What is the difference between the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Xiaomi has just unveiled the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. While the former was expected, the latter is some kind of a surprise that nobody, including us, saw coming. Nonetheless, it’s here with us and you are probably wondering what sets the pair apart besides the “Pro” moniker.

Like the names suggest, the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro have a number of similarities, however, the pair also have their differences. Where a lot of what you find on the Redmi Note 5 is the same as the Redmi Note 4, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has a bunch of debuting specs and features with respect to the Redmi series.

For instance, it’s the first Redmi phone to rock a dual-lens camera, Face Unlock, a 20MP selfie camera and up to 6GB RAM. It’s also the first in the smartphone industry to come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 chipset. All said and done, here’s a closer look at how the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 compares against the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

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Redmi Note 5 vs Note 5 Pro specs

Design

Judging by the specs, you’ll agree that the Redmi Note 5 Pro is the most exciting model between the two. While the design language will largely remain unchanged, especially on the frontal part, the Redmi Note 5 Pro rocks much more powerful specs than its counterpart.

The design of the Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro is largely the same, with the only difference being the dual-lens setup on the back. Other than that, everything else remains unchanged, including the build material as well as display design, size, resolution, connectivity ports, etc.

Processor

It is on the inside where the two have major differences. Where the Redmi Note 5 is essentially a Redmi Note 4 in a new body, but with a few minor tweaks to the camera, display screen, software and the overall size, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has some impressive stuff under the hood.

There’s a new and first-to-the-world Snapdragon 636 chipset mated with up to 6GB RAM, but there is an entry-level 4GB RAM variant. Unlike the Note 5, the Pro variant has only one storage option of 64GB. On the other hand, the standard Note 5 keeps the same configurations as its predecessor – 3/4GB RAM and 32/64GB storage options.

Competition:
Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus specs and release date

Camera and Face Unlock

As pointed out, the Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro have the same design language but for the dual-lens main shooter on the back of the latter. And yes, this is the first time a Redmi phone is getting a dual-lens camera.

Given Xiaomi’s recent heroics with respect to the Mi Note 3 camera, you can expect some cool photos and videos from the 12MP + 5MP setup used on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. As you can see from the table above, the main 12MP sensor is the same unit used on the Note 5, but the second 5MP sensor, which has a wider aperture of f/2.0, should help in improved low-light performance and offer way better depth of field compared to the single-lens Note 5.

It gets even better when it comes to selfies, where the 20MP unit on the Note 5 Pro should easily blow away the 5MP unit used on the standard Note 5, be it in terms of detail, brightness or even the sharpness of photos. Xiaomi also says the Note 5 Pro camera supports Portrait Mode, AI-based selfies as well as AI group shots, among other stuff.

Even more interesting is the fact that the Redmi Note 5 Pro is the first Xiaomi phone to support Face Unlock feature for authentication. According to the company, it’ll only take 0.2 seconds to scan and unlock your device, a luxury that Note 5 users won’t be able to enjoy.

We’ve seen a flurry of devices receiving support for facial recognition technology via software updates. Whether Xiaomi will do the same for the Redmi Note 5 at some point in future is still unknown.

Know this:
Why buy Honor 9 Lite over Redmi Note 5?

Price

Despite the few changes, the Redmi Note 5 still slots in the same price range as its predecessor, starting at INR 9,999 for the base model of 3GB/32GB and an additional INR 2,000 for the 4GB/64GB model.

Competition:
Honor 7X specs and price

Due to the extra power and features the Redmi Note 5 Pro offers, you’ll have to part with INR 13,999 for the base model of 4GB/64GB and an extra INR 3,000 for the 6GB/64GB variant. Still, these price tags will be hard to beat, even with the likes of Honor 9 Lite and Honor 7X on the market or even the looming Moto G6 series, just to name but a few.