Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro Prime - My Journey

Lmegarch on 05/07/2016 - 20:12
Last edited 16/07/2016 - 13:28

I have been reading about people constantly asking so many questions about this mobile. I too was sceptical at first buying it from china. But then so far it has been a smooth ride for me. I thought I would post my experiences here and continue posting all about this mobile here.

Before I go any futher, Mods, I am not sure if this post is in appropriate location. Feel free to edit/correct/delete.

I just thought many others would be benefitted from this.

Story so far…

The Mobile
28/6/2016 - Redmi note 3 pro prime(dark grey - original chinese rom, not custom, unopened) was ordered from aliexpress for $258.52 delivered via DHL.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-3-…
5/7/2016 - tracking shows its awaiting customs clearnace at melbourne.
Delivery - hopefully tomorrow.

The Cover
30/6/2016 - ordered magnetic cover flip cover from ebay for $6.24 delivered. This is a pu leather cover with TPU enclosure. In my experience TPU ones provide all around better protection. Hard plastic ones tend to be very brittle(cheaper ones).
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/262491533410?_trksid=p2057872.m27…
Delivery - expected around 12/7/2016

The Protector
1/7/2016 - ordered 2x tempered glass protectors from ebay for $2.78 delivered. Seems to be the cheapest.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/331823862033?_trksid=p2057872.m27…
Delivery - expected around 19/7/2016

My plan is to install OTA update and play store. May be use nova launcher or google launcher.

I will keep updating this post once I get the phone and start fiddling around with it…

Update:
7/7/16 - mobile got delivered.
had original chinese rom. Did OTA update to 7.3.8 stable.
Played around a bit with customization to suit my taste.
installed play store
Installed nova launcher
uninstalled Chinese apps as much as possible
changed default browser to chrome
default messaging app to native messaging app extracted from marshmallow rom
installed widgets for all services, kept in on desktop – wifi, data, Bluetooth. Gps etc.
google calendar
google camera - default
for dialer I am using call log monitor, cannot change to default though

mobile looks totally de-xiaomified, except for status bar & pull down menu.
Will post screenshots soon

screen shots
http://imgur.com/a/o4NEF

08/07/2016
battery stats for one day - SOT about 9 hours, wifi on, (bluetooth, gps & data not so much)
http://imgur.com/a/Khvyu

11/07/2016
battery stats after about 2 days wifi,data,gps,bluetooth on
http://imgur.com/a/vo1v3

general screenshots - settings, apps, theme etc
http://imgur.com/a/RZ4In

Default Apps
browser - chrome
messages - yaata
email - type
photos - google photos
videos- mx player
music - BlackPlayer Music Player
camera- default

Theme - same old war

launcher - nova

battery saver app - deepsleep battery saver

battery profile - sleep between 23.30 - 07.30

restricted background usage for all mi-apps

antutu & geekbench test results
http://imgur.com/a/xPIJ1

16/07/2016
screen shots of theme customization, battery usages, battery profile, power schedule etc
2.5 days of battery with 20% left, SOT about 5.5 hours, talk time 1.3hours.
Guestimate is it could reach 3 days until it dies with SOT about 6 hours, talk time 1.75 hours i think
well i dont play games. mostly calls, texts, emails, browsing, whatsapp and little bit of youtube.
http://imgur.com/a/tHYNZ

Mobile Mobile Phone Xiaomi Android

Comments

  • inherentchoice on 05/07/2016 - 21:11

    I have had this phone for a month but I can't figure out how to add apps to the home screen.

    • Sweetnsour on 05/07/2016 - 21:23
      +1

      Pinch two fingers on the screen. Then move your apps to another page. U can select which page you would like as ur home screen too. Hope that has made sense. There's other quirks and tips on the phone if u r interested in finding out more

      • inherentchoice on 05/07/2016 - 22:11

        That lets me move apps and add widgets but it doesn't let me add apps? Also, on my old Samsung there was an app for "Apps" which listed everything and let you launch apps (and drag them to the home screen) but I can't find such a thing on the MIUI either. Sorry for my noob questions but it has been bugging me.

        • Sweetnsour on 05/07/2016 - 22:19
          +2

          Hmm… if it's not on your screen/s, then you haven't installed the app (or u may have deleted/uninstalled). Click on play store and then my apps to check. Or search app in play store and there should be "open" button if not there will be install option. See if that clarifies things.

