After the much successful debut with Remi 1S, Xiaomi came out with a string of launches including the high-end Mi4. But what caught tech lovers attention is the launch of Redmi 2 priced at Rs 6,999.
This budget smartphone is a direct competition with Moto E (Gen 2) and Lenovo A6000 which offer similar specs.
But does it beat the competition? We spent a couple of weeks with the new Redmi 2 and this is how it fares .
What’s Good?
Xiaomi Redmi 2 is sleek, stylish and light weight.The phone sports a 4.7-inch 720 pixels HD IPS fully laminated display with AGC dragontrail glass.
The display is bright and has good viewing angles. Under sunlight, you may need to increase the brightness a bit otherwise it works well under normal light conditions.
Xiamo Redmi 2 runs MIUI 6, OS with Android 4.4 kitkat. It’s unique mix of Android and iOS. The experience is somewhat similar to the iOS.
One of the highlight features of Redmi 2 OS is the ability to customise the user interface with themes, downloadable wallpapers and clocks.
Redmi 2 is powered by 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit quad-core processor with 1GB RAM and Adreno 306 GPU, it comes with 8GB internal storage out of which 5.75GB is available to the user. The performance is as smooth as it gets on a budget smartphone.
The 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2 MP front-facing camera captures decent quality images under good light conditions. Better than what you get on the Motorola Moto E 2nd Gen.
The device offers dual micro SIM card slots with 4G and 3G support on both. Overall, there are no issues on the connectivity front.
Xiaomi Redmi 2 is a pretty impressive utility smartphone.
What’s Bad?
Xiaomi Redmi 2 is powered by a 2,200 mAh battery.
On paper it is impressive and the battery life is also good. The phone easily lasts over a day with regular usage.
Xiaomi claims that its Quick Charge technology charges the battery 20% faster, however, the device takes quite some time to get fully charged.
I found some lag while multi-tasking as well as when launching the Skype app, the experience wasn’t as smooth as expected.
Why Buy it?
The Redmi 2 is a great entry-level budget smartphone. At a price of Rs 6,999, the phone offers a great display, mid-range hardware and a good camera.
The dual-mode, 4G dual-sim make it the perfect future-ready, affordable device.The only flipside it has is 1 GB RAM. A higher RAM would have ensured better performance especially with multi-tasking.
Overall, a great buy for someone looking for an entry-level phone that doesn’t pinch your pocket too much.
Key Specifications: Xiaomi Redmi 2
Processor: 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) Quad Core
RAM: 1 GB
Display: 4.7 Inch HD IPS Touchscreen Display
Operating System: Android 4.4 Kitkat with MiUI
Rear Camera: 8 MP With LED Flash
Front Camera: 2 MP
Connectivity: Dual SIM, 4G, WiFi, Bluetooth, FM Radio
Battery: 2200 mAh
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