Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Review

Design, build and controls

The Redmi Note 7 exudes symmetry and elegance that are more typical for high-end smartphones rather than for devices that cost $200. The front and back of the handset are covered with a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The display casing on the front and rear glass seamlessly connect to the plastic frame, which has a glossy finish and perfectly rounded corners. The model is available in three colours - blue-purple gradient, red-purple gradient and all black. For all three versions, the finish of the frame is in the same glossy colour as the backplate. We are reviewing a black unit. The narrow and slender handset offers a comfortable grip and convenient one-hand operation despite the huge diagonal size. There are not so many smartphones with a 6.2-6.3-inch display and a 4000-4200 mAh battery. Among those, the Redmi Note 7 has a below average width of 75.21 mm and is also one of the thinnest smartphones among those with the above-mentioned display size and battery capacity. The device has a waistline of 8.1 mm. At the same time, this model is one of the tallest handsets in the corresponding selection with a height of 159.21 mm. It also has an average weight of 186 grammes. The front of the device is mostly taken up by the display. The exact screen area takes up 81.63% of the total front surface of the handset. The bezels are thin and the chin and forehead are minimalistic, which is rarely seen on a budget smartphone. Actually, the display has a U notch that houses the front camera and the earpiece is a long slit between the display and the frame. The top bezel also houses the light and proximity sensors, while the chin features a LED notification light placed right off the bottom centre. The navigation bar is onscreen only and in addition to customize it, you can also completely remove it and use onscreen gestures for navigation. The glass back of the Redmi Note 7 features a dual camera module vertically aligned in the top left corner and followed by a dual LED flash. The camera module protrudes quite a bit from the otherwise sleek rear surface of the handset. The fingerprint sensor is positioned in the centre of the upper half of the handset, while at the bottom the Redmi by Xiaomi is imprinted for the first time as a separate brand. On the top frame of the handset, you will see the infrared port, the 3.5 mm jack and a microphone hole. The infrared port is used for pairing the smartphone with various appliances such as air conditioners, TVs and TV boxes. This allows you to use it as a remote control for those appliances. The bottom frame houses a centrally positioned USB Type-C 2.0 port with speaker grilles symmetrically positioned on its sides. Only the right one covers a speaker. The hybrid, dual-SIM tray is placed on the left frame, while the metal Volume and Power off buttons are positioned on the right frame.