considered as an incremental update on the 11 series at least on the design front.
Read Google Pixel 6a Review: What’s special about it?
The Display
Last year, the Redmi series featured a 6.43-inch and a 6.67-inch display for the regular and the pro model. The 120 Hz Super AMOLED panel came with FHD+ resolution. Just like last year, Xiaomi will be using a flat display with a punch hole for the front camera.
The display tech won’t be noticeably different from the 11 series. Last year, Note 11 led the charge in the display department for all the smartphone releases. The same is expected to continue this time around as well. We might see some minor improvements here and there in terms of color calibration, viewing angles, and peak brightness. However, none of these features has been confirmed yet.
The size of the display is also expected to stay the same as the Note 12 is essentially a repacked version of the Note 11 series.
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The Camera
Digital Chat Station also learned that this year, the triple sensor module on the back will feature a 50 MP main camera. Though the choice seems a bit odd considering the 11 series featured a 108 MP main sensor.
Though the choice would be understandable given the obvious cost-cutting needs. The 108 MP on the Note 11 series performed similarly to the standard mid-range 50 MP sensors because of the pixel binding tech. So the camera experience probably wouldn’t be much different than the Note 11. The front will feature a standard 16 MP shooter.
The other two sensors are expected to be an 8 MP wide angle and a 2 MP macro shooter. If last year is any indicator for the performance, users will be getting capable camera hardware that is definitely going to be a bang for the buck.
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The videography on Note 12 is expected to be 4K at 30 fps at max just like the Note 11 series.
Processor and Performance
Xiaomi has always stuck with MediaTek for its mid-range and budget options over the years. Snapdragon seems to be always reserved for the higher-end flagships. The same is expected to continue for the Note 12 series. However, a disputed claim also suggests that the recently released Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 might make a show on the 12 series.
If that isn’t the case, then users will be getting a refreshed version of MediaTek Dimensity 920. The chipset is built on 6 Nm architecture, making it one of the more power-efficient and balanced processors.
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On the storage and RAM options, users will be getting a lot of choices like the Note 11 series. The 6 and 8 GB RAM options are expected to be coupled with 128 and 256 GB ROM options. And if rumors are to be believed, we might see a high-end 12 GB RAM capacity variant as well.
MIUI 14 is also expected to debut with Android 13 on board. This has not been confirmed yet and users may or may not get the Android 13 out of the box.
Battery and Charge Time
Last year, the standard Note 11 came with a 5000 mAh battery and the Pro variant came with a 5160 mAh battery. They also had 33W and 67 W fast charging respectively. This year Xiaomi might bump up the charging speed up to 80 W and that’s about all the change users will be getting in the battery department.
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Price of Redmi Note 12 Series
Last year, Note 11 debuted at 1244 CNY and the 11 Pro came at 1599 CNY. The Note 12 series is also expected to debut at the same price point. According to that, the price in Bangladesh should be around 17,371 BDT and 22,328 BDT for the base variants (1 CNY = 13.96 BDT). All of these are speculative prices. The price leak is expected to happen as the release date approaches.
Final Words
The ancestor Redmi Note series devices have been a fan favorite, especially in the Bangladesh mid-range market. The price-performance proposition of the series meant that these are the best-selling Xiaomi devices in Bangladesh. The upcoming Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Series is expected to continue this legacy.
Read Xiaomi Redmi Note 11: Customized Variant Exclusively in Bangladesh
Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition Review: Key features, advantages, disadvantages
The Xiaomi Redmi K series smartphone has been a popular choice for buyers looking for a budget phone with good features. The Redmi K series has a range of prices and features, from the budget-friendly Redmi K20 to the more expensive Redmi K50 Pro. Recently the company has introduced a new phone for gamers, the Redmi K50. It has already been released in April in India. Let’s see some top features, pros and cons of the Xiaomi Redmi K50 gaming edition.
Key Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition
Design and Display
The K40 Gaming Edition’s metal frame and the frosted back glass show that it is similar to last year’s K40. The lens module changed from an oval to a rounded rectangle. The lightning-like flash and the RGB lights on the camera also have been retained from the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition. But, RGB lights if you get any message or plug in the charger. Hence, it will not light up when gaming. This might be a downside of the K50 gaming edition.
There is no headphone jack, which is typical among gaming phones. However, the phone has an extra microphone port on the side. Besides, you will also get the Xiaomi brand’s exclusive physical shoulder button.
