Recently, Xiaomi launched one of the most awaited phones in the budget segment this year, the Redmi 8. However, there was another phone which Xiaomi launched before it debuted the Redmi 8 in the country and it was the more affordable sibling of the Redmi 8, the Redmi 8A. Now the catch with both of these phones is that they both come with the same processor. This is something that the users did not expect since the Redmi 8A comes with a much lighter price tag as compared to the Redmi 8 and while the former lands in the entry-level segment, the Redmi 8 is a phone which makes its entry in the budget segment. The consumers were also baffled with this revelation that both of these smartphones come with the same processor. However, the company has come up with a clarification for the same explaining, why the Redmi 8 and the Redmi 8A, both come with the same chipset.
Redmi 8A and Redmi 8 Come With the Same Chipset, But Why?
The clarification on the topic has been issued by the Xiaomi General Manager, Lu Weibing himself, and he expanded on the issue of why the same chipset has been chosen for both of these smartphones. As per Weibing, a survey was conducted among the public prior to the launch of the Redmi 8. The executive revealed that this survey yielded the results which highlighted that the users wanted a good battery life, smooth and fast performance, and high build quality. Going by these results, Xiaomi then decided to offer a 5,000mAh battery life along with a USB Type-C port in the Redmi 8. Not only this, but the phone also comes with an 18W charging support which means that the device can be charged fully in just 2 hours. As per Xiaomi’s claims, the Redmi 8 offers a standby time of 31 days.
Speaking about why the company decided to go with the Snapdragon 439 SoC instead of some other chipset on the Redmi 8, Weibing said that Xiaomi was convinced that the Snapdragon 439 would offer similar performance as the Snapdragon 625 SoC. This is because, both the Snapdragon 439 and the Snapdragon 625 are similar chipsets resembling each other in architecture. While the Snapdragon 625 has been made out of the 12nm process, the same is the case for Snapdragon 439 as well. Weibing added to his statements saying that the users who would like to experience better performance could opt for the Redmi 8, whereas other users who would like to keep a bigger battery as their preference while keeping their splurge low, could go for the Redmi 8A.
Redmi 8A Specifications
It is worth noting that the Redmi 8A sports a 6.2-inch HD+ display with the same teardrop notch and 19:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 439 SoC in this phone comes paired with either 3GB of RAM or 4GB of RAM. There is also a microSD card slot of expansion of storage. When it comes to optics, the Redmi 8A features a single 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor and an 8MP selfie camera. As for the pricing of this device, the Redmi 8A 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant is available for Rs 6,999.
Redmi 8 Specifications
As for the other phone under the microscope here, the Redmi 8 comes with an Aura Mirror design on the rear side and on the front, the phone sports a 6.22-inches display with a 720 x 1520 pixels resolution. The Snapdragon 439 SoC under the hood in this phone is accompanied by up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The device also comes with 18W fast charging support and USB Type-C port as well. As for the camera, the Redmi 8 features a dual rear camera setup which includes a 12MP f/1.8 sensor which is the Sony IMX363 sensor. Paired with this 12MP unit is a 2MP depth sensor. The pricing of the Redmi 8 has been set at Rs 8,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant.
