Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Xiaomi Redmi 5A : Affordable Redmi Smartphone

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi offers reasonably priced budget smartphones for the masses and sells them online via flash sales and at Mi stores in India. Besides smartphones, the company has also made its mark in the category of fitness bands, televisions, smartwatches, power banks, headphones, bluetooth speakers, chargers, mobile accessories, routers, air-purifiers and tablets. Afetr launching REdmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite, the company is all set to launch its another new budget smartphone for the masses which is also being teased as a "desh ka smartphone" by the company. Redmi 5A, the predecessor of Redmi 4A (which was released last year in November 2016) is the latest addition to the budget and pocket friendly Redmi series of the company. The phone has already been launched in China in multiple colour variants like Champagne Gold, Platinum Silver Gray, Rose Gold and Lake Blue colour. This dual SIM device is a great option for an entry-level handset with decent specifications like 5-inch HD display with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution and a pixel density of 296 ppi, is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 425 quad-core chipset paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage expandable upto 128GB via microSD, decent 3000 mAH battery backup and robust configuration. It is priced at 599 Yuan which is approximately Rs 5,900.

Pros:

• 4G VoLTE connectivity
• Lag-free performance
• Infra-red support
• Slim and light weight
• Decent battery capacity
• 2GB RAM at an affordable price

Cons:

• Average front-facing camera for selfies
• Hybrid SIM slot
• Non removable battery
• Lack of fingerprint reader

Display and Design :

Redmi 5A is a light weight and slim smartphone weighing only 137 gms and dimensions of 140.4 (H) x 70.1 (W) x 8.4 (T) mm. The device sports a metal-like matte texture and is available in various colour options- Rose gold, Platinum Silver Grey, Lake blue colour and Champagne Gold. It sports the same look and design along with round edges like its predecessor Xiaomi Redmi 4A except that it comes with metal body instead of conventional polycarbonate material as in Redmi 4A. It offers bezel-less look and feel as the speakers and USB port are located at the bottom and antenna lines are running across the top and bottom part of the device's rear panel. There is no fingerprint sensor on the phone but you will find the capacitive buttons below the display.

Camera Quality :

In terms of optic department, the phone offers 13 Megapixel primary camera with f/2.2 aperture, LED flash which enables you to capture good detailed images and shooting videos in all types of light conditions. The additional features included are PDAF (Phase detection auto focus), burst mode, smile detection, face detection, HDR mode, Panorama mode and more. It delivers good quality images in bright, sunny conditions but in low light, the picture quality is just average. For video calling and clicking selfies, the device is equipped with 5 Megapixel front facing shooter with f/2.0 aperture.

Display and Storage :

Redmi 5A features a 5-inch IPS HD screen display, offering pixel resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and pixel density of 294 ppi. It delivers great picture quality, great color reproduction and wider viewing angles, hence enhancing the overall visual experience of the user at a reasonably low price of the handset. The device comes with 16GB internal memory which can be further expanded upto 128GB using microSD card (hybrid SIM tray). The major drawback is that you are not able to use the second SIM slot if you want to expand the internal storage memory.

Internals and Processor :

Redmi 5A is powered by a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset which is better than the previous Snapdragon 410 processor (used in earlier budget Redmi phones) with a better modem and decoder. This quad-core processor has four Cortex-A53 cores for smooth working and seamless multitasking. The processor is paired with 2GB RAM and Adreno 308 GPU clocked at 500 MHz to provide amazing graphical experience. The smartphone does gets hangup while working on multiple apps simultaneously or playing heavy and intense games like NOVA or Asphalt so this phone is not suitable for mobile gaming enthusiasts. It is a dual SIM (Micro SIM + Nano SIM) Android smartphone and runs on the latest MIUI 9 version over Android 7.1 Nougat OS out of the box.

Battery and Connectivity :

The device is fuelled by a 3,000 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery which makes it run uninterrupted for more than 8-10 hours of working or even more on medium usage. On connectivity front, it supports 4G VoLTE (supports Indian bands), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, Mobile Hotspot, GPS with A-GPS, Glonass, microUSB v2.0 port, dual SIM functionality and FM Radio functionality. Sensors on the phone include Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope. The phone is equipped with Infra Red sensor which has provided a value addition to reasonable Redmi 5A price. The sensor enables you to control IR-remote based home appliances with the phone.

Why should you not buy Redmi 5A?

1. No Fingerprint sensor : Like Redmi 4A, Redmi 5A has also skipped fingerprint sensor, a feature that is a must-have in smartphone these days.
2. No full HD display : With 5 inch screen display, the display could have been atleast full HD.
3. Hybrid SIM slot : The dual SIM functionality cannot be used along with memory card at the same time. You can either insert two SIMs or use a single SIM and insert a memory card for expanding onboard storage memory.

