Xiaomi RED RICE (HongMi) WCDMA : In Depth Review

Summary :

1) Introduction

2) Design

3) Display

4) Software

5) Benchmarks

6) Camera

7) Speakerphone & Battery Life

8) Conclusion

Buy Xiaomi Red Rice WCDMA at PhonAsia.com.

Part 01 Introduction :

Welcome to our Full Review of the  WCDMA Xiaomi HongMi also called Red Rice (this is the literal translation). This is indeed the international version compatible with most of the 3G networks of the world.

Key Features :
- GSM : 900/1800/1900
- WCDMA : 900/2100 MHz
- 4.7 inch HD 720 x 1280 pixels
- 137 x 69 x 9.9 mm (5.39 x 2.72 x 0.39 in), 158 g (5.57 oz)
- MT6589T Quad Core SoC : 4 x Cortex A7 running at 1.5 GHz, Power VR SGX544 GPU
- 1 GB RAM
- 4 GB of internal storage expandable through a MicroSD card
- MIUI V5 on top of Android 4.2.2
- Dual SIM, only one can use WCDMA connectivity
- Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi Direct
- 8MP Camera with a LED Flash and 1.4 µm increased pixel size

We also inserted a SIM with 3G data plan so we can confirm that it is indeed compatible with western 3G network.



Part 02 Design :



Let's start with the design. The build quality is okay, it is not stunning and it takes after the Mi2S with a plastic body. Overall, it is well finished and polished without a hitch. Everything else is classic :
- on the front, we have the HD display with the proximity and light sensors alongside the front camera. There are also the Android buttons which are Red and are not backlit
- on the right side, we can see the volumes and power buttons which are better than the Mi2S and takes after the Mi3. There is a small gap allowing an easy removal of the back cover
- on the bottom side, we have the well protected MicroUSB port and the Mic
- on the top side, we have the 3.5 mm Jack port
- the back of the phone got the Camera with a LED Flash and the speakerphone.

The bezel is not too big for a 4.7 inch smartphone, but it is a bit heavy , it weighs 158g against 133g for the Mi2A, 145g for the Mi2S and Mi3. You can really feel the difference especially if you are used to a lighter device.


Part 03 4.7 inch HD Display :




The 4.7 inch Display offers a decent experience with a pixel density of 312 ppi. Colors seems a bit off since it is a bit too warm, warmer than the Mi3 so we have less deeper blacks and whites seem to be too yellowish.

The HD display shines when it comes to the brightness level. So far, this is the brightest display among  Xiaomi devices. Usually, when using Xiaomi devices indoors, I rarely go under 40% of the brightness level. With the Red Rice, I set the level around 15 - 20% for indoors usage and  when it comes to outdoors, the phone is highly usable with direct sunlight.
In the image comparison, the Mi3 is on the right. On the last picture with the multicolor image, both screens are set to 14% of the brightness levels. The Red Rice is way brighter.

When viewing high resolutions contents like videos, there is a difference in sharpness when comparing with the Mi3 but it is still very pleasant.


Part 04 Software :



So, the Red Rice is running MIUI v5 which you are already familiar with but there a few new features. The SIM management allows you to easily set your data usage since it is a DUAL SIM phone but the real new innovation is the Senior Mode for an older audience or non tech lovers.

This is what the senior mode looks like. Bigger icons and basic functions are displayed on the unique homescreen but you can add others apps on the homescreen if you choose to do so.

Normal UI wise, when comparing against the others Xiaomi devices, you can feel the difference. It is less smooth while still highly usable but it is clearly not a high end device. It doesn't play in the same category as its brothers.


Part 05 Benchmarks :

This is the classic Benchmarks part. We begin with Antutu in which the Red Rice scores as high as 16585 but we all know that this is not the real number. So let's switch immediately to Antutu X where there is an drop, and the new score is 14167. So, when we put the scores side to side, there is a clear cheated boost of 17% but this is still a very decent performance from the MT6589T chip.
The Mi2A has the same scores regardless of the Antutu version. So far, it is the only Xiaomi device to not cheat.

Moving on to Epic Citadel. In High Quality, the Red Rice manages to score 52.4 fps against 57.7 fps for the Mi2A. But when we switch to the "Ultra High Quality" mode which is way heavier graphic wise, the difference is a lot bigger, 27.8 fps for the Red Rice versus 48 fps for the Mi2A

We replaced the outdated Quadrant for PI which tests the CPU part, it asked devices to make some heavy math. Faster is better obviously. We put the Mi2A, the Mi2S next to the Red Rice. Surprisingly, the Red Rice manages to take the 2nd position by a hair putting the Mi2A at  the last position. Of course, the Mi2S performs the best.

Let's dig a little bit deeper concerning the CPU with Vellamo. In the HTML5 test, we have the same order, the Red Rice is again 2nd but in the Metal benchmark, the Mi2A manages to pull ahead due to the variety of tests which are not simply hard calculations.

Our last benchmark is GFXBench. This is the best when it comes to GPU performance. Results are clean because there is no cheating. Scores reveal the main weakness of the chip, its GPU scoring lower scores than others xiaomi devices. Only 3.4 fps off screen on T-Rex HD and 5.9 fps on screen. Egypt HD got slighly better results, 13 fps off-screen and 17 fps on-screen.

Part 06 Camera :

Concerning the camera app, it has the same options as others Xiaomi devices. There are basic and pro modes. The 8 MP with an F/2.2 Aperture Lens takes good photos with decent quality using 1.4 µm size per pixel against 1.2 or 1.3 µm for the rest of the industry. It is a smart move when not increasing the number of pixels, Apple made the exact same choice using same size pixels allowing better photos in low light conditions.

Let's check the results in this photo shootout.




Part 07 Speakerphone and Battery Life :

Speakerphone doesn't saturate but it is not as loud as the Mi2S and Mi3 while still decent for viewing movies of maintaining a phone call in a quiet environment.

Battery Life is quite good. you will get through of one day of usage and a bit more thanks to the economic power usage of the MT6589T chip and the bright display even at 20%.


Part 08 Conclusion :

To conclude, the Xiaomi Red Rice is ideal for almost everyone especially in this price range under 200 €. For 170 €, it offers a Quad Core CPU, a very decent Camera and a bright HD display. It is really a complete package.

But there are still small weaknesses. The Red Rice uses a plastic build prone to fingerprings, a bit heavy when comparing to high end devices. Also, we can feel the limits of the MediaTek MT6589T System on Chip, the phone is not as smooth as its Xiaomi counterparts and it can get laggy in some apps when heavily using the multitask like playing and watching FHD movies which will require a bit of management.
With higher resolutions, we have more pixels, those require better GPU since we already reach a plateau in the CPU department and its usage except in specific tasks (hard calculations apps/games). It is no coincidence that Apple, Motorola and Xiaomi chose to put double cores chips in their iPhone 5S, Moto G and Mi2A respectively.

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Buy Xiaomi Red Rice WCDMA at PhonAsia.com.