Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1, also known as the Note 5A, is a powerful and affordable smartphone that offers great value for money. With its sleek design and a large 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, the Redmi Y1 provides an immersive viewing experience. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor and 3GB/4GB of RAM, this device delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks and multitasking. Capture stunning photos with the 13MP rear camera and take impressive selfies with the 16MP front camera. The Redmi Y1 also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security. With its long-lasting 3080mAh battery, you can enjoy all-day usage. Available in a range of attractive colors, including Gold, Dark Grey, Silver, and Rose Gold, the Redmi Y1 offers style and versatility. With its affordable price point, the Redmi Y1 is a great choice for budget-conscious consumers.

Design and Build Quality

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) boasts a design that combines aesthetics with a sturdy build. It features a sleek form factor with a slim profile of 7.7 mm, providing a premium look and feel. The device is constructed with a combination of materials, including a glass front protected by Gorilla Glass 3, a plastic back, and an aluminum frame. This combination not only enhances its durability but also adds a touch of elegance to its physical appearance.

The device has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with minimal bezels, resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 71.5%. The display offers a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The back panel houses a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security and convenience.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) is designed to be ergonomic, ensuring a comfortable grip and one-handed usability. The placement of buttons and controls is well thought out, allowing for easy access and intuitive navigation. The device weighs 153 grams, making it lightweight and portable.

In terms of its finishing touches, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) is available in various colors, including Gold, Dark Grey, Silver, and Rose Gold, catering to different preferences. The device also features rounded edges and a textured back panel, further enhancing its grip and overall user experience.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) excels in both design and build quality. It offers a sleek and premium design, robust construction, and ergonomic features, making it a highly attractive option in its price range.

Display

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, offering a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 71.5%. With a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and a pixel density of around 267 ppi, the display provides decent clarity and sharpness for everyday use. The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection helps safeguard the screen against scratches and minor impacts.

The display offers good color accuracy and vibrancy, ensuring that images and videos appear vivid and lifelike. It also provides satisfactory brightness levels, allowing for comfortable viewing even in well-lit environments. The viewing angles are wide, ensuring that the content remains visible from different perspectives.

While the Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) does not feature OLED technology or HDR support, it compensates with its overall display quality. The absence of a notch design results in slightly larger bezels, which may not appeal to users seeking a more modern aesthetic. However, the display does not disappoint in terms of touch responsiveness, offering smooth and accurate interactions.

Additionally, the device does not include features such as an always-on display or a blue light filter. However, it does offer adaptive brightness, which automatically adjusts the screen's brightness based on ambient lighting conditions. This feature helps enhance the overall user experience.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) provides a satisfactory display experience with its decent size, resolution, color accuracy, and brightness levels. While it may lack some advanced features found in higher-end devices, it offers a reliable and visually pleasing display for its price range.

Performance

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) offers commendable performance for its price range. Powered by a Qualcomm MSM8940 Snapdragon 435 chipset and an octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, this device delivers smooth multitasking and app loading speeds. Its GPU, the Adreno 505, ensures decent graphics performance and enhances the gaming capabilities of the phone.

In benchmark tests, the Redmi Y1 performs well, with GeekBench scores reaching 2610 (v4.4). This indicates strong processor performance and efficiency. The GPU benchmarks also demonstrate satisfactory graphics scores, allowing for an enjoyable gaming experience. The phone manages to handle most games with ease, providing a lag-free performance and a smooth user experience.

The system optimization of the Redmi Y1 contributes to its overall performance. The device runs on Android 7.1.2 (Nougat) with MIUI 11, which ensures efficient resource management and optimized power consumption. The thermal management of the phone is also commendable, as it prevents overheating during prolonged usage or intensive tasks.

When it comes to synthetic benchmarks, the Redmi Y1 delivers promising results. Its CPU and GPU efficiency are notable, as they allow for sustained performance even during extended usage periods. This is particularly beneficial for heavy users who require a device that can handle demanding tasks without compromising performance.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) offers a satisfactory performance package. Its chipset, CPU, and GPU combination performs well in benchmark tests, ensuring smooth multitasking, app loading, and gaming experiences. The device's system optimization and thermal management further enhance its performance metrics. For users seeking a budget-friendly smartphone without compromising on performance, the Redmi Y1 is a solid choice.

Software and User Interface

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) runs on the Android 7.1.2 (Nougat) operating system with MIUI 11 customization. MIUI is Xiaomi's own user interface that adds a layer of customization and unique features to the stock Android experience. With MIUI 11, users can expect a smooth and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate.

One of the advantages of MIUI is the availability of various pre-installed apps and features. Xiaomi provides a range of useful apps out of the box, including a file manager, security app, and a theme store that allows users to personalize the look and feel of their device. However, it's worth noting that MIUI also comes with some pre-installed apps that some users might consider as bloatware. These apps can take up storage space and cannot be uninstalled without rooting the device.

In terms of user-friendliness, MIUI offers a clean and simple interface with customizable options. The settings menu is well-organized, making it easy to find and adjust various system preferences. The notification shade and quick settings panel provide quick access to commonly used features and toggles. Additionally, MIUI offers a range of customization options, such as themes, icon packs, and gestures, allowing users to personalize their device according to their preferences.

