Meet Xiaomi Redmi 5, the affordable 18:9 phone to beat?
The affordable 18:9 phone to beat? |
Meet Xiaomi Redmi 5
Headphone jack slot, mic, and IR Blaster on top |
Single speaker, micro USB port below |
Hybrid slot at left |
Power button and volume rocker at right |
Sensor box |
The Redmi 5 is equipped with a 5.7-inch display with tall screen aspect ratio of 18:9. However, Xiaomi just failed to make its bezels slimmer. The top and bottom bezels are considered as thick for a phone with 18:9 ratio.
Modern tall screen ratio, but bezels are thicker than expected!
The 5.7-inch HD+ screen that Xiaomi used is average in quality. It has 10 points of touch, colors are balance, and viewing angles are okay. The display is quite reflective though. It has 450 nits of brightness which is only bright enough for indoor use.
Almost 70K AnTuTu score! |
Inside, this phone is a beast for the price. It goes with the same 64-bit Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. It is coupled with Adreno 506 GPU. That underrated chipset is commonly found on phones found in the over PHP 13K price range.
Speedy phone for the expected price!
Xiaomi also added 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and 3,300mAh battery. The battery can around 5 to 7 hours SOT. Charging time is quite fast at around 1.5 hours.
Single 12MP PDAF main camera |
The cameras are intiially disappointing though. The 12MP f/2.2 primary camera with PDAF focus and LED flash has fast focus and shooting speed. However, it doesn't take that well exposed photos even in daylight. Weirdly, lowlight performance is decent for the price, but expect it to have noticeable grain.
Underexposed daylight shot with grain |
Acceptable lowlight performance |
In front, the 5MP f/2.0 sensor is even more disappointing. It is underexposed, lacking in details, blurry, and grainy even in conditions with decent lighting. Fortunately, it has a flash in front for lowlight selfies.
Selfie camera needs improvement |
Hopefully, Xiaomi can improve its cameras through a software upgrade.
The rest of the features
The Redmi 5 also has a speedy and accurate fingerprint scanner, OTG support, LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, gyroscope sensor, and IR Blaster (universal remote control). It has an LED light for notifications as well.The phone loads with Android 7.1.2 Nougat w/ MIUI 9.
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Specs
So far, we think that this phone is designed for users who needs a pretty capable CPU, GPU and strong battery performance on a tight budget.
Initially, its back and front cameras are not that impressive though. If you can spend a bit more, we suggest to check out the likes of Mi A1 and OPPO A83 with better cameras.
If you are willing to take the risk, grey market vendors sell it at around PHP 8.5K (3GB RAM / 32GB ROM).
However, since Xiaomi now has an official local presence, we strongly suggest to wait for the official local SRP of this handset before buying it.
Special thanks to Bryan Bonifacio for the help!
Stay tuned for more info soon!
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