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The IR transmission power of the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition has been enhanced, allowing it to be used to control devices up to ten meters away. If you liked the K40 Gaming Edition last year, it is evident that you will like the K50 Gaming Edition too.
The screen in this year’s Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is from the same screen producer as last year’s, and the specs are also the same.
Adaptive Colors have been added to Options, and this enhances PWM dimming with 1920Hz high-frequency. This lets you say goodbye to the conventional dimming control technique.
The fifth-generation screen protection glass has been replaced with the updated Corning Victus Glass. This screen is well equipped for gamers.
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Cameras
Anyone who was expecting a lot from this version of Redmi’s K50 gaming phone in regards to photography will be in for a disappointment. In reality, it’s not as bad as you’d expect. While it does not use the same camera as the K40 Gaming Edition from last year, it does just fine most of the time. But you will get enhanced performance on night photography.
The camera on the ultra wide-angle camera provides generally good results but is not without flaws, particularly at the edges of the shot. The main camera can record 4k/60fps video. Further, the ultrawide camera supports up to 1080P 30fps. Also, it allows reducing the color sensor for the flicker sensor when shooting. However, you will not get much support for video recording. The flickering brightness of the lights will continue even if the schedule of the lights is different.
Overall, the phone offers a 64 MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro lenses. With these, you can capture HDR photos and videos along with panoramas. In addition to that, the camera also features a dual-led flash.
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On the front, you will get a 20 MP selfie camera with HDR capability. Besides, you will be able to record 1080P @30/60fps videos too.
Sound
The Redmi K50 gaming edition’s audio output is comparable to that of the Xiaomi 12 Pro, which also uses four units of speakers. It comes with two high-range JBL speakers for high-frequency sounds and the other for playing the lows. It’s an impressive device to try out when playing video games. The stereo loudspeaker and 3 mm jack give you 24-bit/192kHz audio.
The high-frequency section of the sound is played by the two speakers, while the low-frequency part is played by the other two speakers. Hence, it is a remarkable device for playing music too.
Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 11: Customized Variant Exclusively in Bangladesh
Charging & Battery Life
You will get the charger in the box. It uses a Type-C cable which is L-shaped, and it is longer than other phones. The K50 Gaming Edition provides 120W charging capacity, allowing 19 minutes to full charge 43, ten minutes for 71%, and five minutes for 43% charging. Thanks to the exceptional heat dissipation design, faster charging is also possible while playing games. The extraordinary heat dissipation design allows the device to charge while gaming without being made the device hot.
With 120 watts of charging power, the Xiaomi 12 Pro is less than as powerful as the K50 Gaming Edition. The battery capacity is just 4700mAh, but it is not overwhelmingly small.
Performance
The Redmi K50 gaming edition features Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen, which is the most powerful for gaming phones. Equipped with an Adreno 730 GPU and Octa-core CPU, the phone can give you excellent gaming performance.
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However, the phone doesn’t come with any external SD card slot. It offers three variations to the buyers, 128GB+8GB RAM, 128GB+12GB RAM and 256GB+12GB RAM.
Price of Redmi K50 Gaming
The official price in India is 38,179 rupee or BDT, approximately 55,000 (1 rupee= BDT 1.18). However, the phone is yet to get an official release in Bangladesh. The official price in Bangladesh might be higher after paying the taxes.
Final Words
The Redmi K50 Gaming is clearly better than its predecessor, with numerous improvements in every area. It’s slightly below expectations in gaming for the pro gamers, but its performance for Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones is great. Its audio and video quality is also very good.
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Apart from its less camera performance, the Xiaomi Redmi K50 gaming edition is an excellent value. This year, it also finally supports Google Mobile Services without incompatibility concerns. This phone is recommended to anyone who is looking for a high-performing gaming phone. But if you are someone who needs a phone for high-quality images, this phone is a big No.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11: Customized Variant Exclusively in Bangladesh
When it comes to proper mid-range devices with an affordable price tag, the Redmi series from Xiaomi has always been delivered. The series has become known for its value-for-money proposition along with its reliable performance. Early this year, Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 11 series globally. Recently, the company announced a customized variant of Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 specifically for the Bangladesh market. The device comes at a time when smartphone prices are volatile in the international market. Here’s a detailed take on the device to see what’s different and how it benefits Bangladeshi users.