Overall, the software experience on the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) with MIUI 11 is user-friendly and offers a good balance between customization and simplicity. While some users may find the pre-installed apps to be excessive, the overall performance and smoothness of the interface make it a popular choice among Xiaomi users.

Camera

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel front camera, making it a capable device for photography enthusiasts. The rear camera features an aperture of f/2.2 and PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), allowing for quick and accurate focusing. The front camera also has a wide aperture of f/2.5, ensuring good low-light sensitivity and the ability to capture detailed selfies even in challenging lighting conditions.

In terms of image quality, the Redmi Y1 produces vibrant and natural colors, with good sharpness and dynamic range. It performs well in daylight photography, capturing clear and detailed shots with accurate colors. The camera also provides decent performance in indoor and outdoor photography, producing images with minimal noise and good detail.

To enhance the photography experience, the Redmi Y1 offers various camera features such as HDR, panorama mode, and portrait mode. These features allow users to capture stunning landscapes, wide-angle shots, and professional-looking portraits with a blurred background effect. Additionally, the device supports AI scene recognition, which automatically optimizes settings based on the detected scene for better results.

For videography, the Redmi Y1 is capable of recording videos in 1080p resolution. While it doesn't support 4K video recording, it does offer video stabilization to reduce shaky footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse modes are also available, allowing users to add creative effects to their videos. The device supports popular video formats, ensuring compatibility with various platforms and devices.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) provides a capable camera system that delivers good image quality, especially in daylight conditions. Its range of camera features and modes further enhance the photography experience, making it a suitable choice for those who enjoy capturing moments on the go.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) is equipped with a non-removable Li-Ion 3080 mAh battery. This battery capacity is sufficient to provide a decent battery life for everyday usage. Users can expect a standby time of up to 240 hours and talk time of up to 32 hours on 3G networks. In terms of power efficiency, the Redmi Y1 offers optimized battery performance and management, ensuring longer battery endurance. The device also features battery optimization features such as a battery saver mode to prolong battery life when needed. However, there is no information available regarding fast charging or wireless charging options for this device. Overall, the battery of the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) provides satisfactory performance for day-to-day usage, but it may not offer advanced charging technologies or extended battery capacities found in higher-end devices.

Connectivity and Networking

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) offers a range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. It supports various network compatibility including GSM, HSPA, and LTE, ensuring reliable and fast data speeds. With its dual SIM capability, you can easily manage two different phone numbers on one device. When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Redmi Y1 features Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, allowing you to connect to Wi-Fi networks for internet access. Bluetooth 4.2 is also available, enabling you to connect wirelessly to other devices and accessories. Additionally, the phone supports GPS, GLONASS, and BDS for accurate navigation and location tracking. It also includes a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer. While it lacks NFC and USB-C, these features are not essential for everyone. Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) provides a good range of connectivity options, ensuring that you stay connected and have access to various wireless networks and devices.

Additional Features

• Standout features: The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) comes with a range of impressive features that make it a standout device in its price range. With its sleek design featuring a glass front, plastic back, and aluminum frame, the Redmi Y1 exudes a premium look and feel. Additionally, it is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for added durability and protection against scratches.


• Advanced sensors: The device is equipped with a variety of sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. These sensors enhance the overall user experience by enabling features such as auto-rotation, gesture control, and improved security through fingerprint recognition.


• Water and dust resistance: Unfortunately, the Redmi Y1 does not come with any official water or dust resistance ratings. Therefore, it is not waterproof or dustproof. Users should exercise caution when using the device near water or in dusty environments to avoid any potential damage.


• Wireless charging: The Redmi Y1 does not support wireless charging. It relies on a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 (Note 5A) is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a range of features and specifications comparable to other devices in its price range. When compared to other related phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime and the Huawei Honor 6X, the Redmi Y1 holds its ground with its competitive pricing and value for money.

In terms of specifications, the Redmi Y1 features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset, paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The device also has a microSDXC card slot for expandable storage.

The Redmi Y1 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with features like LED flash, HDR, and panorama mode, while the front-facing camera boasts an impressive 16-megapixel sensor for high-quality selfies. Other notable features include a fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, and compass.

When it comes to performance, the Redmi Y1 performs well in benchmark comparisons, scoring 2610 in GeekBench and achieving a frame rate of 5.6fps in GFXBench (ES 3.1 onscreen). The device also offers a decent battery life, with an endurance rating of 74 hours.

In terms of market positioning, the Redmi Y1 competes with other budget smartphones in the market. It distinguishes itself with its affordable price tag, offering a cost-effective option for users who are looking for a device with decent specifications and features.

Overall, the Redmi Y1 stands out in the competitive landscape of budget smartphones, offering a balance between price and performance. Its strong features, such as the high-resolution front-facing camera and expandable storage, give it a competitive advantage over other devices in its price range. With its affordable pricing strategy and value for money, the Redmi Y1 appeals to budget-conscious consumers who are looking for a reliable and feature-packed smartphone.

Pros and Cons