Redmi Note 7S First Impressions: Cheapest 48MP Camera Phone In India [Unboxing, Quick Review]

Xiaomi has unveiled its latest Redmi Note smartphone in the country, the Redmi Note 7S. A slight update over the current Redmi Note 7, the new smartphone comes with a 48MP main sensor.

As we earlier reported, yes it’s the Chinese Redmi Note 7 with the Samsung 48MP sensor.

The company as launched the Chinese Redmi Note 7 as Redmi Note 7S in the country. So, should you pay 1,000 bucks more to buy the Redmi Note 7S with a better camera sensor? We find out.

Redmi Note 7S is currently the cheapest 48MP camera smartphone in India.

Here’s our first impressions.

Design & Display

The smartphone comes with the same design and display as Redmi Note 7 series smartphones. The Redmi Note 7S has a similar glass sandwich design on the out, similar to what we have previously seen on Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro.

It does feel premium, and you get the same feeling as other Redmi Note 7 smartphones in the country.

There’s a slight camera bump, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, speaker grille down below and the power and volume button at its similar places.

Coming the the display, again the company has used the same dot notch display. It’s a Full HD+ display design spread over a 6.3-inch panel. The screen offers a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. It’s bright and crisp, and you won’t any issue in bright daylight.

Finally, the smartphone has front and the back panel is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

Hardware & Storage

Redmi Note 7S is powered by the same octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC as Redmi Note 7. The chip is clocked at 2.2GHz, built on an 14nm architecture. It can offer seamless daily performance without any issues with above average multitasking.

There won’t be anything extra special in it. Both Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S will offer same level performance.

It can run memory-heavy apps well in the background. Medium-end games won’t be an issue either.

Redmi Note 7S will be available in storage models in the country: 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and a top model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

Software

The smartphone will run on the same software as latest Redmi phones. The device has got the new MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie. The ads are still there, but you can stop them within the system apps and settings.

The UI is okay, and you can also choose a launcher as Poco Launcher to enjoy an app drawer and more stock Android.

Cameras

Redmi Note 7S comes with a dual rear camera system. The rear setup features a 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor. Unlike the 48MP Sony IMX 586 48MP primary sensor on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, the 48MP camera of the Redmi Note 7S uses the Samsung ISOCELL GM-1 sensor.

Redmi Note 7S and Chinese Redmi Note 7 uses the same camera chip, and the same smartphone has been launched in India as Redmi Note 7S.

Coming back to optics, the phone’s camera app is quite generic, and comes with different modes and features as as PDAF, Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) and AI Portrait mode.

The sample shots we took were good enough, better details and colours than Redmi Note 7.

The low light performance was above average. The HDR captures higher dynamic range, and boost up the colours. There’s a dedicated Night Mode as well to offer long-exposure shots with better details and boosted up colours.

Up front, Redmi Note 7 comes with a 13-megapixel front camera supporting AI Portrait mode for added blurred effects.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, Redmi Note 7S supports dual SIM 4G VoLTE with Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, latest Bluetooth v5, GPS/ A-GPS and a 3.5mm audio jack.

As other Xiaomi devices, it packs in the IR blaster on top with a special P2i coating to offer splash-resistant features.

Redmi Note 7S comes with a hybrid dual SIM slot. Memory expansion is available with a dedicated microSD slot.

Battery

Redmi Note 7S houses a large 4,000mAh battery, similar to other Redmi Note 7 devices. It can easily run for a day on single charge.

It has a Type-C port supporting Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 technology, but ships with a 10W charger.

Pricing & Availability

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7S has been launched at a starting price of Rs 10,999 in India. It’s the base model which comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The top model comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, priced at Rs 12,999.

As confirmed earlier, both the Redmi Note 7S smartphones will be available via Flipkart and Mi.com. The sale begins on May 23.