Redmi Note 8 Vs. Redmi Note 8 Pro: Which Phone Should You Go For?

Being two of the best choices in the mid-range and low-end segment, Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro possess superior advantages in configuration, design, and features compared to similar products in the same price range. These two smartphones are all great products at the moment, but they are placed in two different segments. The starting price of the Pro model is currently set at Rs. 14,999, while the base variant of the Note 8 is Rs. 9,999.

Redmi Note 8 Pro is packed with more features, a more powerful configuration, a better camera. And that is why the price is a bit more pricey than its sibling. So what's the difference between them?

Design and Display

This year, the Redmi Note 8 Pro brings a newer look with a design change, especially the camera placement. If the Redmi Note 8 still retains the design of last year's Redmi Note 7 with the vertically arranged camera cluster that deviates completely to the left side, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is placed in the middle of the rear panel. In terms of aesthetics, I like the design style on the Redmi Note 8 Pro more because they bring a balance in the overall design at the back of the device.

The fronts of the two devices are the same with a water-drop notched display that supports Full HD+ resolution. However, the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s display has a larger size of 6.54 inches compared to the 6.3 inches on the Note 8. And in terms of display quality, there are no striking differences.

Performance

In terms of configuration, both phones are very impressive when it comes to high-performance processors for the same price range. The Redmi Note 8 Pro is equipped with an Helio G90T chipset and is optimized for gaming while the Redmi Note 8 is equipped with the Snapdragon 665 SoC. The Helio G90T is a more powerful processor compared to the Snapdragon 665, and it is also a gaming chipset. It helps the Pro model to run most of the available games at a decent level.

However, the Snapdragon 655 SoC is only slightly behind the MediaTek counterpart. Moreover, the Snapdragon 665 is fabricated on the 11nm process, while the Helio G90T is manufactured on the 12nm process. That means the Qualcomm chipset should offer better power efficiency, though the difference should be small. The battery capacity on the Redmi Note 8 Pro is also slightly larger with 4500 mAh compared to 4000 mAh on the Redmi Note 8. However, both of them offer a long battery life.

Camera

The camera is also a concern because the main lens on the Redmi Note 8 Pro is upgraded to 64MP instead of the 48MP of Note 8. In addition, the remaining 3 camera clusters remain the same with the 8MP secondary lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and 2MP macro sensor. In essence, both are not inferior to each other in terms of image quality. Although the 64MP lens proved to be more outstanding in terms of specifications, it is also difficult for users to recognize the difference between them.

However, in terms of selfie capabilities, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is more prominent with a 20MP camera that helps with sharper details than the 13MP camera on the Note 8.

Verdict

In conclusion, with the price difference of around Rs. 5,000, the Remdi Note 8 Pro has several upgrades over its sibling such as a larger screen, a slightly better camera, a bigger battery, and a slightly more powerful performance. Again, the Redmi Note 8 is still the top choice in the price range of less than Rs. 10,000. Moreover, if you are not looking for a smartphone for gaming purposes, the Note 8 is a much better choice as its Snapdragon 665 SoC is still sufficient for your daily tasks. In addition, whether the 64MP sensor is much better than the 48MP sensor is still up for debate.