Xiaomi is relentless in turning out new phones (or any product for that matter). The Xiaomi Redmi 5 series is the latest to be announced, just in time to provide the much needed breather from the ever increasing smartphone prices. I was never into Redmi because the design was pretty yucky IMHO. However, the 5 series is entirely different. It has a wee bit of wow factor in the design aspect. Never mind that it looks like a mashup of a Samsung, HTC and iPhone, it is quite pleasing to the eyes – thanks in part to the FullView display that engulfed almost the entire front.
Gone are the soft navigation keys that enable 18:9 screen – a screen aspect ratio that is fast becoming a standard in today’s smartphones. There are three models under the new 5 series: Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus and a Redmi 5A. The latter is not quite the former two; it is a super budget phone that still bears much of its predecessor’s design and specs are, obviously, the basics of basics. Anywho, the Redmi 5 sports a 5.7-inch HD+ display and powered by a 14 nm born-Snapdragon 450 chipset with an octacore processor clocking in at 1.8 GHz and Adreno 506 GPU, backed by a choice of 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, or 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage.
It has a 3,300 mAh battery that supports up to 5V/2A charging. As for imaging, it gets a 12 MP 1.25 µm camera with f2.2 aperture around the back and a 5 MP up front. Then there are the usual suspects of connectivity and sensors. The Redmi 5 Plus, on the other hand, has a 5.99-inch FHD+ display and it is driven by a Snapdragon 625 paired to Adreno 506 GPU, 3/4 GB RAM and 32/64 GB storage. Being larger, it also gets a meatier battery, rated at 4,000 mAh. As for the rest of the specifications, they are identical to the Redmi 5, except for added support for 5G WiFi.
Finally, there’s the very iPhone-ish 5A which touts a more manageable 5-inch HD display with a more usual 16:9 screen A.R. The 5A gets its power from a Snapdragon 425, backed by Adreno 308 graphics, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. Battery is 3,000 mAh. 5A has a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front-facing shooter. The rest of the specs are pretty much what you have to expect from a modern day smartphone. You know, the usual variety of connectivity and sensors, and whatnot. All three phones have, of course, dual SIM support which means, the storage is expandable via microSD card.
Both Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are available in four color options: Gold, Light Blue, Rose Gold, Black and as for the Redmi 5A, it is offered in Light Blue, Champagne Gold, Cherry Pink, and Platinum Silver. Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus will hit the shelves starting December 12 in China, obviously, with start prices of 799 RMB and 999 RMB (approx. US$120 and US$150), respectively. The Xiaomi Redmi 5A, on the other hand, is available now for $599 (about US$90) a pop.
Images: Xiaomi [CH].
Xiaomi [CH] via GSM Arena.