Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro: Specs and price compared!

Xiaomi has recently announced the Redmi Note 8 series, the latest in its ultra-popular and affordable range. Between the large batteries and high resolution cameras, there’s clearly plenty to like about these new phones.

Then again, the Redmi Note 7 series also stood out thanks to its large batteries and high resolution snappers. With that in mind, we’ve compared the specs and pricing to figure out just how big a leap the new series is over the old devices and whether it was worth the wait!

Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro: Specs comparison

Battery

Redmi Note 8 vs Redmi Note 7

When it comes sheer capacity, both devices are evenly matched at 4,000mAh. In fact, both phones even share the same 18W charging standard.

Furthermore, the Note 8’s Snapdragon 665 processor is built on an 11nm manufacturing process compared to the Note 7’s Snapdragon 660 (14nm). This means that the Redmi Note 8 should last longer, in theory.

Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro

The Redmi Note 7 Pro serves up a 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging too, and it’s definitely one of the phone’s selling points. Our own Dhruv Bhutani said the phone regularly delivered a full day with over 50 percent juice remaining in his Redmi Note 7 Pro review. Unfortunately, the Redmi Note 7 Pro didn’t ship with an 18W charger in the box.

Need a little more juice? Then the Redmi Note 8 Pro has you covered with a 4,500mAh battery that’s larger than any other Xiaomi device released this year. Xiaomi also delivers an 18W charger in the box, capable of hitting 50% capacity in roughly 30 minutes.

We’ll need to wait for a review unit to figure out real-world endurance, but it should be on equal footing with the Note 7 Pro at the very least and easily beating it at best.

Camera

Redmi Note 8 vs Redmi Note 7

This is undoubtedly the biggest difference between the two phones, with the Redmi Note 7 featuring a 48MP Samsung GM1 rear camera paired with a 5MP depth sensor. Check the front and you’ve got a 13MP selfie camera in a waterdrop notch.

Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 8 features four rear cameras, serving up the same 48MP camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro camera. This means you’ve instantly got a more flexible camera arrangement than the Redmi Note 7, giving you a shooter for many occasions. Otherwise, you’re getting a similar 13MP selfie camera as the Note 7.

Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro

The Redmi Note 7 Pro is no slouch here, offering a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor paired with a 5MP depth sensor. For what it was worth, Dhruv thought the photo quality was pretty great in his review. Selfies are handled by a 13MP snapper here too, much like the vanilla Note 7.

Switch to the latest Pro model and you’ve got a quad rear camera setup, serving up a 64MP main camera here. That camera should theoretically be able to capture more details in both 64MP and pixel-binned 16MP mode. Otherwise, you’re getting the same setup as the Note 8 (8MP wide, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro). The selfie camera gets a resolution upgrade too, now coming in at 20MP.

Display

Redmi Note 8 vs Redmi Note 7

Do you value a great display above all else? Well, little else has changed here, with the vanilla models both offering a 6.3-inch full HD+ LCD screen, complete with waterdrop notch. So if you were disappointed by the Note 7’s screen, then the Note 8 likely won’t change your mind.

Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro

The Redmi Note 8 Pro shares the same resolution and LCD technology as the Note 7 Pro, but the two phones differ slightly in terms of screen size. The newer model offers a 6.53-inch screen, while the older version sports a 6.3-inch panel. This means the older phone has a sharper screen on paper, but you’re getting a little more screen real estate on the new device.

Horsepower

Redmi Note 8 vs Redmi Note 7

When it comes to sheer grunt, it’s clear that the vanilla Redmi Note 8 is a mild step up from the Redmi Note 7 at best. The older phone sports an older yet still capable Snapdragon 660 processor, between 3GB and 6GB of RAM, and between 32GB and 64GB of expandable storage.

Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 8 offers the Snapdragon 665 chipset, which is essentially positioned as a follow-up to the Snapdragon 660. You’re looking at a near-identical octa-core CPU layout, but you’re getting an upgraded Adreno 610 GPU and a claimed 2x AI performance boost.

Furthermore, the Snapdragon 665 should be more efficient due to the smaller manufacturing process (11nm vs 14nm). Thankfully, the Redmi Note 8 starts at 4GB/64GB, so you’re getting more RAM and storage right away.

Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro

The Redmi Note 7 Pro was one of the more powerful mid-range phones upon its release, delivering a Snapdragon 675 processor, 4GB to 6GB of RAM, and 64GB to 128GB of expandable storage.

Xiaomi’s latest Pro model is a bit of a dark horse, as it offers the MediaTek Helio G90T processor. This processor offers a near-identical CPU core setup as the Snapdragon 675, so you can expect everyday performance to be in the same ballpark, in theory. Otherwise, the MediaTek chipset delivers a Mali-G76 MP4 GPU — essentially a cut-down version of the GPU seen in the Galaxy S10 and HUAWEI P30 series. You’re also getting 6GB of base RAM as opposed to 4GB of memory.

We’ll need to wait for hands-on time and testing to figure out if the Redmi Note 8 Pro is a big power upgrade, but tentative benchmarks suggest you’re looking at a phone that’s about as powerful as last year’s flagships. That’s a pretty noteworthy upgrade if confirmed.

Price

Redmi Note 8 vs Redmi Note 7

Can’t decide between the Note 8 and Note 7? Well, both phones have identical launch prices, starting at 999 yuan (~$139) up to 1399 yuan (~$195). Of course, we’ll need to wait for pricing outside China before we jump to conclusions, but it’ll likely be similar to the Note 7’s international pricing anyway.

Either way, you’re getting a slightly better chipset, two extra cameras (even if one of them is a macro camera), and more RAM/storage in the base Note 8 model. Plus, the Note 8 still offers an IR blaster, 3.5mm port, and USB-C connectivity.

Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro

The Redmi Note 7 Pro had a Chinese launch price of 1,599 yuan (~$224), but quickly received a price cut to 1,399 yuan ($195). making it one of the better budget phones on paper in early 2019. But Xiaomi is coming in even more aggressively with the Note 8 Pro, starting at 1,399 yuan (~$195) straight away.

So you’re getting a more versatile camera platform, a bigger battery, what looks like a significant power boost. You’re also getting NFC by opting for the Note 8 Pro — something that was missing on the Note 7 Pro. So it stands to reason that you should opt for the newer phone if you’re intrigued by both Pro models or if you must have NFC.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro also delivers USB-C, a 3.5mm port, and an IR blaster — you don’t often see all three features on the same phone today.

Which Redmi Note 8 phone would you buy? Share your pick with us in the comments section below.