Final Verdict :

Redmi range of budget smartphone series have revolutionized the Indian budget smartphone market. They are offering great devices in all price range. They are providing the handset with decent specifications like high-end connectivity, VoLTE, good battery backup at amazingly low and entry level Redmi 5A price. The phone has an impressive look and its appeal, VoLTE connectivity, decent performance and great storage capacity makes it a good value buy with wide range of features in sub-10K price range. Before buying, the buyer should compare the prices and check out the lowest Redmi 5A price in India.

Key features of Redmi 5A at one glance are :

1. 5-inch HD IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution and 294 ppi pixel density
2. Slim with dimensions 140.4 x 70.1 x 8.4 mm and 137 gms weight
3. 1.4GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 425 MSM8917 coupled with Adreno 308 GPU
4. 13 MP Primary Camera with LED flash and 5MP front Camera
5. Runs on Android v7.1 (Nougat) based most recent and advanced MIUI 9 interface
6. 2GB RAM, expandable 16GB Internal Memory upto 128GB
7. 4G VoLTE, 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
8. 3000mAh Battery

How is Redmi 5A different from Redmi 4A ?

Xiaomi Redmi 5A is a minor upgrade to Redmi 4A. In terms of design, Redmi 5A has more rounded corners and a rear-mounted speaker grill. Both the devices sport similar look with curved 2.5D glass on the front except that Redmi 5A will have metal body whereas Redmi 4A comes with plastic body. The camera is also the same- 13MP rear camera with PDAF, LED flash and 5MP selfie camera but Redmi 5A will have a wider aperture lens for selfie camera in comparison to Redmi 4A (i.e, f/2.0 vs f/2.2 aperture). Both the phones have same processor with the same amount of RAM and storage and flaunt 5-inch HD screen display. Like its predecessor, Redmi 5A has also skipped fingerprint sensor. However, there are slight differences nonetheless. Redmi 5A will boot on upgraded Android v7.1 Nougat based MIUI 9 operating system. The new user interface is easy to operate and simple to use. In terms of battery capacity, Redmi 5A is equipped with a little smaller 3000 mAH battery as compared to 3120 mAH battery of Redmi 4A. The affordable Redmi 5A price will definitely be a good value buy.

Why should we buy this phone?

1. Affordable pricing : At a price below Rs. 6000, this phone seems very cheap and anyone can easily afford to buy it.
2. Processor : The powerful 1.4 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 425 processor paired with 2GB RAM delivers decent performance and ensures smooth multitasking and you can use multiple apps at a time without any hiccups.

About Xiaomi brand

Xiaomi is a privately owned company based in China which designs, develops and sells smartphones, an Android-based OS and other consumer electronics. Xiaomi also makes fitness trackers, TVs, air purifiers, and tablets. It has a skin for its Android phones and tablets – MIUI. The company largely sells its phones at reputed online portals via flash sales in India.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Ans : Yes, it supports two Nano SIMs and a memory card simultaneously.

Ans : Yes, it supports Jio SIM as it comes with 4G VoLTE connectivity.

Ans : No, the phone is not resistant to water.

Ans : As such, no major heating issues are faced while playing games or multitasking on the phone.

Ans : It supports 2GB RAM for effciient working and operation.

Ans : Yes, it supports OTG.

Ans : Both its SIMs are compatible with 4G VoLTE connectivity but only one SIM can use 4G network at a time.

Ans : The phone comes with 16GB onboard storage which can be expanded upto 128GB via a dedicated memory card slot.

Ans : Yes, the phone is protected by Gorilla glass for scratchless appearance and provides protection against any kind of minor accidental physical damages also.

Ans : No, there is no quick charge support and you can charge it to full capacity in around 2-3 hours.

Ans : Yes, the primary camera comes with single tone LED flash.

Ans : Yes, the phone offers premium look with metal unibody design.

Ans : There is no fingerprint reader present in the device.

Ans : The advanced and most recent MIUI 9 user interface comes with new features like a virtual assistant, the Energy saving mode which optimises the battery life and performance of the device making it more efficient.

Ans : The phone comes with non-removable 3000 mAH battery to offer continous working for a day.

Ans : Redmi 5A is better as it sports more advanced Android 7.1 Nougat operating system.

Ans : Yes, this phone comes with hybrid SIM slot which enables the user to either use dual SIM functionality or use single SIM and expand the storage.

Ans : Yes, this phone is equipped with USB OTG feature for easy and fast data transfer.

Ans : Besides the handset, the box also contains other items like battery, charger, micro USB cable, 10W USB adapter, headsets, SIM ejector tool, protective case and manual guide.