Features of Redmi Note 11 (Customized Variant for Bangladesh)
Design and Build Quality
From the outside, the customized variant is the exact same as that of the Redmi Note 11. The Redmi Note 11 came in three distinct color options. However, the customized variant got rid of the pearl white and star blue options and stuck with the graphite gray only. Other than that, users won’t see any difference.
The phone itself comes in a complete plastic build. The back of the device has a matte frosted finish which gives the device a rather premium look. At 179 gm, the device is comparatively lightweight. It provides a good hand feel thanks to the balanced weight distribution. So users will be able to use the device for long hours without any complications.
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On the ports and buttons end, the device has everything standard and some more. The power button on the right of the device doubles as the fingerprint scanner. The two included secondary noise cancellation mics drastically increase the call quality.
The standard 3.5 mm jack is also present here along with a dedicated microSD slot and Type-C charger. There isn’t any dual stereo speaker, however. Users will have to settle with the single bottom-firing speaker.
Overall, the device is consistent in its design, keeping much of the elements from the previous models while making minor adjustments here and there.
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Display
The display is easily one of the key highlights of the device. Xiaomi used a 6.43-inch 90 Hz AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution in Note 11. One thing to mention here is that the customized variant only has bumped-up memory options. Other than that, everything else is the same as Note 11 and so is the display.
As a 90 Hz AMOLED panel, the device offers a smooth touch response. Using the device feels much faster than it actually is thanks to the high refresh rate. Another useful feature of the display is the 1000 nits brightness. It makes the device clearly legible even in direct sunlight. While the panel doesn’t have HDR 10 support, it still churns out crisp contents thanks to the vibrant color contrast of MIUI.
Camera
The Redmi Note 11 features four cameras on the back. While on paper the device boasts four sensors, in reality only two are useful while the other two are quite gimmicky. The main sensor is a 50 MP f/1.8 shooter complemented by an 8 MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor. The remaining two sensors are a 2 MP macro shooter and a 2 MP depth sensor.
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The main camera produces great images in daylight and outdoors. The images look sharp and crisp with a great deal of dynamic range. Xiaomi has also perfected its portrait mode as the images now show better edge detection.
The quality slightly drops as users shift to the ultrawide lens. The 118° field of view brings in a lot of subjects to the camera but the fish eye effect is ever so present in every shot.
There’s also a 13 MP front-facing camera on Note 11. The lens can take decent shots with impressive color reproduction.
The videography of Note 11 is limited to 1080P at 30 fps. While the main lens can churn out more resolution, it is ultimately held back by the limited computational power of the processor.
Read Xiaomi 12 Pro Review: Is it a value for money flagship?
To sum things up, the camera experience on the Note 11 won’t be anything drastically better. But it does bring some impressive performance and improved quality to outperform most of its peers in this price range.
Processor and Performance
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 features Snapdragon 680 4G processor built on the 6 Nm architecture. The chip design uses 4 2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold and 4 1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver chips. The processor is coupled with Adreno 610 GPU for practical and balanced performance.
Note 11 blazes through in day-to-day usage. In fact, the 680 4G is the perfect processor for lightweight usage.
While it's true that the device is geared towards lightweight usage, the device doesn’t fall short by much in gaming. The device can smoothly run even graphics-intensive games in medium settings. However, it does tend to heat up the device easily.
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The performance gets an extra boost on the customized variant. The standard Note 11 came with 6 GB RAM as the maxed-out option. However, the customized variant ups the RAM count to 8 GB. This allows the device to retain more apps in the memory and boosts the overall performance by quite a few margins.
On top of that, the customized variant is made in Bangladesh and for Bangladesh only. Meaning only the users here can get their hands on the souped-up version of the device.
Battery and Charge Time
The Redmi Note 11 features an impressive 5000 mAh battery capacity. The battery combined with a power-efficient processor makes the device last up to 10 hours in continuous usage. There is also a 33W fast charger that charges the device from 0 to 100 in an hour.
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Price of Xiaomi Redmi Note 11's Customized Variant for Bangladesh
The official price of the customized Note 11 in Bangladesh is 23,999 BDT. The price has been adjusted according to the spec bump and local production in mind.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11's customized variant for Bangladesh brings more power to a proper mid-range device. The device launched in early 2022 got a mid-year refresh which is sure to appeal to most people looking for a reliable budget option. The device may slightly fall short in the camera but other than that, there’s hardly anything to complain about at this price point. Especially now that the device has more RAM and better performance in the cards.
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