Redmi Note 7 is the much-awaited debut smartphone of the ‘Redmi by Xiaomi’ sub-brand, and was launched in China on Thursday. It has some spectacular features at the price point, including a 48-megapixel camera in its dual rear camera setup. The Redmi Note 7 also bears a waterdrop-shaped notch, dual rear camera setup with a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a fingerprint sensor on the back panel, and a 4,000mAh battery. The Redmi Note 7 also features 2.5D glass protection up front and at the back as well, and comes with a 6.3-inch large display size. As we mentioned, the Redmi Note 7 is the first smartphone to be launched after Xiaomi announced that Redmi would operate as an independent brand moving forward.

Redmi Note 7 price, availability

The Redmi Note 7 price starts at CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 10,300) for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage options, going up to CNY 1,199 (roughly Rs. 12,400) for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage option, and CNY 1,399 (roughly Rs. 14,500) for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage option. The Redmi Note 7 will go on sale from January 15, and will be made available in Twilight Gold, Fantasy Blue, and Bright Black colour options.

 

Redmi Note 7 specifications

As for hardware, the dual-SIM (Nano) Redmi Note 7 sports a 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) LTPS display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 450 nits brightness, 84 percent NTSC colour gamut, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and 2.5D curved glass protection. It is powered by the 2.2GHz Snapdragon 660 octa-core SoC paired with Adreno 512 graphics, and 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM options. Internal storage is at 32GB and 64GB options with the option to expand further using a microSD card slot (up to 256GB).

Redmi Note 7 camera

As for optics, the Redmi Note 7 sports dual camera setup with one 48-megapixel Samsung GM1 sensor with f/1.8 aperture and another 5-megpapixel sensor. The cameras at the back get monochrome dual-LED flash support, PDAF, and are touted to be elevated using AI-backed software features like portrait mode, background blur, HDR, handheld super night scene mode, EIS, 1080p video recording, and more. Up front, there is a 13-megapixel selfie sensor as well with features like AI face unlock, AI smart beauty, AI single shot blur, front HDR, background blur, and more.

Redmi Note 7 battery

The Redmi Note 7 packs a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 4 support. The company touts up to 251 hours of standby time, 23 hours of talk time, 13 hours of video playback, and 7 hours of gaming.

Redmi Note 7 connectivity

Connectivity options on the Redmi Note 7 include USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, 4G VoLTE, GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth v5, and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.

Redmi Note 7 other specifications

The Redmi Note 7 measures at 159.21×75.21×8.1mm, and weighs 186 grams. Lastly, sensors on board the Redmi Note 7 include gyroscope, accelerometer, distance sensor, electronic compass, fingerprint sensor, ambient light sensor, vibration motor, and infrared sensor.

Apple reportedly plans to introduce three iPhone models this year, including a follow-up to the company’s much debated iPhone XR. The other two iPhone models will be the direct successors to the iPhone XS ? 94,050 and iPhone XS Max ? 104,395 phones, revealed a report. The Cupertino-based company is said to be bringing new camera features to the upcoming iPhone models, including a possible triple camera setup in the iPhone XS Max successor. The company has had a troubling 2018 because of the dwindling iPhone sales in China and other markets.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple will continue with the three iPhone models release in 2019, citing people familiar with the matter. The company is said to be bringing follow-ups to all three 2018 models. The specifics of the upcoming iPhone models are a mystery at this point, but WSJ does add that the highest-end iPhone will feature a triple rear camera setup, whereas the other two iPhone models will pack two cameras on the back like the iPhone XS. The camera setup will be a change for the iPhone XR ? 72,190 successor as the existing model has a single camera on the back.

The report also reveals that Apple will continue with an LCD screen for the iPhone XR, partly since the “planned product has been in the product pipeline for months, and can’t be altered easily”. While 2019 planning are at an advanced stage, they are not completed, the report added. However the company will drop LCD entirely for the 2020 lineup and stick with the OLED panels, the report adds, citing some of the people. The current OLED panels used in the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max phones can be considered to be capable of offering better contrast than the LCD panel present on the iPhone XR. Apple’s 2020 plans are apparently in early stages right now and could be changed by the company. Apple traditionally introduces the new iPhone models in the Fall.

 

Unlike the previous years, Apple is struggling to keep the iPhone sales momentum and the follow-up models to the current crop will have a lot of pressure to perform for the company. It will be interesting to see if the company opts for the pricing strategy revision as that has been blamed as one of the reasons why the latest iPhone models are selling less in several markets.

The iPhone maker recently downgraded its first quarter sales guidance and blamed the weakening economy in China and lower-than-expected iPhone revenue. Over the past few months, several reports have come out claiming the company has reduced the production targets multiple times for the iPhone models.

Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this week stated that the company plans to announce new services this year. He did not share exactly which services we are going to see, but it is being speculated the company will finally launch its much-anticipated streaming TV platform.

Xiaomi launched the Mi Soundbar in India, alongside the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch model and Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch model. The company had live streamed the launch on Mi.com and Flipkart, and as a part of which, Xiaomi revealed the new Mi TV models’ price in India, as well as their availability and specifications. The Mi Soundbar received the same treatment. Xiaomi claims the Mi Soundbar can be set up in just 30 seconds, which is one of its highlight features, and packs two 20mm dome speakers and two 2.5-inch woofers. With the launch, the company claims that it has forayed into the home audio market in India. The Mi Soundbar will go on sale next week alongside the new Mi LED TV models.

Mi Soundbar price in India

The Mi Soundbar price in India has been set at Rs. 4,999, and it will be available from 12pm IST on January 16. Xiaomi says it will be available via Mi.com and Mi Home stores. As we mentioned, Xiaomi also launched the Mi TV 4X Pro 55-inch model and Mi TV 4A Pro 43-inch model in India on Thursday.

 

Mi Soundbar specifications

The Mi Soundbar features two 20mm dome speakers to cover the higher frequencies, apart from two 2.5-inch woofers for the low frequencies, and four passive radiators for the extreme low-end, Xiaomi said. As we mentioned, Xiaomi claims the Mi Soundbar can be set up in just 30 seconds.

In terms of connectivity options, the Mi Soundbar features Bluetooth v4.2, S/PDIF, Optical, Line-in, and 3.5mm aux-in. Xiaomi claims it will work on any TV.