Kishalaya Kundu
The skyrocketing popularity of Xiaomi’s Redmi series has helped the company dislodge Samsung as India’s largest smartphone vendor, but the Chinese smartphone giant is not resting on its laurels. Looking to grab a bigger share of the entry-level smartphone market in the country, Xiaomi has now launched it’s much-advertised ‘Desh ka Smartphone’ (roughly translated to ‘India’s own Smartphone’), the Redmi 5A, just moments earlier.
While the device was launched last month in China, we now have all the key specs, features, pricing and availability details of the Indian model, so here’s the final official spec-sheet of the Redmi 5A (Indian version):
Redmi 5A Specs
| Display | 5" Display, 16:9 Aspect Ratio, 1280 x 720 Resolution |
| Dimensions | 140.4 x 70.1 x 8.35 mm |
| Weight | 137 gms |
| Processor CPU GPU | Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 Adreno 308 |
| RAM | 2 GB / 3 GB |
| Storage | 16 / 32 GB |
| Primary Camera | 13 MP, f/2.2, autofocus, LED flash |
| Secondary Camera | 5 MP, f/2.0 |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery |
| Software | Android 7.1.2 Nougat with MIUI 9 |
| Connectivity | LTE (with VoLTE), Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3.5 AUX, microUSB 2.0 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Proximity |
Key Features
Unlike the Chinese version that was launched with MIUI 8.5, the India-spec Redmi 5A will run MIUI 9 out-of-the-box. The new MIUI 9 features include Smart assistant, Smart app launcher, Image search, new Home screen enhancements, Lock screen enhancements, Quick reply and notification management, as well as split screen multitasking among others. The Redmi 5A will support all major LTE networks in India, including, but not limited to those of Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. The device also supports VoLTE out-of-the-box, which is definitely good news for all you Jio users out there.
While everything seems pretty decent for the price, the lack of a fingerprint scanner might irk some users but hey, it’s super affordable, so I wouldn’t complain much.
Pricing, Availability and Other Details
The Redmi 5A will be available exclusively on Flipkart, much like the company’s other blockbuster offering, the Redmi Note 4. The device has been priced at Rs. 4,999 ($78) for the 2GB / 16GB version, while the more premium 3GB / 32GB version can be yours for Rs. 5,999 ($93).
However, Xiaomi says that this is just the introductory price for the first 5 million units, after which, prices will be increased by Rs. 1,000 apiece, which means you’ll have to pay Rs. 5,999 for the cheaper version, while the more loaded variant will cost Rs. 6,999 ($108).
Pre-bookings are already live on Flipkart, and you can book one for yourself by here. Official sales will commence December 7th.
So, what do you think? Will you be getting a Redmi 5A? Let us know in the comments.
