Is Redmi Note 4 worth buying? - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Questions & Answers

Hello i live in Greece and i was interested in purchasing a new phone.
In Greece the only model that is available is the Helio Deca core model and i will be going for the 3 GB Ram 64 Rom version.
I came across a deal and i am seriously considering to purchase the device but i have some questions first
1 ) is the phone rootable?
2) will custom roms such as cyanogen mod and such be available for the device ?
I cant explain what i need from a phone well enough but the case is that i need a smartphone that its software can be altered easily and there are many roms available for it without having to pay the premium for a flagship device.
I do not care about Camera quality only for the core hardware (cpu ram gpu and a good DAC)
Sorry for the confusing explanation if you have any questions i will be more than happy to explain what i mean.
Thank you in advance.

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jackaros said:
Hello i live in Greece and i was interested in purchasing a new phone.
In Greece the only model that is available is the Helio Deca core model and i will be going for the 3 GB Ram 64 Rom version.
I came across a deal and i am seriously considering to purchase the device but i have some questions first
1 ) is the phone rootable?
2) will custom roms such as cyanogen mod and such be available for the device ?
I cant explain what i need from a phone well enough but the case is that i need a smartphone that its software can be altered easily and there are many roms available for it without having to pay the premium for a flagship device.
I do not care about Camera quality only for the core hardware (cpu ram gpu and a good DAC)
Sorry for the confusing explanation if you have any questions i will be more than happy to explain what i mean.
Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its really going to be a toss up between this and the Redmi Note 3 Pro. I have the Note 4 and really like it, I can confirm it is fully rootable and you can install TWRP custom recovery also.
There are some custom roms available, although nowhere near as many as the Note 3/Pro. You will see an AOSP rom by cofface which was only released a couple of weeks ago but many have been using as a daily driver (see link below to rom dev thread). There is also a cyanogen rom which is an alpha but again is still a work in progress. You can also get custom/modified versions of the stock MIUI ROM, personally I find MIUI really good (smooth and lots of customisation options), although if you're a stock android enthusiast it might not be for you. And I've used just about all versions of android over the years, be it nexus/CM mod, AOSP/htc sense/touchwiz.
I'd say if your into modding and ROMs, then the Note 3 Pro would be a great option. The specs are pretty similar and the Note 3 seems to have better battery life, which could be the Snapdragon 650, which seems to be a great processor in terms of power and efficiency. As for audio, I'm loving the audio output via the 3.5mm jack, I actually find it better than the Galaxy S7 that I had, which sounded pretty cheap to be honest and was a disappointment for me (probably the only one on the S7) . I havent tried the Note 3 so cant really comment on it, but Im certain there are more than a few audio mods to play around with and if you check the Note 3 forum, you should get an idea of user opinions.
My reason for choosing the Note 4 over the Note 3 was the Note 4's build quality. The all metal body looks and feels really nice, but if thats not really a big deal for you, the Note 3 is supposed to be very solid also, as it does have a metal back (but plastic at the top and bottom for radio signal). It will also be better for glass screen protectors due to the flat panel of glass, where as the Note 4 has 2.5 curved edges which makes screen protectors a bit more hit and miss in terms of fit.
ROM development
http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-4/development

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gsmyth said:
Its really going to be a toss up between this and the Redmi Note 3 Pro. I have the Note 4 and really like it, I can confirm it is fully rootable and you can install TWRP custom recovery also.
There are some custom roms available, although nowhere near as many as the Note 3/Pro. You will see an AOSP rom by cofface which was only released a couple of weeks ago but many have been using as a daily driver (see link below to rom dev thread). There is also a cyanogen rom which is an alpha but again is still a work in progress. You can also get custom/modified versions of the stock MIUI ROM, personally I find MIUI really good (smooth and lots of customisation options), although if you're a stock android enthusiast it might not be for you. And I've used just about all versions of android over the years, be it nexus/CM mod, AOSP/htc sense/touchwiz.
I'd say if your into modding and ROMs, then the Note 3 Pro would be a great option. The specs are pretty similar and the Note 3 seems to have better battery life, which could be the Snapdragon 650, which seems to be a great processor in terms of power and efficiency. As for audio, I'm loving the audio output via the 3.5mm jack, I actually find it better than the Galaxy S7 that I had, which sounded pretty cheap to be honest and was a disappointment for me (probably the only one on the S7) . I havent tried the Note 3 so cant really comment on it, but Im certain there are more than a few audio mods to play around with and if you check the Note 3 forum, you should get an idea of user opinions.
My reason for choosing the Note 4 over the Note 3 was the Note 4's build quality. The all metal body looks and feels really nice, but if thats not really a big deal for you, the Note 3 is supposed to be very solid also, as it does have a metal back (but plastic at the top and bottom for radio signal). It will also be better for glass screen protectors due to the flat panel of glass, where as the Note 4 has 2.5 curved edges which makes screen protectors a bit more hit and miss in terms of fit.
ROM development
http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-4/development
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?