        • Sweetnsour on 05/07/2016 - 22:22
          +1

          Regarding second question, Samsung has a separate list of all your apps and you shortlist onto main screens. So when u delete from shortlist main screen, the app will still be on your phone. However on Miui, once you delete the app, the app should uninstall itself.

  • UncommonName on 05/07/2016 - 21:15

    Anybody else wants to suggest cover for this phone? Tia.

  • Sweetnsour on 05/07/2016 - 21:19

    Same here. Ordered Jun 20th with DHL post and received on 24th June. Surprisingly faster than most auspost deliveries.

    Personally love the phone however the finger print can sometimes be inconsistent with cold weather or dry hands.

    • megarch on 05/07/2016 - 21:41

      hi, did you get it with original chinese rom or global or custom? how did you go with play store and disabling chinese apps? Appreciate suggestions/thoughts.

      • Sweetnsour on 05/07/2016 - 21:49

        Global ROM. Doesn't have any Chinese apps on my phone. Play store is the same as galaxy s5 which was my last phone.

        Love finding "hacks" on the phone like the simple way to turn on the LED torch without unlocking phone.

        Don't know if I will ever go back to a new iPhone or galaxy for over $1200.

        • megarch on 05/07/2016 - 22:33

          Well, i am coming from S4. So i guess it should feel heaps better.
          I ordered with chinese originla, as i dint want them to open it to install global rom.
          Thanks for answering all the questions by others.
          I cant wait to get my hands on this mobile and find cool stuff similar to what you did/doing.

        • Sweetnsour on 05/07/2016 - 22:40
          +1

          @megarch:
          I'd like to hear ur experience with Chinese ROM when u receive phone tomorro. I didn't want to root the phone and rather get a repair store to root for me, the included global ROM option was perfect for me. Not much bloatware from global ROM which saves space

        • nk10025 on 05/07/2016 - 23:03
          +1

          @Skimpywallet: I ordered the phone with untouched chinese ROM. was able to flash international ROM with some research. You don't need to root or unlock bootloader to flash the global ROM. Refer MIUI forums there is help out there for sure. I can help if you get stuck anywhere

        • megarch on 06/07/2016 - 08:11

          @nk10025: thanks guys for the support.

          DHL still showing this message in tracking
          EVENT CATEGORY
          06 Jul 16 6:49 AM - Clearance delay - MELBOURNE,AUSTRALIA

          Further Details - The shipment is pending completion of customs inspection.
          Next Steps - The status will be updated following customs inspection. A DHL representative shall attempt to contact the importer if additional requirements are necessary.

          Not sure if customes will cut the seal and open the box. Just got to wait.

        • megarch on 06/07/2016 - 08:20

          @nk10025:
          is this the one you are referring to ?
          http://www.xiaomidevice.com/blog/xiaomi-redmi-note-3-pro-ins…
          http://xiaomiadvices.com/update-xiaomi-phones-to-miui-7-glob…
          if not can you please post some links?

        • Saturday on 06/07/2016 - 10:36
          "turn on the LED torch without unlocking phone."

          That sounds interesting. How do you do that?

        • Sweetnsour on 06/07/2016 - 11:06

          @Saturday:
          Click on power key on side. Your lock screen will come up, then press and hold onto home key then your light turned on. Useful in a dark situation

        • Saturday on 06/07/2016 - 11:12

          @Skimpywallet:
          Cool! I just tried it and it works :-D Thanks!
          Any suggestions where shall i look to find these cool tips? It is only the 2nd day that i am having this new phone, lots of things to explore :-)

        • Sweetnsour on 06/07/2016 - 11:19

          @Saturday:
          Just a fluke. I accidentally clicked and found the light turned on. I'm sure there are Chinese or Indian website in English that have these tips. The other main one is screenshot by pressing power and volume down

        • nk10025 on 15/07/2016 - 17:55
          +1

          @megarch: I followed this one http://en.miui.com/thread-235865-1-1.html
          The forum is quite extensive. You have to disable driver signature enforement under windows 10 and install the qualcomm serial driver for the phone. Have a read through the forum.
          The firmware for SD650 3GB/32GB is "kenzo_global_images_V7.3.6.0.LHOMIDD_20160523.0000.23_5.1_global_aef179560d.tgz"
          Extract it to a folder using 7-zip

          The upgrade is done in EDL mode. I have done a screen grab of what it should look like when you completed all the steps successfully and you are ready to flash.
          http://imgur.com/7WRUG10

