Xiaomi Redmi Y1: Budget selfie-centric phone with satisfactory performance

The Redmi Y1 is priced at Rs 8,999 for the base model with 32GB storage and 3GB RAM and Rs 10,999 for higher variant with 64GB storage and 4 GB RAM

In its first shot at the selfie-centric smartphone segment, Chinese smatphone manufacturer Xiaomi has come up with not one but two budget devices -- the Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite. While the Lite variant costs Rs 6,999, the Redmi Y1 is priced at Rs 8,999 for the base model (32GB storage and 3GB RAM) and Rs 10,999 for the premium variant with 64GB storage and 4 GB RAM.

Business Standard reviewed the Redmi Y1 to test its selfie camera capabilities, besides the overall smartphone performance. Here are our observations:

Camera

The Redmi Y1 sports a 16-megapixel front camera, coupled with an LED flash. The images captured using the selfie shooter come out clean, but show heavy post-processing. The soft flashlight assists in taking low-light shots but limits the use only to selfies. The overall picture quality is nothing exceptionally good but praiseworthy for its price segment.

The 13MP rear camera takes better photographs than the higher resolution front-facing selfie camera. It performs well in bright lighting but shakes in low-light conditions.

Performance

This selfie-centric smartphone is no powerhouse. Running on Qualcomm’s entry-level Snapdragon 435 SoC, it does well in daily tasks like checking emails, browsing the web, calling and messaging, with no signs of a lag. The performance takes a toll, however, during processor-intensive tasks like broadcasting live video on social media channels for extended hours, or playing games while keeping screen recorder active in the background.

The dual-SIM smartphone offers VoLTE capabilities on both SIMs, with good network reception and a satisfactory call quality. Also, there is a dedicated memory card slot that comes in handy for additional storage.

The smartphone runs Android Nougat 7.1.1 out of the box, covered under MIUI 8.5. The recently announced MIUI 9 Global ROM is scheduled to come sometime this month.

Design

The smartphone wears a metallic finish that looks premium. The front is covered with a 5.5-inch HD screen, which is bright but marred at times by limited pixels per inch. The screen is covered with a 2.5D Gorilla Glass that blends perfectly in the chassis.

The sensor placed on the back recognises fingerprints quickly, even if your fingers are moist. It takes almost no time to unlock the screen, irrespective of how you are holding the phone in your hand.

Battery

The Redmi Y1 houses a 3,080 mAh battery that keeps the show running for almost a day. The software-optimised battery assistant helps keep the phone running optimally but requires regular check-ups to clean the processes that drain the battery in the backdground.

Verdict

With a price starting at Rs 8,999 for the base model, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 meets the need of selfie lovers. Being a budget smartphone, the Redmi Y1 seems like an updated Redmi 4 with a few major changes here and there. In the sub-Rs 10,000 price segment, the smartphone could be a challenger to the Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie.