Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Xiaomi's Redmi Note 3 topped the charts for 2016’s most successful smartphones, thanks to its mix of great design and performance, phenomenal battery life and excellent pricing. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 follows in the Note 3’s footsteps, retaining the same basic formula but tweaking it just enough and in all the right places.

It starts with the design. The Note 4 has enough refinements to make it feel more premium in the hand. There’s a subtle curved edge glass across the front, and a slight curve near the edges on the rear, which makes gripping the 5.5-inch display device easier. The full-HD resolution display is sharp and is bright enough to work well outdoors.

Beneath the glass and metal exterior beats the heart of Qualcomm’s latest mid-ranger Snapdragon 625 chipset, which brings discernible gains of thermal efficiency, and therefore better battery life. Xiaomi’s own MIUI Android variant works snappily even after weeks of use, and the only area where you saw the occasional slowdown is when you’re playing graphics heavy games. If your budget permits, I’d strongly recommend picking up the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant (Rs 12,999), though Xiaomi’s got two lower variants - 3GB RAM/32GB storage (Rs 10,999) and 2GB RAM/32GB storage (Rs 9,999) — available in gold, dark grey and a gorgeous new matte black colour.

There are some noticeable improvements in the camera department, though low-light images could benefit with a software update to take care of the high levels of graininess. But really, it is the stupendous battery life which is the Redmi Note 4’s hidden weapon, and I regularly got two days of moderate to heavy use with both SIMs active. No quick charging though, which is a bit of a pity.