        • megarch on 16/07/2016 - 13:10

          @nk10025:
          thanks for that
          can you please post some screen shots of global version?
          1.default apps
          2.settings
          etc…
          i have posted screenshots of chinese rom that i have, just want to know the difference

        • nk10025 on 16/07/2016 - 15:16
          +1

          @megarch: This is a global ROM no chinese apps and bloat. Google play store is installed by default. I have gathered a few screens http://imgur.com/a/CxfxN

        • megarch on 17/07/2016 - 16:43

          @nk10025:
          does this global rom receive OTA update? also will it unlock/root the phone?
          i downloaded the firmware via link you provided.
          it is "kenzo_global_images_V7.3.7.0.LHOMIDD_20160523.0000.23_5.1_global_f5889c1549"
          is this the right one?

        • nk10025 on 17/07/2016 - 23:19

          @megarch: I think global rom does get Ota updates. With xiaomi expect a long wait between updates. I have had the miui 7 based on Android 6.0 on my Mi4 just 2 weeks back. I flashed global rom on that one too a year back. I hope to get 7.0 ON this one. Fingers crossed. Yes 7.3.7 is the correct one. I had 7.3.6 when I flashed but it gets Ota update to 7.3.7 after that anyway.

      • erusko on 07/07/2016 - 22:53

        i would probably flash the phone if you bought it from aliexpress. i bought mine from aliexpress top-one store and it sounds the same as both of yours, but it was a vendor rom. even though it might be clean, i didn't want to chance it so i flashed to the xiaomi.eu ROM.

  • parker2004au on 06/07/2016 - 07:49
    +1

    One of the biggest things I was pleased about was the battery - that 4000mAh battery is awesome.

    6hrs57min screen on time with 24% left last night - one sim card & connected to work/home WiFi so that helps too but compared to my previous device it would get to 10% EOD doing pretty much the same thing.

    That's with no battery saving profiles either.

    • megarch on 06/07/2016 - 08:16

      i guess that is with 50% auto brightness? Also was the data, wifi, bluetooth, gps left on all the time? or only some? can you please specify?

      Some one got close to 8 hours SOT.
      http://en.miui.com/thread-223244-1-1.html

      • parker2004au on 06/07/2016 - 08:19
        +1

        Yeah around 50% - data, WiFi, GPS on. Bluetooth off.

        • megarch on 06/07/2016 - 08:26

          Nice.

  • Brianqpr on 06/07/2016 - 09:34

    I have the original mediatek version and its been great, aside from the rear camera which produces blurred images. I know the camera on these isn't great anyway, but mine takes much less sharp images than even the front selfie camera on the same phone. Therefore I think I might just have a dud rear camera and might just get a replacement.

    However I'm thinking about getting the band 28 version that is about to be released, but apparently this is only available in the 16GB/2GB RAM setup. Is anyone here using the 2GB RAM version and if so how does it perform?

    • ESEMCE on 06/07/2016 - 10:28

      I know the camera is pretty poor on these phones, but just checking that you've removed the protective plastic from the rear camera?
      My parents complained about their camera until I pulled it off for them!

      • Brianqpr on 06/07/2016 - 11:44

        I did think about that but there doesn't seem to be any cover on it.

    • Budgetcuts on 09/07/2016 - 10:27

      hey mate just in regards to your comment

      where is this band 28 one? can you send me a link or whatever it is that you have. I cant find any info on it.
      cheers.

  • Sweetnsour on 06/07/2016 - 22:39

    Anybody tried using their xiaomi phone to replace a loyalty card? I tried everyday rewards and flybuys and it's not scannable in store.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 10:08

    was expecting something more well indepth rather then just ordering for now.

    still would be good to go int detail with what you see with the china rom and then the global rom or other roms you flashed.

    • megarch on 07/07/2016 - 18:15
      +2

      i just got it today, did the ota update & then few tweaks. refer to my update to post above.

  • erusko on 07/07/2016 - 22:46

    careful all, just a word of warning. i bought a redmi 3 pro off aliexpress and it was working like a dream for a month. then suddenly, the backlight display stopped working (didn't drop it, get it wet, had a case and glass screen protector, etc…). The phone is still running and tests show everything works (touchscreen, calls, notification lights, etc…) but it's effectively useless since i can't see anything. seems there is a lot of similar issues posted online, but there's not much out there regarding how to fix it, with most people just recommending to bring it to a service centre… since there is no service centre in australia, just know you might be screwed if your phone breaks out of nowhere like mine. i've just bought a replacement screen though for $30USD and will try replacing it on my own. we'll see if that works…

    • Droz on 11/07/2016 - 16:00
      +1

      Just checking that you know this is a different phone? This one is the Redmi Note 3 Pro, not the Redmi 3 Pro…

      Although, your cautionary tale is a good one!

