Xiaomi's Compact PowerHouse has landed in India. Yes, Xiaomi has introduced the Redmi 5 smartphone in the Indian market today. This is the same smartphone Xiaomi launched back in December 2017 in China with powerful hardware for a budget device. The Redmi 4, as everyone might be aware of succeeds India' second best-selling smartphone of 2017- the Xiaomi Redmi 4. We have already said that the Redmi 5 is a much-needed upgrade for the Redmi 4 and Redmi 3s users. Today, let's compare what changes does the Redmi 5 bring to the table when compared to its predecessor Redmi 4.
18:9 Display!
The highlight of the Redmi 5 is the 18:9 display on the front. The Redmi 5 sports a bigger 5.7-inch display, as compared to the 5-inch display seen on the Redmi 4. However, the screen on the Redmi 5 has 18:9 aspect ratio to it and tiny bezels on top and bottom of the display, making the overall footprint of the device in-line with that of Redmi 4. The resolution of the display is at 720 x 1440 pixels and called as an HD+ panel. The display has a pixel density of 282 PPI. The Redmi 5 is 11% slimmer than the Redmi 4.
Powerful Innards
The Redmi 5 has powerful innards as it comes powered by the Snapdragon 450 chipset, which is a significant upgrade over the Snapdragon 435 SoC seen on the Redmi 4. The Redmi 5 also comes in multiple storage and RAM variants- 2GB/16GB, 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB like the Redmi 4. The Snapdragon 450 SoC delivers performance in-line with the Snapdragon 625 SoC as the only change is the clock speed in the former of 1.8GHz. The Adreno 506 GPU takes care of graphics in the smartphone. Even the GPU is the same on Snapdragon 450 SoC and Snapdragon 625 SoC.
Better Cameras
The Redmi 5 also comes with upgraded cameras, and it's worth noting that it features same camera setup as the Redmi Note 5 smartphone, which is priced at Rs 9,999 in the Indian market. Except for some downsides, the Redmi 5 features the same sensor of a 12MP unit at the back with f/2.2 aperture, PDAF and dual-tone LED flash.
Up front, there's a 5MP shooter, which is capable of recording 1080p videos and has an LED flash support as well. It also offers other features such as HDR mode, autofocus and more.
Features a Small Battery!
This is probably the only feature which lets down the Redmi 5 as compared to the Redmi 4. The Redmi 5 sips juice from a 3300mAh battery, as opposed to the 4100mAh unit seen on the Redmi 4. However, the Snapdragon 450 SoC is quite power efficient as it's built on the 14nm manufacturing process. This could be the reason why Xiaomi went on to include a smaller battery on the Redmi 5. Xiaomi says that the Redmi 5 will offer a standby time of 17 days.
More Colour Options
Last year's Redmi 4 arrived in just two colour options- Black and Gold. However, the Redmi 5 comes in different colour options- Black, Gold, Lake Blue and Rose Gold. Notably, the Lake Blue colour options look stunning as compared to other colour options.
Other Few Touches Remain the Same
The Redmi 5 runs Android Nougat based MIUI 9 out of the box, and it still features a fingerprint scanner, micro USB port at the back and bottom. It also features an IR Blaster at the top, something Xiaomi has been adding to its smartphones since ages.
And one thing which has changed is Xiaomi's Honest pricing. The Redmi 5's 2GB RAM variant will retail for Rs 7,999 in India, followed by the 3GB RAM variant at Rs 8,999 and the 4GB RAM variant at Rs 10,999. The device will be up for sale exclusively on Amazon India starting March 20. It will be available across Mi.com and Mi Home stores.
