First Impressions: Redmi 2

XIAOMI

First Impressions: Redmi 2

It's tough to jot down first impressions of a Xiaomi device. The positive mindshare that the brand and the products have generated in their short time in India might clout your observations. The raging success and the aspirational ownership, which is driven by their limited flash sales model, makes you believe that the Chinese manufacturer can do no wrong.

However, taking cognizance of this reality, the exercise becomes an interesting activity as I found out at the launch of Redmi 2, the successor of Xiaomi's runaway success that is Redmi 1s. I, mostly, looked for flaws, limitations, or oddities to balance out the rave compliments one might throw at this budget smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi 2 is not too generous with upgrades to its predecessor, the Redmi 1s, but jumps on to the 4G LTE bandwagon and packs quite a punch to compete in this crowded-price segment.

Design

Like the Redmi 1s, the Redmi 2 features a 4.7-inch IPS HD display and looks a lot like it too. It's a tad more compact - the curved corners aid that - and has shed quite some weight. At 134 x 67.2 x 9.4mm with a matte back and curved edges, it allows for a comfortable grip without compromising on the screen estate.

The rear cover exposes the removable 2,200 mAh battery as well as the micro-SIM and microSD card slots. It's plastic but feels very solid and looks durable.

Display

The 4.7-inch HD IPS display offers a pixel density of 312ppi - identical specifications as the 1s. While the display quality is decent, the reflective screen is a little disappointing. I would imagine the sunlight readability to be mediocre at best.

There's also AGC Dragontrail glass protection against cracks and scratches. At the launch event, I tried scratching a regular pair of house scissors on to the screen, but that didn't do any damage. Dragontrail or Gorilla glass protection at this price point is a bonus, and Redmi 2 scores well on this front.

Software

The Redmi 2 runs on Xiaomi's latest MIUI 6 skin powered by Android 4.4.4 KitKat. MIUI ROMs are fairly popular in the Android community, and has its fans for the range of extensive customizations it offers. MIUI v6 is aimed at keeping the Android user experience as simplistic as possible, and it fares well.

Hardware

Powered by the Snapdragon 410 quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal storage, the Redmi 2 ushers in the new 64-bit generation. It might offer a slight performance boost over Snapdragon 400 that powered Redmi 1s, but don't expect miracles. For what it's worth, the MIUI 6, and the underlying Android KitKat, runs smooth on this hardware and there was no apparent lag in the little time I spent with the device.

Xiaomi also announced a limited edition Redmi 2 variant with 2GB RAM and 16GB Flash memory, but the price and availability of the same wasn't shared.

The Redmi 2 features an 8MP rear camera, equipped with a LED flash, and a 2MP front camera. While the showcased sample pictures looked great for a budget smartphone, I'd like to take it for a spin in the real world to check its mettle.

Summary

The Redmi 2 doesn't pack in ground-breaking internals and is not an aspirational device, but once you bring the ₹6,999 price into the consideration, it is a great value for money, over-delivering in most departments. If you are looking for a 4G-capable, budget smartphone, it's hard to not consider the Redmi 2.