One of the most promising companies to deliver on both customer satisfaction and product quality Xiaomi is slowly starting to dominate most of the smartphone market. When it entered with a high spec device it was automatically given requests to please the budget crowd and it did exactly that when it launched the Redmi 1S. Now Xiaomi has taken that and managed to launch an upgraded version of the Redmi1S at the exact same price point, the Xiaomi Redmi 2.
Our friends at www.gearbest.com recently sent us the Xiaomi Redmi 2 smartphone for review. We take a look at a review of the phone, highlighting key aspects regarding design, software, and hardware components.
Design
The Xiaomi Redmi 2 isnโt the prettiest or shiniest device out there but without a doubt, itโs a solidly built device. The phone retains the same form factor we’ve seen on the Redmi 1S complete with the rounded corners and the red navigation keys on the front which give it a distinct Xiaomi look and feel.
The front of the phone features a 4.7-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protected IPS display with an HD resolution and 312PPIย pixel density. Text appears sharp and even on close distance any pixelation isnโt noticed. There’s an LED light just below the Home key that lights up to alert you whenever there’s a new notification or the phone’s battery needs your attention.
The Redmi 2 sports a removable back cover that wraps around the edges and houses the dual SIM card slot along with a microSD card slot. However, Xiaomi has replaced the black colored cover with a white one. The cover has a matte finish and less susceptible to smudges. It is also easy to take the cover off thanks to the small opening at the right-hand side. On the right-hand side, you have a volume rocker and power/standby button whereas the left-hand side edge is clean. The metallic power and volume rocker keys offer good tactile feedback. On top, you have the 3.5mm audio jack and at the bottom, you have the microUSB port.
There is the audio speaker at the top beside the proximity sensor and the 2MP front camera. On the rear, there is an 8MP camera with the LED flash and a speaker. It measures 9.4mm in thickness and weighs around 133 grams. The overall build quality is very nice and the matte finish improves the grip a lot, but the phone still feels a bit slippy.
Hardware
Xiaomi Redmi 2 features a slight upgrade from the 1S. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC which has a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A53 processor along with Adreno 306GPU graphics. Paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The 8GB internal storage option gives up to 5.75GB to the user. The phone also features a microSD card slot that supports storage cards of up to 32GB. Xiaomi plans to release a 16GB internal storage and 2GB RAM variant of the Redmi 2 later.
The Redmi 2 comes with a dual SIM configuration with dual 4G SIM standby. Also included are Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.0 LE and GPS with A-GPS / GLONASS and Beidou. Sensors such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor and compass are also available. The 8MP camera on the rear side along with a 2MP front-facing camera claims to have a 1.4micrometer pixel size. The phone’s 5-element lens has a ฦ/2.2 aperture to capture more light, and 28mm wide-angle lens to cover a wider area. And to top off the phone has a removable 2,200mAh Li-Polymer battery which is a huge bonus.
Software
The Xiaomi Redmi 2 is launched with the MIUI 6 OS which runs on top of Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS. This is Xiaomiโs latest update and brings a lot of design changes and improved experience as well. But for a lot of iOS users it feels a lot like home since the MIUI 6 has taken a lot of cues from it.
The overall look of MIUI hasnโt changed drastically, but Xiaomi has refined the design giving the apps a simpler and flatter look
One of the many advantages of MIUI 6 is it allows you to easily switch apps between screens. You can hold onto any app using one finger while swiping the screen with the other finger. You can add widgets, change transition effects too. The camera app and browser have also gotten new redesigned looks.
Battery Life
The phone packs a 2,200mAh removable battery which will last you a full working day. Using the screen at the highest level brightness and with constant 3G data, making about 1-2 hours of phone calls, casual gaming. It lasted more than 22 hours which very good for a normal days use.
User Interface
It’s a well-known fact that Mi devices featured the MIUI ROM which known for blending the iOS and Android feel together. Unlike the plain and drab look we see on most Android devices, the MIUI interface focuses on the use of vibrant colors in the UI and uniformity through the icon and interface theming. The Redmi 2 features all rings and bells Xiaomi devices are famous for. The screenshots provided below will give you a sneak peek into how sophisticated the MIUI interface is.
Final Say
Xiaomi was already a winner in the mid-range budget phone market and has just strengthened its hold even more with the Redmi 2 has got another winner at its hand. The phone offers a great display, hardware and a good camera for the amazing price point it comes for.
The 4G dual-sim makes it the perfect future-ready device. Xiaomi can work on the software to iron out some minor details. Apart from that, it’s the best option if you’re buying your first smartphone.
For any more suggestions regarding the Xiaomi Redmi 2 or about the review do let us know using your comments below. If you are interested in buying the Redmi 2 or some other phone, click the link below to enjoy the cheapest and the best deals.
Courtesy: GearBest
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