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jackaros said:
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what he is saying, but in terms of support Xiaomi arent actually that bad. The Note 4 is currently on Android 6.0, but there are continual security updates, like most flagships these days. Its not known for certain whether it will officially get updated to 7.0, but they certainly seem to continue with updates whether they be small fixes and security patches.
I would generally recommend Samsung as well to any friends who want a decent reliable device, although I personally wouldnt choose it over the Note 4 as its got 16GB storage and 2GB RAM. I'm not all about having the biggest screen/fastest processor/most RAM, etc etc, but I've had 16GB phones (my previous one was 32GB) and I just like having the extra internal space, 16GB feels limited these days. And with 64GB the Note 4 just feels like you've no worries about running out, I had a Oneplus One previously as well and it also had 64GB. The bonus on the Note for is the sd card option as well, so you get the best of both worlds.

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gsmyth said:
I understand what he is saying, but in terms of support Xiaomi arent actually that bad. The Note 4 is currently on Android 6.0, but there are continual security updates, like most flagships these days. Its not known for certain whether it will officially get updated to 7.0, but they certainly seem to continue with updates whether they be small fixes and security patches.
I would generally recommend Samsung as well to any friends who want a decent reliable device, although I personally wouldnt choose it over the Note 4 as its got 16GB storage and 2GB RAM. I'm not all about having the biggest screen/fastest processor/most RAM, etc etc, but I've had 16GB phones (my previous one was 32GB) and I just like having the extra internal space, 16GB feels limited these days. And with 64GB the Note 4 just feels like you've no worries about running out, I had a Oneplus One previously as well and it also had 64GB. The bonus on the Note for is the sd card option as well, so you get the best of both worlds.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer.
I want my device to be reliable but i also need it to be snappy and futureproof (my S3 has served me well for 4 years with custom roms ) i want a fast smartphone that will go a long way and the A5 lacks on internal storage and Ram ... so yeah i am seriously thinking the possibility of buying Redmi note 4 but i still have my doubts about it .. i am just not sure if it is worth the investment.

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jackaros said:
Thank you for your answer.
I want my device to be reliable but i also need it to be snappy and futureproof (my S3 has served me well for 4 years with custom roms ) i want a fast smartphone that will go a long way and the A5 lacks on internal storage and Ram ... so yeah i am seriously thinking the possibility of buying Redmi note 4 but i still have my doubts about it .. i am just not sure if it is worth the investment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want longevity and futureproof with custom roms, I would definitely take a look at the Note 3, just look at the ROM development thread at the link below. It reminds me of the Oneplus One or Nexus 5 forums, where you could not only get official cyanogen roms, but all the other great custom roms, so you're really spoilt for choice. Its really only the other phone I considered apart from the Note 4 and again i was just really impressed with the Note 4's build quality.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/development

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Sorry not meaning to hijack the thread, just a quick question abotu which OS to choose @gsmyth you seem to be the right person to ask... I have my Redmi Note 4 on order and I think MIUI 8 will work well for me. It seems lik there is still some issues with cofface's AOSP. I will probably debloat it and use Nova Launcher. Of all the different options with MIUI 8, which one would you recommend to use?

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mrchrister said:
Sorry not meaning to hijack the thread, just a quick question abotu which OS to choose @gsmyth you seem to be the right person to ask... I have my Redmi Note 4 on order and I think MIUI 8 will work well for me. It seems lik there is still some issues with cofface's AOSP. I will probably debloat it and use Nova Launcher. Of all the different options with MIUI 8, which one would you recommend to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the CM/AOSP roms are still early in development, but worth keeping an eye on. I'm really enjoying MIUI to be honest and nova launcher is excellent too. You should be grand with the global rom or the EU rom which is basically the Chinese rom but with all the Chinese content removed. I'd recommend unlocking the bootloader when you get it and installing TWRP, it's great to be able to make full backups if you're trying out roms.
Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

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mrchrister said:
Sorry not meaning to hijack the thread, just a quick question abotu which OS to choose @gsmyth you seem to be the right person to ask... I have my Redmi Note 4 on order and I think MIUI 8 will work well for me. It seems lik there is still some issues with cofface's AOSP. I will probably debloat it and use Nova Launcher. Of all the different options with MIUI 8, which one would you recommend to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
latest ROM for Nikel (our device codename) from XIAOMI.EU should be fine
custom roms for this phone require Unlocked BL and root
https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/6-12-15.36782/
Official Global Beta rom is also another option that but DOES NOT require unlocked BL and Root
http://en.miui.com/thread-440133-1-1.html

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This phone is worth every penny, specially the 64 gb and 3 gb version. I'm still on the latest EU MIUI 8.2, and it's actually a pretty great rom, but I do prefer CM... For now I'll keep Miui.

