Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

The recent smartphone trend has been shifting towards the high-end photography cameras. Even the entry-level smartphones have opted for the high-end selfie cameras and now the new Xiaomi Redmi Y1 follow the same trend.

FYI: This is a rebranded version of the original Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A, which is available in China for a similar price tag. So, except for the retail packaging and the phone name, there will not be any difference what so ever.

Price: One aspect of this device that really impressed the users and the tech enthusiasts is the price tag of the device. The device comes in two storage options, one with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB onboard flash storage or 4 GB RAM and 64 GB flash storage priced at ₹8,999 and ₹10,999 respectively. This is one of the few smartphone, which offers great value for money which futuristic features.

Design: With respect to design, we don’t have any problems at all, however, the build quality on this device will set our mood off. Originally, the device resembles the other Redmi range of smartphones, but the plastic build is something which is indigestible. In fact, the company offers some of the great looking smartphones at a similar price point with all metal unibody solution (talking about the Xiaomi Redmi 4), which is priced at ₹8,999 and ₹10,999 respectively. It doesn’t mean that the design is totally off the chart, but this time the company haven’t met the expectations, that’s all. The plastic build also has its own advantages like the device weights lighter than the metal body and will not get permanent scuffs like the metal unibody design.

Display: As this is a Redmi Note series smartphone (at least in China), the device has to feature at least a 5.5-inch display and this device does follow the same formulae. The smartphone offers a 5.5-inch HD 720p IPS LCD screen, protected by 2.5D curved tempered glass from Corning Gorilla. Having a 5.5-inch real estate is always nice, but the low-resolution 720p screen really hinders the quality. In fact, the display looks pixelated and you won’t find it soothing if you own a smartphone with FHD resolution screen or a smaller screen with 720p resolution. However, if you are a first-time smartphone user, then this low resolution will not bother you and you will feel comfortable with the display. Coming to the colour reproduction and viewing angles, under the normal circumstances, the display offers enough brightness and a good amount of colours (though the colours look dull in comparison with the other smartphones). However, the device struggles to keep up the same performance in the daylight and one has to increase the brightness to maximum to see some action on the smartphone.

Processor and RAM: The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Octa-core SoC, which is one of the best mid-range chipsets from the Qualcomm. This SoC, paired with either 3 GB or 4 GB LPDDR3 RAM and 32 GB or 64 GB onboard flash storage, which should be good enough for the most of the users at this price point. Finally, the company has also solved their much request hybrid slot problem. Now the device offers 2 nano-SIM card slots and an SD card slot (up to 128 GB). So, the user is now eligible to use dual SIM and an SD card altogether. For the day to day usage and casual gaming, the device should not have any problems what so ever.

Camera: The camera is the main highlight of this device. The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 offers a 16 MP front-facing selfie camera with a front-facing LED flash. The selfie camera offers a lot of selfie centric features like wide angle lens for wider selfies with enhanced beautify mode, which enhances the face and removes the unwanted pimple marks from the face. On the back, the device has a standard 13 MP rear-facing camera with PDAF and 1080p video recording capability, so, the performance of the main camera is on par with the other Xiaomi Redmi series smartphones. So, the USP for this smartphone is, the front-facing camera and it does do the justice to the name. Both cameras perform well in the natural lightening condition and the images taken from these devices will gradually deteriorate as available light decreases (in the low lightening condition).

 Operating system: The best part about any Xiaomi smartphone is the OS. Though the company does not provide timely Android updates, it does add plenty of features on its own keeping the base OS unchanged. The Redmi Y1 features MiUi version 8 and will be upgraded to MiUi Version 9 in next few weeks which adds improved user experience with faster app launches and multi-window feature (which enables the users to open two apps at a time). Additional features like the dual app, Security scanner, and Mi remote is also something that we are all gonna appreciate.

Battery: The smartphone features a standard 3080 mAh Li-ion non-user replaceable battery, which should last for a complete day of usage. The additional built-in charger does support moderate fast charging up to 10 watts (5 volts and 2 amps). So, the device takes around 2 hours to completely charge from 0 to 100 percent. Considering all the aspect,  battery feels bit smaller as Xiaomi Redmi smartphones are known for their mammoth batteries with 4000 and 5000 mAh capacity.

Final chapter: There will be a good, bad, and ugly components in any smartphone. Here, the good being the 16 MP selfie camera, bad being the 720p display and finally ugly being the plastic build has their own advantages over one another. For the first time, Xiaomi has concentrated on selfie by neglecting all the other features and not to the forget the Katrina Kaif’s (big first page promotions on newspaper) check has been written by the same ink that is made from the money the users pay. The only reason to go with the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is the selfie camera and nothing else. If you are triggered by the world selfie then, go with the Xiaomi Redmi Y1, if not smartphone market is too big to swim and it never ends.

 

 

By Vivek

Eat.Sleep.Repeat