Xiaomi’s $194 Redmi Note 6 Pro with dual front cameras drops in India

Xiaomi has built a commanding position in the Indian smartphone market by selling a wide range of affordable phones priced between $85 to $200 over the past few years. It’s now added an intriguing new model to its budget Redmi lineup: the Redmi Note 6 Pro.

While the mid-range phone retains most of the characters from its predecessor – the Redmi Note 5 Pro – it features four cameras and a sizable display with a wide notch at the top. Here’s what’s under the hood:

Specifications

• Screen: 6.26-inch FullHD+ display
• Resolution: 2280×1080, 19:9 aspect ratio
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
• Rear camera: 12-megapixel, f/1.9 + 5-megapixel, f/2.2 (depth sensor)
• Front camera: 20-megapixel, f/2.0 + 2-megapixel, f/2.2
• RAM: 4/6GB
• Battery: 4,000 mAh
• Internal Memory: 64GB
• Software: Android 8.1 with MIUI 10

The design and internals of the phone are same as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, it’s the first time the company’s introduced dual front cameras in this series.

The company spent a lot of time on stage talking about camera improvements. Xiaomi said that it introduced a wider f/1.9 aperture, increased the pixel size on the sensor, and enhanced the autofocus system’s speed and accuracy. Plus, the camera now has Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) for smoother video capture.

There’s AI scene detection as well (like you didn’t see that coming), which can identify 27 different scenes through the rear camera and 12 scenes through the front camera for automatic settings adjustments. You’ll also get AI-enhanced portraits with adjustable depth and studio lighting effects.

The device has an interesting feature called “Wi-Fi passthrough”, which lets your device act as a repeater when its connected to a Wi-Fi network. That means you can connect other gadgets to the Redmi Note 6 Pro, and access the internet without using mobile data or having to ask for multiple Wi-Fi vouchers at hotels and airports.

If you’re wondering why the 6 Pro is virtually the same as the last model, it’s likely because Xiaomi doesn’t want to steer away from a winning formula. The company’s global VP, Manu Kumar Jain, noted in August that the Redmi Note 5 Pro was the second biggest seller during Q2 2018.

Today top 4 selling smartphones in India during Q2 2018 were all @XiaomiIndia smartphones:
(1) Redmi 5A
(2) Redmi Note 5 Pro
(3) Redmi Note 5 and
(4) Redmi 5

Thank you all our Mi fans & our partners for this incredible achievement! ?#Xiaomi #1SmartphoneBrand (4/4) pic.twitter.com/9BRUN3pbtv

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) August 13, 2018

The phone starts at Rs 13,999 ($194), and it’ll be available from November 23.