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Hi there, just want to pitch you my 2 cents regarding the Redmi Note 4.
I have been looking for a smarthphone for a while and i end up getting a Redmi Note 4 a month ago. Really happy with it and imo my best purchase of the year 2016 :fingers-crossed:
The Redmi Note 4 build quality looks and feel absolutely superb as i'm used to seeing plastic phones in this price category. Most of my friends seeing my Redmi Note 4 for the first time thought it was something more expensive than it actually was.
On the performance side: it's great, but not as great as equal Snapdragon based product with Adreno GPU. But it's definitely and absolutely no sloth! The weakest link imo is the Mali GPU, but still good enough to have a great gaming experience with it (half of my internal storage is currently occupied by huge amount of Android games). But not strong enough for smooth VR experience.
Also, consider the Redmi Note 4 only got released in August, give it some time for developers to make their ROMs compatible with the Redmi Note 4. Even Xiaomi themselves seems to be more focussed on Redmi Note 3 support than Note 4 atm.
jackaros said:
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I woulnd't recommend anyone to pay 50 euro MORE for a 'lesser' product (about it's core functionality and hardware):
- Galaxy A5 has lower resolution screen: 720 vs 1080p
- Slower performance, Antutu 20k on the A5 vs 85k on Redmi Note 4
- Less RAM and less storage space (assuming you going for the 3GB model, other wise it would be the same)
- No fingerprint sensor for security and unlocking the phone, and the Redmi Note 4 fingerprint sensor is very quick!
- No 4G(LTE) support on the Galaxy A5
- No USB On-The-Go (OTG) support on the Galaxy A5, which is very handy for anyone with lots of USB devices
If anything, they should be paying you 50 euro to stay loyal to their brand....
I always gets giddy when i read people base their purchase on the argument: "They are a reliable brand". That always makes me wonder what exactly makes a brand "reliable"? Reliable on trying to make you upgrade the product every year? Honestly, those are the hallmark of a fanboi
There are a few reasons however i can think of someone going for the Galaxy A5 anyway:
- Form factor: the Redmi Note 4 is considerably bigger
- Accessories: Having a hard time finding a cover for it locally: not much luck so far. Not surprising however as Xiaomi is not even active in Europe makes it pretty much fail quest to begin with. Online is the only way i guess, same as selling them online (where i got it from) is what Xiaomi business is about; to keep them cheap.
- Repairs or guarantees. No European office means this is going to be a problem if your phone is broken.
Comparison: www kimovil com/en/compare/samsung-galaxy-a5-dual-sim-a500h,xiaomi-redmi-note-4-3gb-32gb
(link is missing "." in the domain name because i'm new and still hasn't posted enough to be allowed putting outside links in my post)

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I bought Redmi Note 4 3GB RAM and 64 GB ROM model. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

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jackaros said:
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously now, how can Samsung be considered "reliable" after their latest explosive device?

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Wow guys thank you so much for the answers.
I would first like to thank the bro who hijacked the thread because i got informed about the roms too i know that the phone is quite more powerful than the A5 and i would like to add something .
How does it do next to Redmi Pro
i now what i am asking is terrible but
Could please do a quick comparison of the two ?
Why go RedMi Note 4 instead of Redmi Pro and vice versa
Redmi Pro Version Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
Redmi Note 4 Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram

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jackaros said:
Wow guys thank you so much for the answers.
I would first like to thank the bro who hijacked the thread because i got informed about the roms too i know that the phone is quite more powerful than the A5 and i would like to add something .
How does it do next to Redmi Pro
i now what i am asking is terrible but
Could please do a quick comparison of the two ?
Why go RedMi Note 4 instead of Redmi Pro and vice versa
Redmi Pro Version Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
Redmi Note 4 Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too looked between the Redmi Pro & Note 4 but decided to go with the Note 4 as I wanted the larger screen & was happy to go MTK.
Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk