Xiaomi has added a new member to its budget-centric smartphones with the launch of Redmi 5A. The phone comes with a price tag of Rs 5,999 for the 2GB RAM variant, the 3GB RAM option comes with a price tag of Rs 6,999. However, the brand is offering Rs 1,000 off for the first 5 million customers, which brings down the cost of Redmi 5A (2GB+16GB variant) to just Rs 4,999.
The smartphone does look like an interesting proposition and the brand is surely targeting the first-time smartphone buyers who are planning to switch from a feature phone. But would it really make any difference? Let’s find out.
Key Specifications:
- Display: 5.0-inch HD (1280 x 720 Pixel resolution)
- Chipset: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor, Adreno 505 GPU
- Memory: 2GB RAM and 16GB storage
- Camera
- Rear: 13-megapixel lens with ƒ/2.2 aperture, LED flash, Panorama, Burst mode, Face recognition
- Front: 5-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture, Beauty mode
- Battery: 3000mAh
- Operating System: MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat
- Size:140 x 70.1 mm x 8.35 mm
- Weight: 137 grams
- Connectivity: 4G VoLTE, WiFi 801.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, micro USB port, Dual-SIM and a dedicated microSD card slot.
What we like in Xiaomi Redmi 5A
Xiaomi has always given good specs at an affordable price tag and this one is no different. The phone comes with a 5-inch HD display with a screen Resolution of 1280 x 720 pixel. The screen does produce gives some good colour and it is seriously better than most the devices in this price range.
The display is a bit on the warmer side, but you can always change by going to display settings. And of course, like all Xiaomi device, this one also offers ‘Reading Mode’ which eliminates all the blue light making it even more comfortable when you want to check all the things moments before dozing off.
The performance of the is at par with the rest of the competition at this price point. The device is able to handle all the tasks we throw at it. Whether be it streaming, browsing, Messaging or any other daily task for that matter, the device scores some good marks in this department and especially if you consider the Rs 4,999 price tag, the smartphone does look like an interesting deal. However, one might feel minute lag when switching between application. We also liked the fact that it can handle some graphics title like Asphalt 8: Airborne with ease, though there were some occasional lags during our testing period.
The phone comes with the MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1 Nougat. The latest user interface from Xiaomi is surely lighter and smoother as compared to previous versions. The latest UI also comes loaded with some interesting features. You can swipe left to right from the home screen to open a window which Shortcuts, Notes, Ola cabs, Cricket and Calendar event.
Xiaomi has also added quick replies to its notification panel, which is a welcome move. Users need to swipe down from two fingers to reply from the notification panel. Then there is notification bundling, which bundles the App notifications in a group. Other than this, the brand has added animated icons, which adds some brownie points to the latest user interface.
What we don’t like in Xiaomi Redmi 5A
Talking about the downside now. Xiaomi has been known for making distinct-looking smartphones in the past, but off lately, company’s phone is becoming more identical, where be from inside or outside. And the Redmi 5A is a prime example of it. The smartphone looks a tad similar to the Redmi 4A. Both the phones look so identical that you will not be able to differentiate between them when placed side by side. This is not it. Both of them bears the same specifications and cameras.
Talking about the camera, it is certainly not the strongest point of the Redmi 5A. The images came out to be a bit washed out in broad daylight and detailing was not up to the mark. Under the low light, the performance was average as the pictures were a bit grainy in nature and the phone was not able to handle glares effectively. The front camera also does an average job.
Moving on, the quick reply feature of the MIUI 9 is buggy. First of all, when you reply to messages by swiping down with two fingers, the lines are broken, which sometimes makes it difficult to read the message or notification. Using two fingers to reply to a notification is a difficult job altogether. Additionally, the phone takes some noticeable amount of time to boot up.
Lastly, the 3,000 mAh battery does a pretty average job in our testing. The device almost last a day with a single charge, however, it took some time to get fully charged up.