My previous laptop was a Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro with Intel's i5 8250u. First impressions on the Redmibook are based on this comparison. First, I am overall content with the purchase, although slightly dissapointed by its audio performance.
It is noticeably lighter, yet the aluminium case feels a bit softer, more prone to scratches. The touchpad rattles a bit towards the buttons, whereas the Mi Notebook Pro's was very well integrated, smoother and just felt better.
The audio part was initially very disappointing. My previous XMNP has not only better speakers with fuller and more precise sound, but it is also noticeably more powerful. Moreover, even the audio jack is weaker on the Redmibook, it can barely drive normal impedance overear headphones. BUT! the Redmibook comes with DTS preinstalled and I also purchased the Dolby Atmos app. DTS brings more clarity and openness to the speakers, and Dolby brings a bit more oomph. Now with the power of these two apps, I enjoy not just spatial, but intergalactic sounds. It is obviously not an audiophile solution, but it significantly improves the audio capacities of the Redmibook. DTS only works for the speakers, but Dolby makes software wonders for the audiojack as well.
On the other hand, the screen is great: bright, high resolutions, high refresh rate, sufficiently punchy colors. The switch to 16:10 is also welcomed.
The keyboard feels very good and I enjoy the full size arrow keys. The keys' backlight is a bit more subtle, but it gets the job done.
Power button acts as fingerprint reader and it is accurate, as opposed to that of the 2017 Mi Notebook Pro, which worked just half the time.
I upgraded to Windows 11 Pro and changed the language pack to English. Yet I can't activate Windows Hello face unlock, as Windows says the camera is not compatible. Not a big deal, though, and maybe repairable in the future.
Fans can get a bit loud under stress, such as installing windows updates, but besides that fan noise remains within decent limits.
It is a pity that the laptop didn't come with a 1tb ssd option, nor a second ssd slot, so if you want more storage, you have to just swap it.