  • micemeat on 11/07/2016 - 09:27

    Just ordered a 3gb/32gb version for myself, what ROM is best for this phone? or is stock removed bloat + English best for performance etc?

    • megarch on 11/07/2016 - 16:44

      Official chinese rom is the first one to get updates. other versions are a bit behind. All the non-mi chinese apps can be uninstalled.

      current global version = V7.3.7.0.LHOMIDD (MIUI7)
      http://en.miui.com/download-301.html#438

      current chinese version = V7.3.8.0.LHOCNDD (MIUI7)
      http://en.miui.com/download-301.html#439

      Chinese rom has english as well.
      im my mobile i have latest chinese rom..
      http://i.imgur.com/DOoDclZ.png

      Apps that cannot be uninstalled are here…( under xiaomi)
      http://imgur.com/TzrmFnU

      Two annoying things about chinese rom

      1. any link to app download will open mi-store rather than play-store. But this happens just once in a while when you are setting up linked apps. for example antutu benchmark app needs antutu 3d to be installed along with it. So when you clich download link via the former, it will open mi-store. Just close it and download by opening play-store.

      2. pull down status bar menu has a search bar with chinese characters on it. But i never use this, as it will search via mi-browser. I have got google search bar on all desktop windows, so i do my searches via that and it opens in chrome by setting chrome as default browser.

      I did not like the stock dialer, messages, weather etc. So I have my preferred apps for dialer, messages, email, alarm etc..

      My choice of apps are here…(under apps)
      http://imgur.com/a/88Mu8

      my settings for defaults are
      browser - chrome
      messages - yaata
      email - type
      photos - google photos
      videos- mx player
      music - BlackPlayer Music Player
      camera- default or google camera
      http://i.imgur.com/E78e6Ke.png
      http://i.imgur.com/6s7refp.png

      theme name is same old war
      http://en.miui.com/thread-297484-1-1.html

  • Droz on 13/07/2016 - 17:27

    I've just ordered the Redmi Note 3 Pro but from GeekBuying - the 3GB RAM/32GB Storage version. Said there was stock, but I guess we'll see.

    I've never bought from GeekBuying.com so this'll be an anxiety inducing experience.

    Anyone have good or bad experiences they would like to share?

    • megarch on 16/07/2016 - 13:14

      did you order chinese or global rom?

      i just had my first experience with aliexpress, dont know about geekbuying. but looking at their presence in ozbargain, seems like reliable seller.

      • Droz on 16/07/2016 - 15:55

        I bought the phone at this link: http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-3-Pro-5-5-I…

        It says there:

        Please kindly note that this item will be installed with international firmware before shipped out, with Google play store, Google services and multi-languages.

        I applied for an unlock code at en.miui.com so I can unlock the phone's bootloader and install whichever firmware I want.

        MIUI seems nice, but I don't fully trust it, so I'll be installing CM13 as soon as possible - after a few years with the Nexus 5, I've grown quite fond of stock Android, and CM13 is going to be as close as I can get.

        There's plenty of good info in the MIUI forums about the various ROMs, so have a look if you haven't already! http://en.miui.com/forum-86-1.html

        Good luck, and let me know how you go!

        I'll report back here if/when I get my phone from GeekBuying

  • FrugalBugger on 17/07/2016 - 10:33

    The box it comes in only says Redmi Note 3 then everything else is in Chinese. So…how do I check I got the Pro Prime model? The IMEI number is 861735034008739

    • WesthamAreMassive on 17/07/2016 - 13:03

      I'm sure I see on one of the aliexpress listing it had something to do with the label on the phone

      • FrugalBugger on 17/07/2016 - 13:18

        I can't see anything on the phone or packaging except Redmi Note 3, the rest is in Chinese. Its still a fantastic phone, just trying to check I got what I paid for.

  • Droz on 02/08/2016 - 17:10

    So, I've played around with mine since getting it yesterday morning. (1/8/17)

    Things I found:

    1. You NEED a Windows PC (or at least a VM) to do all the unlocking and whatnot. I thought I could use my Mac and with ADB and Fastboot like with the Nexus 5, but flashing the Official ROMs with a locked bootloader requires one of the tools, and I'm not cluey enough to have found a manual workaround for OS X/ Linux.
    2. I had a hell of a time trying to change ROMs whilst the loader was locked. It was supposed to be a simple matter of "If you're on Global Stable, flash Global Dev in the updater app". This did not work for me at all. I kept getting a "Cannot verify update" error. I'm not sure what it was that I did to finally get it to stick, but I definitely downloaded gigs and gigs worth of stuff, wasted plenty of time and set some dodgey permissions on my Windows partition. It's probably time to turn them back to default.
    3. MIUI is pretty cool, but I don't really like all of the Mi Sync stuff that's going on. It's definitely a cool feature, but everytime I opened an app - calendar, messaging, settings, gallery, etc - the "Security" app would tell me that whatever app it was NEEDS to have a data connection in order to work, and there wasn't really any indication why some of the apps needed to be connected (I understand that things like photos want to Sync, but seeing as I turned Sync off, I thought it had no relevance to what I was doing.)
    4. Screen was nicer than I thought it would be, but mine doesn't really cope with being at the lowest brightness setting. The levels seem to be the same all the way up to 50%, where it suddenly gets a lot brighter. Still, even though it's 5.5 inches at 1080p, because of the capacitive buttons I have much more real estate than on my Nexus 5.
    5. Dislike the capacitive layout, which is the same as the samsung layout - back button is on the right instead of the left, like in stock Android. Oh well, that's pretty minor.
    6. Build is much better than I thought
    7. LOVE the battery life. It only lost a couple of percent overnight. This thing is a beast.
    8. It's really, really fast. You could buy a flagship (OnePlus3, s7, etc) but I think that pound for pound, this phone is an absolute winner. All you'd be getting with a flagship is a little more speed, a nicer screen and significantly better camera.
    9. I installed the Weekly ROM from Xiaomi.eu community - https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/6-7-28.33071/ - it's a de-bloated version of the Chinese MIUI. It's quite nice. I have found no problems yet, and will probably wait for the official CM13 ROM for RN3P to be released, which is coming soon.

    Over-all, a great purchase.

    • Brianqpr on 03/08/2016 - 09:15

      A good summary. For me the only advantage of a flagship is if you really need a better camera. Otherwise this phone does almost everything, and certainly everything most people would need, very well.

      I'm keeping an eye out for review of the new Redmi note 4. If the camera has improved significantly, that will be my next phone.

      • Droz on 03/08/2016 - 14:27

        The problem with the Redmi Pro (which is what they're now calling the Redmi Note 4) is that it has a Mediatek processor in it, which makes custom ROMS much less likely to be available, and battery life a little crappier.

        It now has dual cameras for some fancy simulated depth of field effects!

        http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_pro-8233.php

        Maybe there'll be a SnapDragon variant announced soon?

        • Brianqpr on 03/08/2016 - 15:35

          I'm not fussed about that as I have no interest in custom ROMs, Miui is just fine for my needs.

          I have the Mediatek verson of the Redmi Note 3 and its been great. I bought in a hurry as my old phone died after getting wet. This time I can wait and see how the reviews look (especially camera) before making a call.

        • Droz on 03/08/2016 - 17:33

          @Brianqpr:

          MIUI is nice, though I find its desire to connect to the internet anytime I do anything is unsettling to say the least. I am deeply suspicious of where my data goes when it goes through Xiaomi, which is why I installed the Xiaomi.eu ROM - cleaner and leaner.

          Snapdragons generally have better camera capabilities for a reason that I'm not familiar with.

          Still the Redmi Pro looks great - there are also rumours of a Redmi Pro mini that is basically the same phone, with a SnapDragon, but in a smaller 5.2" size (the same size as the old Nexus 5, which I think is ideal).

        • megarch on 04/08/2016 - 13:33

          @Droz: I think only if you use xiaomi default browser data goes thru xiaomi. Other 3rd party apps shouldnt be a problem.

        • kywst on 05/08/2016 - 18:02

          @Droz: If you're deeply suspicious then do something about it. Sniff your packet data and find out.

    • megarch on 04/08/2016 - 13:31

      Nice summary.

      I guess you must have installed twrp, so unofficially unlocked?

      Unlocking bootladoer officially is not difficult at all. I put in request for unlock and got the unlock confirmation via sms within 3 days. Unlocking process itself is about 5 minutes. Make sure you back up everything everytime you do soemthing with the Rom. Almost evey app i have comes with its own backup. I also use helium bacup whcih is amazing for unrooted phones.

      After unlocking bootlaoder i have installed official miui global rom.

      I have got nova and all the default apps are of my preference than default xiaomi, including messaging app & dialer app.

      Most of xiaomi apps are disabled.

      I will upload screenshots of current setup soon. My previous screenshots of setup,battery,benchmark etc are on the top.

      Battery lasts avg 2 days with normal use. no games. just a bit of gps, browsing & whatsapp, lots of calls, text & email.

      Default Camera is ok and does the job.

      With Google camera you can enable HDR for front as well. Comes handy during low-light.
      I havent tried 4k video with google camera yet. Will get to that soon.

      • Droz on 04/08/2016 - 14:28

        Yeah, I got the unlock code from Xiaomi. However, I had quite a time trying to unlock for unknown reasons. Once I'd (finally) got there, I popped on TWRP and flashed the Xiaomi.eu MIUI 8 build. It's 6.7.28. It's nice, though I've been having trouble getting used to the way it displays notifications, and the fact that apps get closed when there's plenty of RAM left.

        Which Dialler are you using? I miss the Google one, which won't install for some reason. Also, I can't seem to disable the xiaomi apps, but I can choose to use other apps by default.

        Anyway, CyanogenMod is now official for Kenzo devices, so I'll switch over and get my preferred almost-stock Android experience.

        • megarch on 05/08/2016 - 17:24

          Official CM13 for RMN3P is nightly.

          I found another one in XDA, which based on the reviews appears to be more stable
          http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/development/rom…

          I still have not installed TWRP. Planning to do it over weekend and try above CM13.

        • Droz on 05/08/2016 - 17:42

          @megarch:

          I've installed the Official CM13 nightly from the 4th of August, but it seems that, for whatever reason, the fingerprint scanner isn't working for me. Seems to work for some, not others. Also, I had an issue where the battery simply indicated "50%" the whole time, which I fixed by changing the kernel.

          I think I might go back to MIUI until this stuff is all sorted out, though it is kinda fun.

        • megarch on 05/08/2016 - 17:52

          @Droz: if you look into that xda forum there are patches for fixing that 50% issue & finger print issue.

          battery
          http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/development/rom…

        • Droz on 05/08/2016 - 18:02

          @megarch: Yeah, I couldn't flash the battery fix - I think it's for the other CM13 rom. TWRP was giving me errors.

          Can't find a fingerprint one yet. I think the kernel from CM13 Official isn't ready for prime time yet (there must be a few revisions of the RN3P floating around with slightly different hardware…)

        • megarch on 08/08/2016 - 20:17

          @Droz:
          I installed cm13 via the xda forum link.
          seems stable.
          everything working fine.
          Will test it and upload stats reg battery life, benchmarks etc.

          If you install it , it will offer nightly updates. DO NOT INSTALL THOSE UPDATES.

        • Droz on 09/08/2016 - 11:22

          @megarch:

          I've been flashing the updates in the hope that they'll fix my issues, which are currently:
          - no front-facing camera
          - battery stuck at 50% unless I flash a custom kernel
          - bluetooth doesn't connect phone profile
          - no fingerprint scanner on CM Official (MIUI worked correctly)

          I'm on the 20160808 build

          Everything else is really nice - fast, good battery life, 4G data and calls are fine.

          Where are you seeing updates from? Builtin CM Updater?

        • megarch on 09/08/2016 - 12:09

          @Droz:
          ok do a fresh install of this one
          http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/development/rom…

          in this rom everything works fine.

          is your phone getting warm with cm13? mine is at about 35degrees and feels warm all the time. with miui it was really cool.
          Also with that cm13 battery was draining faster as well.

          now i am on miui8 which is still 5.1, but phone is back to being cool.

        • Droz on 10/08/2016 - 19:15

          @megarch:

          That's interesting, my phone/batty has only heated up after a serious pokemon session - I changed kernels though so I could have less bugs.

          Questions about your switch to MIUI8 - is that the xiaomi.eu forum's weekly download version? Did you reflash an older version of the firmware, or did just go for it? The CM I installed needed 6.0 firmware, which I flashed, but I'm worried about going backwards beacause I don't think I've got my IMEI backed up.

          Thoughts?

        • megarch on 11/08/2016 - 00:39

          @Droz:
          yes it is from eu forum latest weekly.
          No i did not change firmware.
          so far i have been just flashing roms via twrp - clean install every time - wipe data, cache, dalvik cache
          Only once the phone did not boot, then i had to re-unlock the bootloader via mi-tool
          after that its been a smooth ride

          I use helium backup so most of the apps dont have to be configures again.
          Nova launcher setting & layout also can be backedup

          Did you do a backup of original miui rom via twrp?

          these are the steps i followed when i rooted the phone
          1. install twrp via fastboot
          2. backup rom(all the stuff listed like system, data , cache etc). i think there is only 4 items.
          3. then flash twrp alka update for redmi note 3( this is RN3 specific)
          4. backup rom again( now there are about 20-30 items)
          5. flash super su
          6. back up efs & imei

          now you can pretty much play around all you want.

          if you have the orignal rom back up you can restore and back up efs & imei.

          Now i am trying cm13 resurrection remix marshmallow. So far it has been awesome.
          got about 1564,3717 in geek bench - max score.
          average of 4 tests = 1525,3675.
          antutu was in the range of 82,000.
          I will post screenshots if you want.

          I will keep this for a week and see how it fairs.

        • Droz on 11/08/2016 - 14:33

          @megarch:

          Found an older backup of my phone, but managed to lock the bootloader in the restore process. Didn't want to have to boot up Windows, but I managed to unlock it without any further dramas again.

          I tried the 6.8.4 xiaomi.eu build, and I mostly like it, except for its insistence on killing background apps. Spotify just stops playing quite often. That, mated to the fact that it doesn't want to play nice with my Pebble, means that I'm going to go back to CM13 Official and just hope that they get my version of the fingerprint scanner working. Bluetooth is problematic for me with my car stereo with CM13, even though MIUI has no problems with it.

          Hopefully it'll all come good when the rumoured M (or N!) based builds of MIUI come out.

          Until then I'll have to live with the limitations.

          That's some crazy Antutu scores you got!

        • megarch on 11/08/2016 - 20:34

          @Droz:
          Yes i coudnt believe it either
          here is all the screenshots
          http://imgur.com/a/45YfU

          BTW fingerprint, bluetooth, cam all work great.

          May be this rom would work fine in your phone too. If you want i can send you the links.

    • tmike on 21/08/2016 - 10:55

      Hi Droz - I bought one from Ebay and want to install the stable global ROM but I am getting "Cannot verify update" error. How did you get around it?

      • Droz on 22/08/2016 - 12:17

        I can't recall the exact steps, but it would be good to know what version you have installed right now and we'll try and trouble shoot our way out of it!

        • tmike on 22/08/2016 - 17:28

          Hi Droz - I managed to update to MIUI 7.5.3.0(LHOCNDE) using MiPCsuite but can't do anything else and this is half in Chinese now. I could not back up vis MiPCsuite so can't even go back to the version that came with the phone which a 7.5.????

        • Droz on 22/08/2016 - 18:07
          +1

          @tmike: You'll be OK! Now, it looks like you've downloaded the Chinese Stable version. You'll now be able to download and flash the Global Stable version, if you wish (or, the Global Developer version… up to you.)

          You have to use "fastboot" mode to install it. You'll be wiping your data clean. I think you can use the MiPCSuite to do a fastboot flash according to the page here: http://en.miui.com/thread-92720-1-1.html

          If you have the Redmi Note 3 Pro version, you can download the Global Stable version (7.3.7.0) file here: http://update.miui.com/updates/v1/fullromdownload.php?d=kenz… - but please check to make sure you've got the correct version of your device - there are definitely a few different redmi note 3 versions, and you'll cake your phone if you pick the wrong image.

          Then, once you're on Stable, you'll need to wait a little bit of time beacuse the MIUI 8 versions will be released in the next few days! you should get an update.

          Otherwise you can flash the Global Developer version, which is a little more unstable but gets updated a lot more.

          The Global versions have Google Play store installed and no Chinese language stuff.

        • tmike on 22/08/2016 - 19:17

          @Droz: Thanks Droz- unfortuantely I used MiPCsuite to update to the current ROM and now there are no further updates offered and can't change any settings to get another ROM in MiPCsuite. I have tried using updater but get message "can't verify update" when trying to install miui_HNNote3ProGlobal_V7.3.7.0LHOMIDD_8b4f14bb9d_5.1.zip. also no abd drivers in Device manager when phone connected to PC with USB debugging on. I have spent hours reading fora etc and no luck yet. I have applied for unlock code but not sure that will solve my problem. Fortunatley phone works fine but i hate the current version of MIUI. Any ideas?

