Should you upgrade to Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro? This is how it compares with Redmi Note 5 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro price in India starts at Rs 13,999 for the base variant with 4GB RAM and goes all the way up to Rs 15,999 for 6GB of RAM. The Redmi Note 6 Pro will be available to purchase pretty soon with the first sale scheduled for tomorrow - November 23 - on Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home stores, as part of the Black Friday sale. But is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro truly an upgrade over the Redmi Note 5 Pro that currently sells at Rs 13,999? We compare their features and specifications.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5  Pro: Looks and design

In terms of design and looks, the Redmi Note 6 Pro resembles Redmi Note 5 Pro to a great extent. Both the phones have curved, rounded edges and metal finish on the rear. The Redmi Not 6 Pro is a bit heavier and thicker compared to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The Redmi Note 5 Pro measures 8.3 mm in thickness whereas the Redmi Note 5 Pro was 8.1 mm in thickness.

The latest Redmi Note smartphone is a bit heavier at 182g as opposed to Redmi Note 5 Pro’s 181g. Overall design is more or less the same for both the handsets. 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Display

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro sports a 6.26-inch IPS LCD screen featuring 2,280 x 1,080 pixels Full HD resolution, making up for 81.1 per cent screen-to-body ratio. What’s more, Xiaomi also incorporated a notch above the display this time around, which gives the phone thinner bezels and more screen real estate. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro sported a 5.9-inch 1080p ‘Notchless’ display.

Also Read | Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro launched: Features and price in India

But due to the fact that Xiaomi decided to reduce the size of the chin at Redmi Note 6 Pro’s bottom, the company managed to increase the screen size within the same form factor as the Redmi Note 5 Pro this time around. A display on both the models is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. In terms of overall display offerings, we feel that the Redmi Note 6 Pro has an edge over its predecessor.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Processing hardware

This is where Xiaomi decided to sit back, relax and make the Redmi Note 6 Pro exactly a replica of the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Powering both the devices is Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset coupled with Adreno 509 GPU for graphics. Hence, we can expect the overall hardware performance on both the handsets to remain pretty much alike. If that wasn’t enough, both the phones have 4GB and 6GB RAM variant along with 64GB expandable storage.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Camera

There’s been a significant improvement in terms of camera offerings. Although both Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and the Redmi Note 6 Pro offer 12MP+5MP dual rear cameras, the latter consists of dual pixel autofocus and better aperture as compared to its predecessor. Both the phones can record up to 1080p Full HD videos at 30 frames per second (fps).

Also Read | 3 Phones That Could Pose Intense Competition to Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

But the biggest change in terms of cameras comes in the form of a selfie camera on the Redmi Note 6 Pro. It now features 20MP+2MP dual front-facing cameras, unlike a single 20MP sensor on the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Software, battery

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro runs MIUI 10 custom UI on top of Android Oreo. Although Redmi Note 5 Pro originally featured Android Nougat-based MIUI 9, the handset is upgradable to Android Oreo-based MIUI 10 software update. Hence, there is nothing much to compare in terms of software between these two phones. Similarly, in the case of battery specifications, both the handsets pack a 4,000mAh battery under the hood with support for 5V/2A charging brick.

Comparing both the handsets, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is different than the Redmi Note 5 Pro in terms of display and camera specifications. Everything else remains pretty much the same. However, if you just purchased the Redmi Note 5 Pro, whether you should upgrade to Redmi Note 6 Pro, this is something we will be able to tell you once we put the Redmi Note 6 Pro to tests.

If we consider specs, the Redmi Note 6 Pro is more value for money than the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Xiaomi is expected to stop selling the Redmi Note 5 Pro going forward. In that case, if you are looking to buy a new phone, you can consider buying the Redmi Note 6 Pro instead. And if you are already a Redmi Note 5 Pro user, you could jump to this newest edition only if you are looking out for a stronger camera.