Xiaomi Redmi 4 takeaways: A fine balance of software, hardware and design

With an efficient 4,100 mAh battery, Redmi 4 will be available from May 23 noon on Mi.com, Amazon.in

China-based smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi on Tuesday updated its entry-level Redmi series with the launch of the Redmi 4 smartphone in India. Successor to the already famous Redmi 3S, the latest smartphone carries the legacy forward by offering a very efficient 4100mAh battery in a compact design form. The smartphone, priced at Rs 6,999, will be available from  noon on May 23 on Amazon India, Mi.com and Mi home.

Coming to the specifications, the dual-SIM smartphone features a 5-inch HD screen enclosed in a metal body. The screen is covered with a 2.5D curved glass that adds to the overall design language of the smartphone. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor, which is an octa-core SoC, coupled with an Adreno 505 GPU. The Redmi 4 supports 4G LTE and VoLTE out of the box, covering all-India LTE bands.
 

Key features:
 

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Octa-core processor
• 4100mAh battery that can last for 2 days under regular usage
• 13MP PDAF (phase detection autofocus) camera, 5MP, f/2.0 front with Beautify mode
• 5-inch HD display
• Metal body with fingerprint sensor. 2.5D curved glass
• Dual SIM (3-choose-2 hybrid SIM tray)
• LTE and VoLTE support
• Three variants: 2GB RAM + 16GB Flash, 3GB + 32GB, and 4GB + 64GB
• Up to 128GB microSD expandable storage
• Available in Black and Gold colours
• MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0

On the camera front, the Redmi 4 sports a 13 megapixel rear camera assisted with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) for faster focusing. The camera is capable to record 1080P full HD video. On the front, there is a 5MP, f/2.0 aperture camera that features beautification mode for clearer selfies.

The Redmi 4 boots Android 6.0.1 with MIUI 8 on the top. However, the device can be upgraded to Android Nougat preview that will further be upgraded to Nougat version very soon.

The Redmi 4 has been launched in three variants -- 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM, 3GB + 32GB, and 4GB + 64GB. All the variants feature expandable card slot that can take microSD card of up to 128GB.

The 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM variant of the smartphone is priced at INR 6,999, and 3GB + 32GB variant will be available for INR 8,999. The 4GB + 64GB variant will be launched at INR 10,999 by the end of June.