Xiaomi Malaysia sells not only the very popular Xiaomi Redmi 1S phone but also the Phablet Xiaomi Redmi Note to Malaysia. The XIaomi Redmi Note is definitely popular in Malaysia, due to its very large screen and high specs for an awesome price of RM509 in Malaysia.  In this test we compare the Xiaomi Redmi Note vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3 NEO.

Xiaomi Redmi Note VS Samsung Galaxy Note 3 NEO

Design

Both Smartphones the Samsung Galaxy Neo 3 and the Redmi Note utilize plastic covers. The Galaxy Note Note 3 Neo’s design is similar to the Galaxy Note 3. It also comes with the faux leather cover on the rear plus the speaker grill is placed at the bottom of the mobile. Compared to the Note 3 it sill uses normal Micro USB instrad of micro USB 3.0.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note has a similar Design to the Redmi 1. At the bottom of the display it has red capacitive buttons with back light, that are visible in the dark. Most of the buttons have the same place as on the Xiaomi Mi3, so switching devices gets easy.
With 154 x 78.7 x 9.45mm the Redmi Note is a bigger then the Samsung Galaxy Note Neo (48.4 x 77.4 x 8.6mm) and also bit heavier with 199g versus 162g.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note phablet feels pretty light at 199gramm though. Compared to the Neo it doesnt come with faux leather, but with a glossy finish. The Glossy finish is matter of taste, but some users seem to mind that it has less grip then the matte cover on other Xiaomi mobiles like the Redmi 1S.

Winner: Tie. Both phablets are made of plastic and have a very simple design. With 5.5 inch screens they are both at the same size, even if the Xiaomi Redmi Note is a bit heavier. If you like faux leather or glossy finish more, is a simple matter of taste.

Xiaomi Redmi Note VS Samsung Galaxy Note 3 NEO Display

Both smartphones have a 5.5 inch HD displays with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. As well both the Xiaomi Redmi Note and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo have the same pixel density of 267 ppi, which is not really much on a 5.5 inch screen.

The Samsung Note 3 Neo utilizes a 5.5 Super AMOLED screen, which they already use for other devices like Samsung S5. The pixel density of 267ppi is a bit low for a device of 5.5 inch. For example the LG G3 has also a 5.5 inch display but nearly double the pixel density of 538ppi.

On the other Hand the Xiaomi Redmi Note’s display is 5.5 inch HD IPS display. The 178° in-plane switching (IPS) technology ensures very high color quality from different viewing angles. Xiaomi also used Glass-film-film (GFF) archecture, so pixel are located closer to the glass, and colors will look like they pop off the screen.

Winner: Tie. Both Displays come with 5.5 inch displays and 1080p resolution. While Xiaomi uses IPS technology, Samsung uses Super AMOLED and users get very high quality screen. A critique point is that both smartphones have a low pixel density of 267ppi on a 5.5 inch screen, which might affect the user experince.

Xiaomi Redmi Note vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo Hardware and Specs

Lets come to one of the most important points, the hardware and specs. The Xiaomi Redmi Note in its enhanced version comes with
octa core MTK 6592 CPU clocked at 1.7 Ghz and Mali 450 GPU. Xiaomi claims that it is 53% then the older Redmi Note. The Xiaomi Mobile also has 2GB of RAM.

Samsung Note 3 NEO is powered by a hexa core Exynos 5 processor and ARM Mali-T624 GPU. The Processor is a combination of dual-core 1.7 GHz Cortex A15 processor and Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex A7. The Note 3 NEO has also 2GB of RAM.

The Antutu Score for the Galaxy Note 3 NEO is at 29382 points. In another benchmark the enhanced Xiaomi Redmi Note Antutu scores 28612 points.

Samsungs Galaxy Note 3 NEO

Xiaomi Redmi Note Antutu

The Internal Memory of the Xiaomi Redmi Note is at 8GB and can be extended up to 32GB via Micro Sd. Samsung’s Note comes with 16GB in the basic version an can be extended up to 64GB via Micro SD.

In terms of battery life the Xiaomi Mobile is sligtly larger with 3200 mAH vs the 3100 mAH on the Samsung Device. Both batterys are definitely a huge improvement versus standard batterys on other smartphones these days.

Also the Xiaomi Redmi Note has Dual Sim Support.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo. This one was tough, considering the remarkable Price Difference, both mobiles come with similiar processor and full 2GB of RAM. In the end the Note 3 Neo is better in Antutu Scores and has a higher basic internal memory with 16GB. The Xiaomi Note has a slightly larger battery at 3200 mAH.

Camera and Pictures

Xiaomi equipped the Redmi Note with a stunning 13 Megapixel Main Camera. The sensor has ƒ/2.2 aperture and 28mm wide angle, so you be able to focus on objects in the foreground while softly blurring pictures in the background. Also for all fans of Selfies Xiaomi enhanced the Front Camera, and it now has a whopping 5 Megapixel.

The Galaxy Note 3 NEO Camera has 8 Megapixel for the Main Camera and 2 Megapixel for the Front Camera. Both Devices are able to take 1080p Full HD Videos.

Pictures Taken with the Xiaomi Redmi Note:

Winner: Xiaomi Redmi Note. As you can see on the pictures the Camera quality of the Note 13 MP Camera is truly out standing. Also 5MP Front Camera is a big plus in these popular Selfie Days. Both phones are able to take good quality pictures though.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo vs Xiaomi Redmi Note Software

The Redmi Note is running on MIUI V5 which is a Xiaomi custom ROM based on Android 4.3 and Android Open Source Project (AOSP). MIUI V5 has a lot of changes from stock android, especially removing the app drawer. Like a lot of users could already experience on the MI 3 the MIUI V5 has a lot of customization options, while keeping it simple for users who are new to Android. Its a great ROM.

The Note 3 NEO is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Samsung also sports its characteristic Touch WIZ UI, which we know from other Samsung Smartphones. A lot of users complain on the internet though that the Touch WIZ UI is overloaded and does not offer many customization opportunities.

Winner: Xiaomi Redmi Note. MIUI V5 is a truly great custom ROM. Its well designed and offers a ton of customization opportuinites while keeping it essentially simple. Samsung’s touch WIZ UI on the other hand was criziced by a lot of users for the “stuffed” and overloaded feel.

Xiaomi Redmi Note Price in Malaysia

Lets get to the most important point for many users – pricing. The Galaxy Note 3 NEO sells at a price of RM1129 in Malaysia. While the price of the Xiaomi Redmi Note is not official. Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra said it will be priced as close as possible to other countries – that means the Redmi Note could sell as low as an impressive RM515.

Winner: Xiaomi REDMI Note with a retail price of RM515 vs RM1129 of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 NEO.

Overall Winner of Xiaomi Redmi Note vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

Xiaomi Redmi Note is the overall winner for Malaysia We expect the Redmi Note to be priced at RM515. For this price you get a full blown 5.5 inch HD smartphone with Octacore processor, 2GB of Ram And Dual SIM. While The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 NEO is slightly better in benchmarks, the Redmi NOTE is sold at half the price and has signifcantly better 13MP Main and 5MP Front Camera.

We are excited for the Redmi Note to officially launch in Malaysia. As for the other Flash Sales users probably need to be very fast to buy one of the Xiaomi Note devices with limited stock availabilty.