Full Reviews of Redmi k70 Pro

The Redmi K70 Pro aims to recapture the magic of the legendary K20 Pro from 2019. With top-tier specs at an affordable price, it makes a compelling case. Let’s dive into the pros, cons, and frequently asked questions about this budget flagship phone.

Pros

• Excellent performance from Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip
• Vibrant 6.67” OLED display with fast 120Hz refresh rate
• Great camera setup led by 1/1.55” main sensor
• Class-leading 80W wired charging fills battery in just 18 minutes
• Premium design with glass back and metal frame
• Higher base RAM and storage (12GB/256GB) over predecessor

Cons

• No wireless or reverse wireless charging
• 4K video limited to 24fps (no 60fps option)
• Selfie camera maxes out at 1080p video
• Fingerprint scanner placed too low on display
• Still ships with outdated USB 2.0 port

Redmi K70 Pro Unboxing: Familiar Flagship Feeling on a Budget

Redmi made waves in 2019 by offering flagship grade specs for budget pricing with the K20 Pro. Four years later, can the K70 Pro replicate that formula? Let’s find out as we unbox Xiaomi’s latest affordable flagship phone.

Packaging and Accessories

The Redmi K70 Pro arrives in a black box highlighting the phone’s RAM/storage configuration and 120W fast charging capabilities. Inside, we get the usual assortment of manuals, a SIM eject tool, and a black silicone case.

More notably, Redmi has ditched the clear soft cases of old for a sleek, black hard-shell case. This gives the unboxing experience a more premium vibe akin to the company’s true flagship Mi series. A 120W hypercharge brick rounds out the packed-in accessories.

Design and Build Quality

Picking up the Midnight Black colorway of the K70 Pro, the frosted glass back immediately catches your eye. The rear glass features a subtle cross-hatched texture that resists fingerprints very well. Redmi also added curved sides to improve ergonomics over the flat K60 Pro.

The frame is now metal instead of plastic, matching the build quality of the phone’s price point. However, Redmi did have to cut wireless charging support to keep costs down. The sides and top bezels slimmed down to accommodate the same 6.67” screen size in a narrower body. Meanwhile, the bottom chin sticks out a bit more.

Around the back, the protruding camera array goes for a premium style, enveloped in a glossy metal frame. But the glossy sides attract fingerprints much more easily than the matte glass back.

Overall, the Redmi K70 Pro feels more expensive in the hand than its bargain price would suggest. The improvements in materials and design over its predecessor help justify (most of) the feature trade-offs.

Redmi K70 Pro First Impressions: Familiar Flagship Speed for Less

Powered by Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon, the Redmi K70 Pro promises speed and performance far above its price bracket. Let’s examine how that powerful chip delivers in real-world use, along with early impressions on display quality and audio.

Performance and Software

Packing the same processor as 2023 Android flagships that cost twice as much, the Redmi K70 proves a force to be reckoned with right out of the box. Qualcomm’s potent chip and speedy LPDDR5X memory translate into a wonderfully snappy user experience free of lag or sluggishness.

In stress tests, the phone maintained peak performance exceptionally well compared to rivals. This suggests strong thermals that will keep optimal speeds sustainable during gaming or extended heavy use.

On the software side, Xiaomi’s HyperOS skin sits atop Android 13. It looks clean and responsive while not veering too far from Google’s intended vision. Fans of stock Android will feel right at home.

Display

The 6.67” OLED panel impressed with excellent brightness, vibrant colors, and smooth motion. While not class-leading, its 1,500 nits peak brightness proved more than bright enough for uncompromised outdoor visibility.

Redmi claims a blazing fast 480Hz touch sampling rate for super responsive gaming without missing input taps. The centered hole-punch is relatively small and unobtrusive during full-screen use.

My only display gripe so far lies with the fingerprint sensor. Its low placement near the bottom chin led to several failed unlock attempts. Competing phones integrate fingerprint readers higher up, which feel more ergonomic by comparison.

Audio

With no secondary speaker, an amplified earpiece fills in to create stereo separation. Maximum volume reaches reasonably loud levels, though sound quality skews somewhat thin and narrow. Ultimately, audio stands out as average at best among flagships. But it still outperforms almost all other phones at this price.

Redmi K70 Pro Camera Tour: Solid Optics for the Segment

Headlined by a 1/1.55” main sensor lifted from costlier Xiaomi flagships, expectations run high for the K70 Pro’s imaging capabilities. But how does the camera system actually perform? Our hands-on testing offers promising early impressions.

Photo Quality

The large 200MP main sensor captures abundant detail in daylight, even with pixel-binning down to 12.5MP resolution. Dynamic range doesn’t match the very best flagship phones, but it holds up well against the competition at this price point.

Colors from the primary lens lean slightly cooler bluer compared to the 12MP ultra-wide camera. But the discrepancy isn’t too distracting, and shots from both modules show pleasing colors that don’t stray into oversaturation.

Portrait shots leverage a dedicated 2x telephoto lens that can focus much closer to subjects than the main camera. This creates more realistic perspective and background blur in close-up portraits versus using the 1x lens digitally cropped in.

Video Recording

On the video front, footage looked crisp and stable at up to 8K resolution in good lighting. But switching to 4K 60fps revealed inconsistent autofocus with distracting pulsing and drifting while filming handheld. Hopefully this can be improved through software updates.

Slow motion capture maxes out at 1080p 120fps on the rear cameras. But bafflingly you only get up to 1080p 30fps slo-mo recording from the front camera. For a supposed flagship killer in 2023, higher frame rate selfie video seems like a glaring omission.

Final Impressions

While not perfect across the board, the Redmi K70 Pro cameras show plenty of promise considering the phone’s budget positioning. Xiaomi focused funds on superb optics headlined by advanced sensors, and the results mostly pay off.

FAQs:

What is the Redmi K70 Pro battery size and charging speed?

The K70 Pro packs a large 5,000 mAh battery refueled at a blistering 120W wired charging speed. Using the inbox charger, Redmi claims a 0-100% charge time of just 18 minutes.

Does the K70 Pro have good battery life?

Early battery testing revealed excellent runtimes from the efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and ample 5,000 mAh cell. With heavy use I still ended most days with 25-30% left, suggesting lighter users can go 1.5-2 days per charge.

How much storage and RAM in the base Redmi K70 Pro model?

The entry-level Redmi K70 Pro gets a generous 12GB of RAM paired with 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. Higher configurations with 16GB RAM and up to 1TB storage should also release later.

What colors does the K70 Pro come in?

At launch, the Redmi K70 Pro debuted in Midnight Black, Coral Green, and Floral White colorways. Redmi later added eye-catching Lamborghini co-branded variants in yellow and green auto paint-inspired hues.

Does the Redmi K70 Pro have good haptics?

Yes, Xiaomi has greatly improved vibration motor quality in recent models including the K70 Pro. Its precise haptics rival far costlier phones, adding to the premium user experience.

Is there a headphone jack on the K70 Pro?

Unfortunately, Redmi dropped the 3.5mm audio port starting with the K60 Pro last year. You’ll need to use the phone’s built-in speakers, USB-C adapter, or wireless headphones for audio.

Conclusion

The Redmi K70 Pro keeps affordability at the core of its value proposition while making sensible compromises to hit its low launch price. With the power of Qualcomm’s latest silicon, vibrant OLED display, and cameras that punch above their class, it brings an impressive flagship-lite experience without emptying your wallet.

While not perfect, the Redmi K70 Pro picks its battles well by focusing budget on the features that matter most. Unless you can’t live without wireless charging or a headphone jack, this phone stands tall as today’s bargain flagship to beat.