Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 with 48MP camera & Snapdragon 660 launched. 3GB/32GB – £241 via GearBest

Technically not a Xiaomi phone anymore since they have made it its own sub-brand now, the Redmi Note 7 has finally been launched in China.

The phone has launched for just 999 RMB (around £115) but has an exceptionally good specification and premium looking design.

The Redmi Note 7 features the upper mid range Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with a high-capacity 4,000mAh battery and impressive 48Mp camera.

In China it will also have an 18-month warranty, but any warranty for UK buyers would be provided by the website they bought it off, such as GearBest etc.

The basic model comes with 3GB RAM, 32GB storage and costs just CNY999, which is around £115.

It also comes in a 64GB storage option with either 4 or 6GB of ram which is priced at CNY1,199 (around £138) and CNY1399 (around £162) respectively. Importing it to the UK will incur additional costs, and if it is released in the UK officially there will be a larger premium to pay.

If you do import it, make sure you pick up a Global version, as Xiaomi stopped phones made for the Chinese marker running the MIUI Global ROM.

Looking at GearBest the cheapest price is £241.73 and it goes up to £332 but at the moment you can only sign up for an arrival notice.

Detailed Specification

The new Redmi phone packs a large 6.3in screen with 2.5D curved glass and a tough Gorilla Glass 5 outer layer. It uses a waterdrop notch and has 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 2340×1080 Full-HD+ resolution. The company claims the Redmi Note 7 offers 450cd/m2 brightness, and 1500:1 contrast. 

The rear of the phone has a 48MP + 5MP dual-lens AI camera with f/1.8 aperture. It's uses Samsung's ISOCELL Bright GM1 backside illuminated CMOS sensor, and Tetra cell tech that can merge four pixels into one large 1.6um pixel to increase light sensitivity. While on the front it features a 13MP selfie camera.

While the megapixel count doesn't make a good camera, this will surely have to be the best budget camera phone on the market. I hope to review it soon to find out.

Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, which is paired with 3-, 4- or 6GB of RAM and 32- or 64GB of storage this is then upgradable via the second SIM slot using a microSD.

The phone has an impressive 4,000mAh battery which is charged via
USB-C and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.