Xiaomi had an event today in India where two phones
were introduced within a new smartphone series - the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and the
Redmi Y1 Lite. Both phones might be part of new series, but they are already
familiar. The phones are the global versions of the Redmi Note 5A Prime and the
Redmi Note 5A, released in September in China.
The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 has a 5.5” LCD with Full HD
resolution and a Snapdragon 435 chipset with an octa-core CPU clocked at 1.4
GHz. There are two memory options - 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage or 4 GB RAM + 64
GB storage.
Xiaomi spent plenty of time at the event talking up
the selfie camera. It has a 16 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and 76-degree
lens, paired with an LED flash. The camera on the back actually has a
lower-resolution 13 MP sensor. The phone comes with a fingerprint sensor on the
back as well as a trio of card slots so two nano SIMs and a microSD can be
accommodated at the same time.
The 3GB RAM/32GB storage Xiaomi Redmi Y1 will go for
INR 8,999 (US$ 140), while the more premium 4GB/64GB option is INR 10,999 (US$ 170). The lite version of the Redmi Y1 shares the specs of
the Redmi Note 5A. There is a Snapdragon 425 chipset and 2 GB RAM and a 5.5”
LCD of 720p resolution. The selfie camera has a rather basic 5 MP sensor, but
the main one has the same resolution as the non-Lite version - 13 MP. The
fingerprint scanner is gone from the back, though.
Not a particularly fancy specs sheet, but the Xiaomi
Redmi Y1 Lite’s price stands at the sweet INR 6,999 (under US$ 110), so the value
for money proposition seems outstanding. Phones will arrive on November 8
across Mi Stores and Amazon India.
