Redmi Y1

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 : Great Selfie Smartphone

At this price point for the 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM devices, Redmi Y1 essentially competes with "Canvas Infinity" from Micromax (which costs Rs 10,999) and Redmi Note 4 (Rs 9,999) - a hugely-popular Xiaomi device.  Sporting a 5.5-inch display, the Redmi Y1 is specially designed for selfie lovers of the country. It has a 16-megapixel camera at the front along with a diffused selfie flash and a 13-megapixel primary camera and the single-LED flash at the back of the phone. The phone is powered with Snapdragon 435 and an octa-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz. It comes in two variants - 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There is also an option to expand storage by up to 128GB using the dedicated microSD card slot. To power, a 3080mAh non-removable battery has been used in the device. Xiaomi is best known for offering feature-packed devices in entry-level price segment, and the newly launched Redmi Y1 just adds another feather to its cap. It is a smart device with good features, mainly focussed to attract selfie lovers.

The Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi have reached to the second position (after Samsung) in the Indian smartphone market in the last four years. Xiaomi's flagship devices- Redmi note 4, Redmi 4 and Redmi 4A have contributed to a great extent in the growth of the company in the Indian market because of their aggressive pricing and noteworthy hardware specifications. The company offers huge range of mobile phones in all types of categories ranging from budget, mid-range to high-end models to the prospective smartphone buyers. The company has now expanded its budget line-up series with the selfie focussed "Redmi Y" series (Y significantly stands for "You"). Xiaomi's new Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite are selfie-centric devices having impressive front facing camera and a decent set of hardware specifications. Redmi Y1 is the rebranded model of Redmi Note 5A Prime with same hardware. Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is a mid-range device and has specifications and a price similar to that of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 like 5.5-inch touchscreen HD display with 720p resolution, octa-core Snapdragon 435 processor paired with multiple RAM options- 3GB/4GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, 16MP front camera, 3080 mAH battery and the difference is that Redmi Y1 has been customised specially for Indians with specialized features like text for railway bookings and calendars that depicts all major Indian holidays. Xiaomi Redmi Y1 comes in two variants- 3GB RAM+ 32GB priced at Rs. 8,999 and 4GB RAM+ 64GB priced at Rs. 10,999 and will be available for purchase exclusively on Amazon.

Pros :

• Large display
• Affordable pricing
• Ample storage space
• Excellent 16MP selfie camera with front flash
• Dedicated microSD card slot

Cons :

• Non removable battery
• Low display resolution
• Lack of fast charging support
• Not waterproof

Truely Power Packed Performance

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is powered by a 64 bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 Processor clocked at 1.4 GHz coupled with 3GB/4GB of RAM and Adreno 505 GPU so that the user can perform daily tasks as well as play power intensive games like Prime Peaks, Asphalt 8 etc with utmost ease and comfort though the games like Angry Birds 2, Temple Run 2 took little time to load and also had to face certain heating issues. The phone will deliver smooth and reliable performance and the user can effortlessly and seamlessly multitask between multiple applications and also play high-end and graphically intensive games without any lag or delay. In terms of storage, it comes with 32GB/64GB onboard storage memory which can be expanded upto 128GB via a dedicated microSD card slot. There were no visible lags or noticeable stutter while navigating between home screens and/or multitasking like opening multiple tabs on Chrome browser, streamed music and social media apps. The device boots on a Android Nougat 7.1.1 (Nougat) operating system customised with Xiaomi's latest skin wrapped under MIUI 8 out-of-the-box which will be upgraded to the latest MIUI 9. MIUI 9 interface is loaded with system level customizations and optimizations to get the best out of phone's battery life and performance along with new exciting features like a virtual assistant, the Energy saving mode which stops the applications running in the background on the low battery. Shop for the Redmi Y1 at Amazon India and get a powerful smartphone experience within your budget.