          Thanks

        • megarch on 23/08/2016 - 02:06

          @tmike:
          hey whats the current version of rom in your mobile?

          updating via updater app in the mobile works only if you use the same type of zip files.

          example
          1. your mobile currently has chinese rom - you can install chinese developer or stable
          2. your mobile currently has global rom - you can install global developer or stable

          interchanging the above will most likely give you that "cant verify update error"

          i have tried miui8, it is still 5.1 lollipop, some gui updates, it will still feel like miui 7.

          are you planning to
          1. unlock boot loader?
          2. root the phone by installing twrp alka?
          3 install custom roms like cm13?

          few important tips
          1. if you install twrp recovery plus alka update do a full back up include all partitions , there will be 2/3 pages of them
          2. back up efs & imei via apps in play store
          3. do helium back up of apps, so you dont have to manually enter all the details in each app
          4. most of apps offer cloud backups - do that
          5. back up photos to google
          6. sms back up and restore

          see my screenshots for custom rom bench marks etc in the original post.

        • Droz on 23/08/2016 - 02:49

          @tmike:

          You'll be able to flash the fastboot image I linked to if you grab the MiFlash tool and install the drivers/adb/etc.

          Have a look here for a video step by step guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK57SMiAFEM
          It'll explain how to install the drivers, how to put your phone into fastboot mode and how to flash the ROM so you can switch to Global
          Bear in mind that the phone in the video is different, but the steps are the same.

          Use the fastboot Rom page I sent you to for the ROM for your device (Which I assume is "Kenzo").

          @megarch is correct in that you can't switch from the updater.

        • tmike on 23/08/2016 - 10:11

          @Droz: Thanks @Megarch - now I know why I can't use updater. I do not want to unlock phone but thought that was the only way to do it.
          @Droz - thanks for the video - before I try it I would just like to confirm that I use the following fastboot ROM - Kenzo_global_images_V7.3.7.0.LHOMIDD_20160523.0000.23_5.1_global_f5889c1549.tgz for my Redmi Note 3 as per the ebay link: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/252493962589
          Android version 5.1.1LMY47V.
          MIUI - MIUI Stable 7.5.3.0(LHOCNDE)

          I am using windows 7.

          Thanks

        • tmike on 23/08/2016 - 19:28

          @tmike: Thanks @Droz and @Megarch - I tried without unlocking and no luck. Fortunatley unlock permission arrived today (48hrs after request!!!) and once unlocked it worked fine but had to use flash all option as no .bat file for "flash all excluding data" etc.

          Thanks

          Mike

        • Droz on 02/09/2016 - 17:14

          @tmike:

          Missed all these - how did you go?

        • tmike on 02/09/2016 - 17:38

          @Droz: All working beautifully now - thanks

  • tmike on 22/08/2016 - 13:36

    Hi Droz - I managed to update to MIUI 7.5.3.0(LHOCNDE) using MiPCsuite but can't do anything else and this is half in Chinese now. I could not back up vis MiPCsuite so can't even go back to the version that came with the phone which a 7.5.????

  • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2016 - 08:41

    Hey guys, I just received this phone, but I am having problems getting SIM 1, i.e. Micro sim to receive 3G, but it has no problems connecting to LTE.

    The nano sim (sim 2) seems fine and works on all Freq. Is this normal?

    I also managed to get LTE on SIM 1 and HSPA on SIM 2. I'm not sure if it is bugged or something but I can only replicate it a few times (hit and miss). Apparently it should go back to GSM/IWLAN on the non-data sim.

    Can anyone report back with similar findings? Lots of forum posts state both slots should support 3G/4G, but in reality it doesn't seem to be true. Maybe it supports TD-WCMDA in one and not the other and vice versa for normal WCDMA?

    • Droz on 15/09/2016 - 12:28

      In my friend's experience on a custom ROM (CM13) he couldn't hit 3G/4G on the nano sim slot on Optus in North Melbourne - he only had 2G I think.

      I was pretty sure that the second sim (the "hybrid" that you share with the micro SD card) was 2G only, but it sounds like you're getting the 3G with HSPA on SIM 2.

      I guess it might also depend where you are and which carrier you're with, as there are some slight band differences between the telcos, plus the Redmi Note 3 Pro doesn't have all the bands.

      It might also be a ROM issue - what version and which ROM are you on?

      • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2016 - 10:02

        I'm using the official global rom I reflashed on the miui site.

        I think there should a way to swap 3g on the tray it uses, but for some reason mine it stuck in the most useful tray, so I cannot use an microsd card.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join