Every quarter, smartphone shipment data is accompanied by two constants—observations that India’s purchasing power is increasing, and that mid-range or premium phones drive sales. It is easy, in that moment, to underplay any importance of a truly affordable Android phone for the (silent) masses. Little surprise that Xiaomi worked closely with Qualcomm for months, on a chip and phone combination that brought 5G at price tags below the ₹10,000. The Redmi A4, seems to be a successful result of that pursuit.
With ₹8,499 and ₹9,499 price tags, Xiaomi has delivered on the plan to have a 5G phone that costs around ₹8,000. There are two spec options to select. While it is natural for some trepidation that corners may have been cut with the Redmi A4 to keep costs down, that isn’t the case. Headline specs include a large 6.88-inch display with the 120Hz refresh rate, a 50-megapixel camera, and the first phone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 5G processor. There’s very little to complain about the build, design or colour choices (quite an option of contrast between black and purple), except perhaps we can nitpick about the bezels around the screen.
Also Read:Qualcomm $99 5G phone plans with Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, needs phone makers in sync
Xiaomi has done a good balancing act with the display that’s in use. This large display real estate is limited to a 720p resolution (keep costs in check; bonus is less battery usage) but that’s more than made up for with the 120Hz refresh rate. Very usable display, even under the typical afternoon sun. Two things to note here—Xiaomi isn’t compromising on the screen size (with larger displays being par for course now) and neither is it holding back the faster refresh rate capability (there’s a premium-ness attached to the 120Hz refresh rate feature).
This being the first phone powered by the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, does raise some intrigue. The paired RAM option is 4GB across both specs (the change being 64GB or 128GB storage). For most usage, the memory thats available isn’t at all a hinderance—and if you do decide to play games on this phone, you’ll be creating a hindrance all on your own accord. That said, gaming isn’t completely off the table, as long as you keep expectations low in terms of the titles this phone will be able to handle, and the visual settings even lower.
Also Read:Following QLED norm provides solid foundation for Xiaomi’s new X Pro TVs
The budget pricing and structure of this Redmi A4 is meant as a first smartphone for many, and a truly affordable option for those on a strict budget. The hardware that is in play, is more than adequate in that regard. There are no signs of the phone struggling even with three social media apps open at the same time, and neither does the Redmi A4 betray any signs of thermal spikes on the back panel.
Another scenario with which the Xiaomi Redmi A4 really impresses is with the 50-megapixel camera, that though requiring some manual compensation for lack of image stabilisation, delivers vibrant photos. The kind you’d not usually see in phones that sit a shade below the ₹10,000 price point. Dynamic range is most impressive, perhaps also because the colour separation and overall vibrancy in most good light photos, is better than you’d expect. Videos are limited to 1080p at 30 frames per second. Two parts to this observation—the 30fps ceiling is a bit out of place now, but not having 4K recording resolution support, is not out of the ordinary at all.
It is difficult to ignore how well Xiaomi has designed the Redmi A4, which at first, second or third glance, doesn’t at all betray its budget proposition. That never was, and still isn’t the case with truly affordable smartphones, which considering the nature of the proposition, have to cut corners to keep costs down. For most intents and purposes, Xiaomi has not compromised on the crucial interface points of a smartphone. Performance, design, display, camera and also the charging aspect (with a 33w charger bundled), all seem to be ticking off the right boxes on a checklist.
