Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro Review

It’s not a surprise that Xiaomi has been dominating the budget segment for a good amount of time now. The Chinese smartphone maker’s entire philosophy lies in making great budget phones at cheaper price tags. Even though Xiaomi has Mi series and Mi Mix lineup which targets premium space, the Redmi lineup is the company’s bread and butter. With Poco F1, Xiaomi managed to shake the flagship space by offering immense value to performance ratio.

Xiaomi has now launched a new lineup of the flagship smartphone in the country dubbed Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. Although everyone was expecting Poco F2, Xiaomi decided to stick with the Redmi branding for some reasons. The Redmi K20 Pro tires to achieve the very same thing which Poco lineup managed to do earlier. It seems like the company is desperate to capture value flagship space more now than ever.

The Redmi K20 is the cheapest smartphone to feature the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset. Some key specifications include Super AMOLED display, up to 8GB of RAM, triple rear camera module, motorized pop-up selfie camera, and a 27W fast charging support. In fact, the device even runs on the Poco launcher out-of-the-box.

We finally get the chance to play around with this new device for a couple of days and here is what we think of it so far. Read on to find more about the Redmi K20 Pro in our comprehensive review.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro comes in two different storage variants – 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB options. The device is available in three different color options namely Carbon Black, Glacier Blue, and Flame Red. The base variant is priced at INR 27,999 while the top-end variant is going to set you back INR 30,999. You can buy the smartphone exclusively via Flipkart and Mi official website.

Coming to the launch offers, Xiaomi has partnered with ICICI bank to give flat INR 1,000 off on payments made using ICICI credit card and EMI transactions. Airtel is also offering double data benefits with unlimited callings and exclusive thank you benefit with the device.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro comes packed in a white-colored minimal and premium box which has a device’s image on top with the name written in relatively large font. Opening the lid, the first thing you’ll come across with is the rectangular section which consists of a soft rubberish plastic case and some documentation. 

Underneath the section, you’ll be greeted with the device itself which is laying there nicely covered in a protective film. By the way, the device looks breathtaking especially with that unique patterns on the back. Apart from all these, you get an 18W fast charger even though the device supports 27W fast charging (classic, Xiaomi), a Type-C cable and a SIM ejector tool. 

Here is a quick overview of what you’ll be getting inside the box: 

– Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro 

– 18W fas charger adaptor 

– USB Type-C cable 

– SIM ejector tool 

– A plastic back case 

– Manuals and documentation

Before we jump right into the review, let’s have a quick glance at the specifications which this device brings to the table. 

– Display: 6.39-inch Super AMOLED display, 2340×1080 pixels, 403ppi 

– Processor: Snapdragon 855 chipset, 7nm

– RAM & ROM: up to 8GB and up to 256GB

– Rear Cameras: 48MP+13MP+8MP 

– Selfie Camera: 20MP pop-up mechanism, f/2.2

– Battery: 4000mAh capacity, supports 27W fast charging, 18W bundled charger

– Software: Android 9.0 Pie, MIUI 10

– Weight: 191g 

– Dimensions: 156.7×74.3×8.8mm 

With specifications cleared out of the way, let’s talk about the very first aspect of the Redmi K20 Pro.

Last year, Poco F1 was the unbeatable smartphone at its price range thanks to the powerful hardware it was packing in. One thing in which the device receives a lot of criticism was the design and build quality which was not that eye-catching. With Redmi K20 Pro, Xiaomi decided to turn the table around by offering the breathtaking gradient design at the back.

Like most premium phones out there, this one too comes with a glass and aluminum sandwich which delivers that premiumness we’ve been expecting.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro has a gradient design at the back which is different from most phones out there. It has bold aggressive colors on the sides and edges with the darker shade in the middle containing just the company’s branding. The patterns which produce on the sides and edges when in contact with ambient light looks mesmerizing and breathtaking.

Even the carbon black color which is not that flashy manages to look and feel much different from the previous Poco F1. At the back, there is a triple camera module accompanied by an LED flash and that’s it. I do like the addition of circular accent around the primary camera which is something lots of brands are now adopting. 

The front is dominated by a large 6.39-inch Super AMOLED display with no selfie camera cutout. The Redmi K20 make use of a motorized pop-up mechanism to house the selfie camera leaving us with an all-screen display. The ultra-thin bezels and the thin chin at the bottom delivers immersive viewing experience.

For some reasons, the notification led light has been shifted to the pop-up camera mechanism making it the useless feature of this device. Important notifications come to you via a red notification light located on top of the smartphone.

The power button and volume rockers are located on the right side with nothing much going on the left. At the bottom, there is a SIM card tray, Type-C port for charging and a speaker grille. Fortunately, Redmi K20 has our beloved 3.5-mm headphone jack located on the top along with the pop-up camera mechanism. There is a minor rear camera bump but the device doesn’t wobble at all. 

Thanks to the curved edges and proper weight distribution, the device feels comfortable and premium in the hand. Since the device has a glass back, it is a tad bit slippery so you might want to use the bundled case just in case. Overall, Xiaomi has taken things up a notch in design with its Redmi K20 Pro. We can say that it is one of the good and unique looking smartphones of 2019 as of now.