Nexus 5X vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro

LBadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 13:08
Last edited 12/04/2016 - 13:08

Hi all,
I'm having a little trouble deciding between these 2 phones. Both are great, both have pros and cons, and there's only about $100 difference between them.

========================

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro

Pros
  • $100 Cheaper
  • Faster processor
  • IR blaster
  • Bigger screen
  • Bigger battery
  • More RAM
  • Dual 4G SIM (I travel overseas every year)
  • Expandable memory, if you're only using 1 SIM slot
  • Custom apps seem quite useful (Virus scan, IR remote control app, file explorer access to SMB shares seamlessly, single handed mode)
Cons
  • Doesn't support all LTE bands in Aus
  • Camera can be a bit iffy
  • Won't get latest Android updates as soon as they come out
  • Slightly higher SAR rating (I'm paranoid, alright?)

========

Nexus 5X

Pros
  • Excellent camera
  • Guaranteed Android updates and upgrades for at least the next year
  • Supports all bands in Aus
  • Lower SAR rating
Cons
  • Slower processor, less RAM, etc..
  • Costs a little more

Now… you might notice there are fewer pros and cons for the Nexus. The pros and cons carry lots of weight though, so in my mind, both phones are almost equal in terms of value for money.

Redmi Note 3: cheaper, lots of added stuff that makes it really interesting, but it's lacking in some of the basics
VS.
Nexus 5X: The way an Android phone should be

If you're wondering why I think $100 is a big deal, it's not. It's the fact that I can get the Redmi Note 3 for cheaper, but I get things like an IR blaster, bigger screen, bigger battery and more RAM.

So. Any thoughts?

Poll Options

  • 19
    Nexus 5X
  • 23
    Redmi Note 3
Mobile LG Mobile Phone Xiaomi Android

Comments

  • pernunz on 12/04/2016 - 13:22

    I have the Redmi Note 3 Pro. Comparing it to the Nexus 5X isn't a fair comparison, they are two completely different phones of different sizes. If a bigger screen is a "pro" for you as opposed to a con, then it sounds like you've already made up your mind.

    Guaranteed Android Updates are a big advantage, but we don't know what these will entail until new versions of Android are released (and assuming you can't get those updates via custom roms on the Xiaomi)

    But it sounds like you've already made up your mind and want validation.

    • BadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 13:35

      Thanks pernunz. I honestly am in 2 minds still. I'm leaning towards the 5X because of the Android updates.

      Why did you choose the Redmi, and which carrier are you on? I'm on TPG, so I use Vodafone's towers/network.

      • pernunz on 13/04/2016 - 13:26

        I chose it for price and the processor. I'm in South Australia and on Vaya, so the networks that are used for 4G are fine for me. Also, SD card storage and screen size.

  • skskskskzzz on 12/04/2016 - 13:47

    I use a China Redmi Note 3 Pro (SD650) from HK and it appears to be doing fine on the Optus network, similar in connection to my Sony Xperia Z3 and even has reception in the dodgier areas of my school.
    IMO it depends whether you want a better camera or better battery. I just got 48 hours of run time on mine (4.5SoT) (still on 20%) something the 5X can't do. However the camera doesn't have any sort of stabilisation and video is a pain, in daylight it's very appealing to the eye with the added saturation+sharpening.

    • BadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 16:04

      Thanks Icey. I don't have any video stabilisation on my phone at the moment, and that doesn't bother me.

      Stay out of the dodgier parts of school. That's where fights start.

      • skskskskzzz on 12/04/2016 - 17:29
        +1

        Haha just dodgy in terms of reception, step into the building and you won't be able to connect to any network besides 2G, step out of that building and you get full bars. However you can kick phones into 4G in the service menu for 0 bars of 4G that works incredibly well. (Or your phone just connects to the 4G network automatically)

  • windwai on 12/04/2016 - 13:50
    +1

    Android update is a big plus but only if the phone last that long. I had bad experience with LG so I won't choose 5x nor Xiaomi due to leak of local warranty. While new nexus will be out in around 6 months. I will just wait.

    PS you may like Moto X Play or Moto Nexus 6

    • BadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 16:07

      You're right about the new Nexus. If anything, I'd go with the 5X for availability and price. I've had one terrible experience with LG, but I've been just fine on my current one (Nexus 4).

  • RobMel on 12/04/2016 - 15:25
    +2

    In my opinion regular security updates are a must.
    Not necessarily OS updates as such but at least fixes to critical security flaws that leave you exposed.
    For that reason I only go with Nexus for the time being until other vendors and providers pull their socks up.
    Last year I had an LG G3 which I really liked but got NO update at all for almost 12 month.

    • BadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 16:34

      Yeah. The critical security flaws are something to worry about. I read once that Google roll security updates out via a certain service on the phones, due to the high level of fragmentation. Not sure if this really is the case. If this were true, then we all wouldn't have to worry so much. In this instance, yes, I agree, Nexus phones are the way to go.

  • scrimshaw on 12/04/2016 - 16:17
    +1

    Ongoing software updates are worth the extra premium. While I like the bang-for-buck Xiaomi Notes, the Nexus 5x is a pretty decent mid-tier device although slightly let down by it's mediocre battery life.

    • BadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 16:44

      I like software updates. I also like a big battery. Software updates trump battery for sure. I'll ask my 5X friends how they're going with their battery. You'd be surprised how many of them don't care about software updates.

  • autolux on 12/04/2016 - 21:48

    not an android expert here, been on ios for a while but waiting on the redmi note 3 pro to arrive currently.

    was concerned about the security stuff myself, and wanting the latest android ios.. but since the kernel sources for this phone were released, i went for it.

    correct me if i'm wrong, but i assume that basically means the community will sort things out, whatever it may be.. like getting rid of MIUI.. or latest android? cyanogenmod was up and running for it within a few days..

    the note 3 pro looks like it'll be popular enough to get a lot of community support for some time, even if Xiaomi are a bit slow..

    • BadGiraffe on 12/04/2016 - 22:50

      True. Though I haven't looked into flashing roms on Xiaomi's. From memory, flashing an official Xiaomi rom is dirt simple. If you want to flash something else, you need to unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery first.

      When you rely on the community to make roms, you're not guaranteed to have a perfectly working phone. Some things might not work… and these can be essential things like the SIM card or wifi. In time, if there's much interest in a certain device, things will more or less work.

      Then comes the updates. Back when I was flashing, most roms didn't let you do over the air updates. I remember at one point Cyanogenmod were working on it, but I'm not sure if they successfully have that working yet.

      I used to root and flash all my phones, until it came to a point where I got tired of it, and just stuck with my Nexus. The Nexus just works and is secure as can be. The Xiaomi though… that comes with a few bells and whistles the Nexus won't have, and thus my predicament.

      I should just start up my own company and make phones with great hardware, and just have stock Android on it. Think about it. Every PC maker makes different PC models. The one thing they can all do is install plain Windows or some other Linux distro on it, no problems. You just have to have compatible drivers. Why can't phone makers do the exact same thing?

  • kywst on 13/04/2016 - 09:20

    I've had the Redmi Note 2 for about 6 months … Basically the same as the Note 3. Solid phone.

    Save yourself some money and go with the Xiaomi. MIUI has been rated as one of the best tweaked android roms available. Also receives weekly OTA updates.

    • BadGiraffe on 13/04/2016 - 10:24

      Yup. I've played with MIUI back in my rom flashing days. Probably the best one, next to Cyanogenmod. All very good points. The people here who have Xiaomi phones have high praise for it. Not going to be an easy decision.

  • BadGiraffe on 13/04/2016 - 10:24
    +1

    So I think I've made up my mind. If I can get a really good deal with the Note 3, I'll get one. If I find the Nexus with a difference of less than $100, I'll get that.

    Thanks all! You've been really helpful. First forum post for me. Good community. I'll spend more time in here helping others out

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2016 - 22:49

    $100 might not sound much, but at this level is almost 50% more. That's a huge difference.

    • BadGiraffe on 18/04/2016 - 09:25

      Haha! True! When you put it that way, that makes a heap of difference. Well, I've got it sitting in my desk at the moment. Waiting for the screen protector and case to come. That's how I am. I will only use a new phone once the accessories come.

  • Kangal on 31/05/2016 - 14:18

    [WANTED: Black 32GB Nexus 5X for <$400 shipped from Aus/Reputable]

    LG Nexus 5X (best price: $370 / average bargain: $440 )
    Remi Note 3 Pro (best price: $280 / average bargain: $360 )

    Both 16GB models are anaemic, so comparing the 32GB models is a wiser buy.
    On average they will perform about equal and drain battery also equal*
    (* sustained performance and efficiency is about equal between QSD 650, 652, 805, 808, 810)
    (*QSD 800/801 are a one step behind. QSD 820 is a good step ahead)

    LG Pro's:
    - Software (Support for 3 years, fastest updates, best community)
    - Front firing speakers
    - Better cameras

    Redmi Note 3 Pro Pro's:
    - Bigger screen (capacitive buttons, slight 0.3in bump)
    - Big Battery (4,000mAh is oversized for this handset, 2,700mAh in Nexus 5X is undersized)
    - Better build quality (Not just the build materials, but the overall quality is better on Xiaomi compared to LG devices)

    So from a RIGHT NOW scenario, the Redmi Note 3 Pro is a BETTER buy.
    The MIUI ROM is as good as the stock Nexus rom. And its a sturdier, prettier device which gives you more screen and battery.

    HOWEVER…. the Nexus 5X is a better OVERALL investment if you keep it for a year or more.
    Because the Nexus 5X is hassle-free supports all radios, the camera will hold up in the long-run, the software won't get abandoned, and the resale value is the second highest in the industry**.
    (** First is the iPhone, Second are Nexi/Nexuses, Third are Samsung Note's then Galaxy S's. The rest have abysmal resale value if that's your plan).

    So the question really becomes, do you want to keep this device for more than a year, and are you contempt with an additional $80-$140 investment ??

    ^That there is my objective look on it.
    vThis down here is my subjective look on it.

    (For your kids and grandma's buy the Redmi Note 3 PRO, also as a quick backup/throwaway.)
    (For you, your siblings and parents go with the Nexus 5X.)
    (Also don't buy the Nexus 6P until the 64GB is priced at <AU$550, it's still very expensive, and it bends, plastics break, doesn't have OIS, has large bezels, throttles and wastes battery - Wait for 2016's Nexus flagship).
    (The Nexus 5X is the best value Android phone to buy in 2016. I'm done with Samsung's/HTC's/LG's crappy bugs, locks and service. You might as well buy an Elephant G5, or a Xiaomi for less. iPhone's are better value than HTC etc flagships, and the latest models have caught up in software and hardware improvements.)

    • kywst on 31/05/2016 - 21:25

      Solid write up. Have you been researching this for over a month now?

      • Kangal on 01/06/2016 - 00:51

        No, all just in one day.
        You'd be amazed at how much detailed information is out there on the internet.

        Well that, and the fact that I've been an Android user/community since the Moto CLIQ.
        I pretty much know EVERYTHING….except the source codes for 99% of devices out there.

        I need a solid phone now because my Nexus 5 has hardware problems, and my Note has software problems…. alas two half working phones don't make one full-working one. The N5 has its fair share of QC problems which is why I'm a bit hesitant to go LG again, but apparently the N5X solves most of these issues. I want to grab the N6P but its really overpriced, so that's why I'm on the hunt for a N5X instead.

        • BadGiraffe on 01/06/2016 - 10:06

          I too would have chosen the 5X, but I had a strict budget and stuck to my guns. I got the Redmi Note 3 Pro 32GB, and have been quite happy with it. I'm prepared for having slower Android upgrades. Xiaomi aren't actually too bad with updates to their software. They rollout bug fixes almost monthly, which is really nice. They seem to be following Samsung and and HTC and some of the other manufacturers that have agreed to do these frequent rollouts.

          Xiaomi are already working on a Marshmallow update, so I'm happy about that, but I guess we'll have to wait and see if they deliver what they promised. The big pros over the 5X I liked are the bigger battery and IR blaster. I know people with 5X's and they complain about battery life. I charge my Redmi once every 2 days. And I'm a heavy user.

          I will be keeping this for more than a year (hopefully I don't drop it). The build quality is excellent, and some of the added software is quite useful. Things like the radio, the remote app (which actually got updated recently and added some devices that were not there before… devices that I had), conversation recorder, security app which allows you turn off permissions for apps (this is in Marshmallow by default, but having it in Lollipop shows how serious Xiaomi are in putting extra value in their distro)

          If you're on a strict budget, I'd still highly recommend the Redmi. But if you can afford a little more, I'd wholeheartedly urge you to get the 5X.

    • Brianqpr on 01/06/2016 - 09:14

      I recently read a "longer term" type review of the 5X and it discussed an alarming drop in performance over time. Any truth in that?

      • Kangal on 02/06/2016 - 00:33

        Short version:
        Latest iOS > Optimised and Clean Android ~ Windows 10 Mobile > Clean Android > Optimised (but bloated) Android > Unoptimised build

        iPad Pro/iPhone 6S > Nexus 5/6 or (Latest Nexus 5X/6P 6.0 builds) ~ HP Elite X3 > Old Nexus 5X 5.1 builds > Note 5 (TouchWiz) > Huawei P8/Lenovo K3 Note

        Long version:
        I don't know if I've confused you at any point, or if this write up is too big.

        Most people are comparing the Nexus 5X directly to the Nexus 5. The Nexus 5 was a flagship model, and its Snapdragon 800 has been quite optimised for Android. The Nexus 5X is a mid-range device. It's Snapdragon 808 is barely faster.

        Android has not quite been optimised for it (less Google's fault, more Qualcomm's fault). The device comes with encryption which also hammers performance. And this was the first foray into 64-bit computing for Android (Windows went through a similar transition if you can remember that far back).

        So yes, the reports that said the Nexus 5X was slower than the Nexus 5 are true. That was the case on launch. However, Google themselves have issued a patch to this. There's quite a bit of underlying tweaks in the recent Marshmallow builds, and its mostly to deal with -Sustained Performance-. On top of this, most of the major custom roms had fixed these issues.

        When I compared my N5 to a store's N5X, I didn't notice such jankiness, lag, or performance issues. I think this moreso affects people that overload their devices with many settings, apps, and media. Which is the minority of users. But a majority in the enthusiast scene. However, compared to my Note, the N5X was running rings. I even played with the LG G4 with the N5X, and that was clearly slower. So even with a less optimised and slower 808, and with overloading… the Nexus 5X is AS FAST as other flagship models. It runs rings around mid-range devices from all other OEMs.

        And over time devices actually DO get slower. It applies to both Android and iPhones alike. However, to remedy this issue, Google introduced TRIM support back in Android 4.3. Basically your device gets a bit slower over time, but not as bad as it used to be. So I think a lot of these performance issue reports are actually coming from enthusiasts who tend to overload their devices more and more as time goes by.

        • Kangal on 06/06/2016 - 11:33

          @Brianpqr

          So I just received the Nexus 5X 32GB (Charcoal) today.
          Out of the box… it's just as fast as a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P. It is buttery smooth.
          I would say its not as smooth as the latest iPhones (6 and higher)… but about on-par with the iPhone 5S or Windows 10 Mobile.

          It's just got the latest May update. So the performance issues should be ironed out. I wouldn't call it slow.
          My Nexus 5 was running a custom rom and custom kernel, and I would say it felt a tad bit smoother like the iPhone.
          I have hopes that disabling encryption, running custom rom and kernel on the 5X could bring it up to parity… but I don't actually care now.
          If it "feels" slow in the future I might do so.

          You just don't get that option (having a fast, well supported, longterm) with any other phone besides the:
          -iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6P lus, iPhone 6S+
          -Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P
          -OnePlus One, SONY Z3, Moto G/X (2015)

          Few other devices you're at the mercy of a handful of talented devs.
          All other devices you're at the complete mercy of the OEMs, who keep proving their greed and incompetence.

          …Just some handy did-bits for you all : )

  • neonlight on 22/06/2016 - 11:55

    RedMi Note 3 Pro because of better battery and build quality and dual SIM memory card support

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