A design that has aged well and a slightly gray panel
The Redmi Note 8 2021 has the same design as the 2019 model ,keep reading this review.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 is the same as the 2019 model at the design and screen level. The positive point is that it is a mobile with a plastic finish on the sides and glass on the back. Despite being a glossy finish, it doesn’t get too cluttered with fingerprints. The camera is located in a vertical strip, a real respite in these days of gigantic modules.
The drop notch is starting to get old, although the terminal is not badly used.
If we turn it around, we have a front that is not badly used, a drop notch and a classic lower chin in the mid and entry range. The position of the buttons, fingerprint reader and ports remain in place. It is a mobile that does not exceed 16 centimetres high, so it is somewhat smaller than what we are used to seeing in its range.
The keypad is well fixed, without gaps or noise. Another positive point is the weight, which remains at 190 grams. It is not a lightweight mobile, but it is somewhat far from the more than 200 grams we see in many of its rivals.
The panel has low gloss and overall quality. It is practically the same panel as the Xiaomi Redmi 9, the entry range of the brand.
Regarding the screen, it does show that we are facing a panel from two years ago. We have 6.3 inches, Full HD + resolution, IPS technology, and a 60Hz refresh rate at a technical level. It is a panel with low brightness and highly improved viewing angles. In 2021, this is the panel that we ask for from a mobile of about 100 euros, but not from a phone of almost 200 euros.
The panel is one of the weakest points in the Redmi Note 8 2021. It lacks brightness and general quality, although its strength is the size
At least 90Hz is also missing, a refresh rate that is becoming standard even on very cheap mobiles. The sharpness is fair, and the colorimetry is not too real, although we can calibrate it slightly in the settings. To put it in context, this panel has reminded us a lot of that of the Xiaomi Redmi 9 (in fact, it is probably the same), so the general experience has been improved.
The speaker sounds much louder than we expected, and we have a headphone jack.
When it comes to audio, we have been pleasantly surprised. We miss a double speaker, but the audio experience is good. The maximum volume is quite high; there is not much distortion even in the high volume ranges, there is some bass, and we have a headphone jack.
Very fair performance and correct battery
The big change at the hardware level in this new Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 is its processor. In the last generation, we had the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, now moving to the Helio G85 from MediaTek. The G85 has a faster GPU but a worse manufacturing process (12 nanometers versus 11 Qualcomm). In the case of our unit, we have 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 has a new processor, but they have opted for a very humble platform. Your MediaTek is entry-level.
To give you an idea of the processor’s power, it is practically half as capable as a mid-range Snapdragon 750G, at least on a technical level. We leave you with the benchmarks below, where the lack of processor power is even better appreciated.
In short, we have the performance of an entry-level MIUI, so lag appears frequently, and heavy games can only move on low graphics settings. In mobile of this price range, we expected a little more power and at least 6 GB of RAM to move MIUI with ease.
Miui 12
This is how the Redmi Note 8 2021 comes out of the box.
The good news is that this Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 is updated to Android 11 with MIUI 12.5. This is the other small change that this model has compared to 2019, which will have, a priori, more support. Despite being the latest version of MIUI, it is still a heavy and resource-demanding layer, which weighs on the performance of the terminal. However, at the level of customization, functions and aesthetics, it is a layer that always ends up convincing.
The battery lasts the day of use with more than 6 hours of screen, although it is far from other Xiaomi brothers with 5,000mAh.
Finally, talk about the battery of this Redmi Note 8. In practically the entire Xiaomi range, we find 5,000mAh batteries, but this model recycles the 2019 battery. We thus have 4,000mAh with 18W fast charging. The battery is correct, exceeding six hours of the screen without problem. However, it is far from the more than eight hours his brothers offer, both older and younger.
A very fair camera
There have not been changes in this model at the photographic level either, so we have a camera from two years ago. Specifically, a 48 megapixel main sensor, 8 megapixels for the wide-angle and two 2 megapixel secondary cameras: macro and bokeh. Let’s see what the camera app is like before delving into the results.
Redmi
The MIUI camera app is still very complete in terms of functions but slow. The Redmi Note 8 2021 takes a few seconds too long to go from photo mode to portrait mode, the settings also take time to load, and the shooting is not too fast. At the options level, we have everything we may need and, in addition, quite a bit of insight.
Redmi Note By Day
The colours on the Redmi Note 8 2021 are very erratic.
Speaking of results, the photography of the Redmi Note 8 2021 is that of an entry range. During the day, if the light conditions are good, we can obtain acceptable results. There is not a great deal of detail, and the colour is somewhat erratic, but it achieves a decent photo for users who are not too demanding. HDR is sufficient, although the photograph can easily get overexposed if we make it too difficult.
Redmi Note Wide Angle
The ultra-wide-angle is fine, but it also lacks in colour and loses a lot of edge sharpness.
The ultra-wide-angle has very fine quality, with less detail than the main sensor and marked distortion. During the day, it can be used without the slightest problem to obtain a little more angle in the photographs, always being aware that it is somewhat limited.
Cropping is very good, but there is no HDR, and detail is minimal even in good light.
The portrait mode is excellent at the crop level, but the HDR does not work. This means we will have funds burned quite easily, so it is better to avoid direct sunlight. The bokeh is somewhat artificial, but the result is good for mobile in this price range.
