Xiaomi Redmi S2 leak shows Redmi Note 5 Pro-inspired design: Details here

The India-bound budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature face-unlock mechanism. Here are all the details you need to have for the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is closely working on a new Redmi device that is also expected to make its way to India. Touted as the Redmi S2, the budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature the face-unlock mechanism, according to a report by online technology-based forum XDA-developers.

Now, the phone's purported image renders, shared by a Czech-based online publication SvetAndroida, show Redmi S2's front and back views. Based on renders, the phone would sport a tall 18:9 aspect ratio screen on the front and dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner. The phone’s back seems identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched in India on February 14. However, the dual antenna lines on top and bottom have a different design and, therefore, the phone seems to bring some design element changes too.

Photo: SvetAndroida

In terms of specifications and features, the report in XDA hinted that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen of HD+ (1440×720) resolution. It would be powered by a Qualcomm MSM 8953 system-on-chip (SoC), which is a Snapdragon 625 processor. In terms of storage, the phone would have a 16GB variant, though other storage models are also likely, and there would be a microSD card slot for storage extension. As for memory, the phone would likely come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants.

Talking of imaging, the phone would have a dual-camera set-up on the back, which will either have the 12-megapixel primary sensor of Sony IMX486 or OmniVision OV12A10, and the 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 as the secondary sensor. On the front, there would be a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 would have a 3,080mAh battery and boot Android Oreo 8.1 out-of-the-box.

Based on most of the specifications and features, the Xiaomi Redmi S2 seems like a mixture of the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) with added dual cameras on the back. While most of the specifications, such as HD+ screen and storage and RAM variants put it in line with the Redmi 5, the Snapdragon 625 processor would give the Redmi S2 a huge boost in terms of processing power.

Comparison with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The Redmi Note 5 Pro made a global debut with its India launch on February 14. The smartphone offers a modern design, powerful processor, iPhone X-inspired dual camera set-up, mammoth battery and price tags of Rs 13,999 and Rs 16,999 for the 64GB/4GB and 64G/6GB variants, respectively.

The Note 5 Pro does bring substantial upgrades to the predecessor, the Note 4. 

Redmi Note 5 Pro camera

The phone uses a 12-megapixel sensor sourced from Sony in combination with a 5MP sensor sourced from Samsung together to deliver refined performance. However, because the secondary camera in the Note 5 Pro is not telephoto lens, the 2x zooming capabilities are missing. On the positive side, the camera boasts portrait mode, powered by some sort of artificial intelligence.

On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera assisted with LED flash. The front camera also features the portrait mode, which utilises company’s AI algorithms to create the bokeh effect for artificial blurs.

Redmi Note 5 Pro specs and features

The Redmi Note 5 Pro was the first global device powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, which is an octa-core SoC built on 14 nanometre (NM) process. The phone boots MIUI 9, which can now be updated to MIUI 9.5. The Android-based customised operating system looks neat and the phone keeps the thermals in control while using power-intensive tasks for extended hours.

Importantly, a 4,000 mAh battery keeps the phone working for almost one full day. A 4,000 mAh battery in the Note 5 Pro is good 100 mAh less than Note 4, yet it manages to deliver almost the same on-battery time or even better. However, the phone takes more than one-and-a-half hours to replenish its battery from zero to 100 per cent.

Other competitors

Infocus Vision 3 Pro

American smartphone brand Infocus recently launched the Vision 3 Pro, which is an upgraded version of its 18:9 aspect ratio screen-based Infocus Vision 3. Priced at Rs 10,999, the budget-centric smartphone boasts a powerful processor, 64 GB of internal storage, 4 GB of RAM, a dual-camera set-up on the back, and a mammoth 4,000 mAh battery.

Infocus Vision 3 Pro specifications and features

The phone sports a modern 5.7-inch HD+ ultra-wide screen on the front and a dual-camera set-up placed horizontally on the upper left side of the back. Talking about imaging, the rear dual-cameras on the back sports 13-megapixel and 8MP sensors. There is a 13MP selfie camera on the front, however, without the selfie flashlight that the competitors offer.

The Infocus Vision 3 Pro is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery that keeps the show running for almost 2 days on a single charge. The phone boots Smile UX, which is a customised Android 7.0 Nougat-based operating system.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1

Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer Asus on April 23 made a global debut of the Zenfone Max Pro M1 in India. The budget smartphones comes in two variants – 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB storage & 4GB RAM and 64 GB of storage. The company has priced the base model at Rs 10,999, and Rs 12,999 for the top-end variant.

Asus has also confirmed the 6GB RAM variant, priced at Rs 14,999, which will go on sale later. Designed for Indian consumers, the smartphone boasts the stock Android Oreo 8.1, a modern 18:9 aspect ratio screen, dual rear cameras, and a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery.

The phone sports a 13-megapixel and 5MP camera on the rear and an 8MP camera on the front. The camera is powered by the Snapdragon camera app, which is not as polished as the camera app found in ZenUI, Asus’ proprietary customised theme based on Google Android. However, the app has been custom-tuned to make it easier to understand and use.

The Zenfone Max Pro M1 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 system-on-chip (SoC) and boots stock Android Oreo 8.1 operating system out of the box.