Display and sleek design

In a first impression, Redmi Y1 sports similar look as that of Redmi 4 but with a bigger display and Corning Gorilla glass on the top. It comes with plastic built design with antenna bands running at the top and bottom on the rear side though it gives a premium look and feel besides it having its plastic body. The entire back panel and sides along with the power and volume buttons are made out of plastic. It has 7.7mm thickness having dimensions of 153 x 76.2 x 7.7 mm with curved rounded edges which makes it easy to hold and carry anywhere. It weighs around 153 grams with a very light-form factor that makes its handling very easy. The device comes with 5.5-inch IPS LCD HD display with 1280x720p resolution and 267 ppi pixel density which provides accurate colour reproduction, sharp and vibrant images and amazing viewing experience to the user though having FHD or FHD+ resolution would have been much better. Also, if you don't like the standard display settings, you can change them to warm or cool according to your preference. The display is smooth to touch, durable and protected with Corning Gorilla Glass against any scratches or any kind of accidental physical damages and comes with non-backlit capacitive touch buttons below the screen for navigation. The display is also equipped with "Reading mode" which delivers great performance in dim light also. The bottom of the phone has the Micro-USB port for charging and grills on either side. The huge display is highly suitable for media consumption like watching videos, reading e-books, playing games etc. The middle frame is made up of aluminium frame which ensures better heat dissipation. The rear mounted fingerprint sensor is used to unlock the device and is extremely responsive. The 13-megapixel primary camera comes with single-LED flash which are placed in the top left corner while the fingerprint scanner is at the centre. On the top of the phone, there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a secondary mic for noise cancellation. It is available in two colour options- Gold and Dark grey. It supports dual SIM functionality and both the SIMs can be used for making calls while expanding the internal data storage also.

Camera performance

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 phone is a delight for selfie lovers as it features a 16MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture, 76.4-degree wide angle sensor and diffused selfie flash which can capture detailed selfie clicks having accurate colour reproduction and fine detailing and record videos upto 1080p resolution. For great portrait shots, there are smart and pro modes to smoothen it. There is 13MP primary camera with single-tone LED flash, f./2.2 aperture and additional features like PDAF (Phase detection autofocus), Face detection, Touch focus, Digital zoom, Video recording, geo-tagging, Phase detection and shooting modes like Continuos Shooting, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR) and Burst mode. The main highlight of this phone is its selfie camera which can shoot crisp, clear images under all types of light conditions- in day as well as night. They have real-time Beautify 3.0 software feature which ensures that the user is able to capture great selfie clicks. The phone has a camera app which comes with lot of Instgram-like filters which eases the editing process. You can also click photos using the fingerprint sensor.

Great battery backup and multiple connectivity options

This dual SIM device is powered by a high capacity 3080 mAH non-removable battery which delivers satisfactory performance and enables your phone to work continously for one full day on moderate usage so that you can easily play games, chat with friends, click selfies, listen to music and watch movies without running out of battery. With its power optimisations, it can deliver upto 11 hours of video playback, 16 hours of gaming and 35 hours of call time. However, the battery does not come with Quick charge support. Like most Xiaomi phones, it also features an InfraRed sensor that enables you to control IR-remote based home appliances with your phone hence making your life more easy and simple. Other features include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and a micro USB port for charging and data transfer. It is a dual SIM (Nano SIM + Nano SIM) smartphone with both the slots being compatible with 4G and VoLTE but only one SIM can access a 4G network at a time. The various types of sensors supported on the phone include a compass magnetometer, proximity sensor, hall sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer and an ambient light sensor.

Key Specifications at a glance

1. The phone is powered by a 1.4 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 Processor paired with 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB internal storage memory and Adreno 505 graphics.
2. It sports 5.5-inch HD display with 1280x720p resolution and 267 ppi pixel density.
3. It features 13MP rear camera and 16MP front facing selfie camera.
4. It runs on Android 7.2 Nougat operating system customised with latest MIUI 9 interface.
5. The battery capacity is 3080 mAH which is sufficient for a day's uninterrupted usage.
6. Both the SIMs support 4G and VoLTE network connectivity.
7. Sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.

What are the drawbacks of buying this phone?

1. Average rear camera : The company has primarily focussed on front camera. The primary camera is just ok and could have been better. The picture quality is greatly affected in low light.
2. No full HD display : With 5.5 inch screen display, the display could have been atleast full HD.
3. Plastic body : The phone comes with all-plastic body which is a let down as most of the phones these days have attractive metallic unibody design.

Why should we buy this phone?

1. Front camera : The USP of this device is its 16MP front facing camera which can capture great selfies in indoor as well as outdoor shoots. Additionally, the Beauty feature can make your face look slim or make the skin look smooth.
2. Processor : The powerful 1.4 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 425 processor paired with 4GB RAM delivers great performance and ensures smooth multitasking and you can use multiple apps at a time without any hiccups.
3. Ample Storage Space : The smartphone is equipped with an internal storage capacity of 64GB which can be further expanded upto 128GB via dedicated microSD card slot. This ample storage capacity of the device enables the user to store lot of media, muic and documents.

