As expected, Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker, has launched a new series of selfie-focused smartphones in India on the same day of its MIUI 9 global rollout. The first two smartphones that will lead this new journey for the company are Xiaomi Redmi Y1 which has been launched with a starting price of Rs 8,999.
For the unknown, the likes of Oppo and Vivo have had an upper hand over Xiaomi in their home country due to their selfie-focused series and while Xiaomi was late to made amends in China, they have not waited to do such a thing in India.
With the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite, the Chinese player has made sure that their image of offering bang for buck devices remains intact and other than playing on the performance front, they have now offered some of the best camera packages we have seen in the sub-Rs 10,000 category.
But will it be enough for Xiaomi to repeat its success story or the likes of Moto E4 Plus and Micromax Canvas Infinity will get the bigger piece of bread? Let’s see
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 Specifications
- 5.5-inch (1280 x 720) HD 2.5D curved glass display, offering 450 nits brightness, 70% NTSC color gamut, 1000: 1 Contrast ratio, 296 PPI, and Corning Gorilla Glass protection.
- 1.4GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 435 SoC coupled with Adreno 505 GPU
- 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage/4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD
- Android 7.1.2 Nougat with MIUI 8 on top, upgradable to MIUI 9
- Fingerprint sensor at the rear, Infrared sensor, and Hybrid Dual SIM connectivity
- 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.2 aperture, 1.12-micron pixel size, 5-lens system, PDAF, and 1080p video recording
- 16MP front camera with OmniVision sensor, LED flash, 1.0-micron pixel size, f/2.0 aperture and 76.4-degree wide-angle lens
- 3080mAh battery with quick charge support
- Dimensions: 153× 76.2 × 7.7mm; Weight: 153g
- 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS / GLOASS and USB Type-C 2.0 support.
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 Lite Specifications
Other than the Snapdragon 425, a 5MP front camera, 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage, the rest remains the same as Xiaomi Redmi Y1.
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite Price And Availability
While the Redmi Y1 Lite has been launched at Rs 6,999 the Redmi Y1, which is simply a higher-end Y1 Lite, will be available at Rs 8,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant and Rs 10,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version. Moreover, with all these specifications the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 looks more of a re-branded Redmi 5A than a whole new device.
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite will be available via Amazon India and Mi.com/in from 8th November, as well as via offline modes like exclusive retail partners and Mi Home stores later.
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite Review (First Impressions)
- Being budget-oriented devices, both the smartphones are made up of polycarbonate, finished with a coat of paint which gives you an impression of a metal built. However, while the design theme is uninspiring, there is not much that Xiaomi could have done considering the price.
- Despite the size, both the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite fits perfectly in hands and thanks to the curved edges, they are easy to operate single-handedly.
- The 5.5-inch display is the same unit that we have seen in Redmi Note 4, which offers great viewing angles and enough brightness levels under direct sunlight.
- As far as the performance credentials are concerned, Xiaomi has been using the SD 435 chipset for a long time in this segment and this coupled with ample of RAM for multitasking, makes Xiaomi Redmi Y1 a series contender in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment.
- The Y1 gives us our experience at MIUI 9, and while it still runs on the Beta version, the interface feels smooth and easy to understand. Moreover, users also get features like quick app switching and multi-window support with Android Nougat.
- While we won’t say that there aren’t a lot of pre-installed apps, they can be uninstalled according to your preferences, leaving no scope of excessive bloatware.
- Coming to the camera department, what we really love is the fact that that the front camera in Xiaomi Redmi Y1 completely justifies the hype. While it is aimed at taking good pictures under low-lighting, it doesn’t have the fear of exposure either.
Conclusion
Xiaomi has been a consistent player in the mid-budget segment offering bank for buck smartphones and Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite are no exception. While some might feel that the hardware is a little under-powered, it’s the whole package where these smartphones have played their game.
That said, both smartphones could have offered more battery backup to increase their appeal.
With adding an appealing selfie-camera, all we are waiting for Xiaomi’s next step in strengthening its dominance in India.
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