Redmi Y1 vs Redmi Y1 Lite specifications and features

Unlike other budget phones, Redmi Y1 has an amazing 16MP front camera which is the main USP of the phone with f/2.0 aperture, 76.4-degree wide-angle lens and selfie LED flash. The front shooter comes with 36 pre-installed smart beautify profiles and the user can use the beautification feature in real time while doing video calls. On the contrary, Redmi Y1 Lite sports 5MP camera without the front LED flash or the wide-angle lens. The software features like facial recognition, real-time beautification and selfie countdown are present in both the models. Both the devices feature a 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with f/2.2 aperture and phase-detection autofocus, and real-time filters and also sport similar design and look with very minor difference like Lite variant weighs 150 grams and has 7.55mm thickness, while the Redmi Y1 weighs 150 grams and is 7.7mm thick. As for display panel, they feature 5.5-inch HD (1280x720p) display with curved edges around the corners and smooth metallic cover on the rear panel. In terms of specifications and features, Redmi Y1 scores over Redmi Y1 Lite. Unlike Redmi Y1 Lite, Redmi Y1 flaunts 16MP front shooter with dedicated LED flash, fingerprint scanner on the rear panel and its front display is protected by 2.5D curved glass. On the other hand, Y1 Lite sports a less superior 5MP camera and lacks LED flash support, fingerprint sensor and 2.5D glass protection. Redmi Y1 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 octa-core chipset with 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage variants. Whereas Redmi Y1 Lite is packed with less superior configuration which is quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset backed by 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. Redmi Y1 series also comes with a dedicated microSD slot for 128GB internal storage along with two Nano-SIM slots unlike other Xiaomi phones which come with hybrid SIM slot. Both of them will run the MIUI 9 beta build based on Android Nougat operating system. Both the Redmi Y1 and the Y1 Lite come with non-removable 3,080mAh battery.

Final Verdict :

If you are looking to buy a feature-rich, power efficient device which provides excellent value for money in below 10K price range, then Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is a great choice. The sleek design along with Snapdragon 435 processor offers ultimate experience to the smartphone user. The biggest competitor to Redmi Y1 is Xiaomi Redmi 4. Both the phones are similarly priced and have similar hardware configuration except that Redmi 4 has smaller 5-inch display, bigger 4100 mAH battery and metal body. Buy your selected model online by checking the best offers available.

About Xiaomi brand

Xiaomi is a privately owned company based in China which designs, develops and sells smartphones, an Android-based OS and other consumer electronics. Xiaomi also makes fitness trackers, TVs, air purifiers, and tablets. It has a skin for its Android phones and tablets – MIUI. The company largely sells its phones at reputed online portals via flash sales in India.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does it support dual SIM and a memory card simultaneously?

Ans : Yes, it supports two Nano SIMs and a memory card simultaneously.

Does it support Jio SIM?

Ans : Yes, it supports Jio SIM.

Is this phone waterproof?

Ans : No, the phone is not resistant to water.

Does it support OTG?

Ans : Yes, it supports OTG.

Does it support VoLTE?

Ans : Both its SIMs are compatible with 4G VoLTE connectivity but only one SIM can use 4G network at a time.

Does this phone have a dedicated memory card slot?

Ans : The phone comes with 32GB/64GB onboard storage which can be expanded upto 128GB via a dedicated memory card slot.

Is the phone prone to scratches?

Ans : No, the phone is protected by Gorilla glass against scratches or any kind of minor accidental physical damages.

Does the rear camera of the phone support flashlight?

Ans : Yes, the primary camera comes with single tone LED flash.

Does it have metallic body ?

Ans : No, the phone has all plastic body with metallic cover at the back.

Where is the fingerprint sensor positioned in the phone?

Ans : The fingerprint reader is placed at the rear panel in the center of the device.

How does MIUI 9 differ from its previous MIUI 8 interface ?

Ans : The advanced and most recent MIUI 9 user interface comes with new features like a virtual assistant, the Energy saving mode which optimises the battery life and performance of the device making it more efficient.

How is the battery backup of Redmi Y1?

Ans : The phone comes with non-removable 3080 mAH battery to offer continous working for a day.

Which is better Redmi Y1 or Redmi 4A of same price?

Ans : Redmi Y1 is better as it sports bigger 5.5-inch screen size and more advanced Android 7.0 operating system.

Does it have USB OTG support?

Ans : Yes, this phone is equipped with USB OTG feature for easy and fast data transfer.

What are the contents of the box?

Ans : Besides the handset, the box also contains other items like battery, charger, micro USB cable, 10W USB adapter, headsets, SIM ejector tool, protective case and manual guide.