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#GadgetWatch: Why the Redmi 6 series is exciting

September 10, 2018 16:29 IST

Xiaomi keeps its promise of budget-priced, feature-rich products with its three new Redmi 6 phones, says Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com.

IMAGE: The Redmi 6. Photograph: Courtesy mi.com
 

The Redmi 6 series, which is already available in China and Pakistan, has arrived in India.

The Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A are the upgraded versions of Redmi 5 and Redmi 5A.

The Redmi 6 Pro is the Mi A2 Lite, loaded with Android Oreo 8.1 and layered with MIUI 8.1 instead of the Android One available in other countries.

Let's take a quick look at each of these phones.

IMAGE The Redmi 6 Pro. Photograph: Courtesy mi.com

Redmi 6 Pro

The Redmi 6 Pro is the premium product amongst the three; it integrates the best features available and is optimised to budget.

These features include dual cameras with AI portrait mode, a mammoth 4000 mAh battery, a full screen ‘notch' display, face unlock supported by AI and dual SIM with a dedicated slot for memory expansion.

The Redmi 6 Pro is supported by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 625 and an Octa-core System on Chip which reduces the phone's power consumption.

It is the same SoC which powered the old Redmi Note 4.

IMAGE: The Redmi 6. Photograph: Courtesy mi.com

Redmi 6

The Redmi 6 is an entry level phone with dual camera, full screen display and an AI powered camera featuring face unlock as well.

For additional security, the phone also incorporates a fingerprint scanner on the rear.

The Redmi 6 is powered by Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 SoC supported by elementary AI enhancements.

IMAGE: The Redmi 6A. ProPhotograph: Courtesy mi.com

Redmi 6A

The Redmi 6A, the least impressive of the three, comes with full screen display, a 13 MP camera on the rear and AI supported face unlock feature.

The phone runs on a quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 SoC with elementary AI enhancement.

Here's a comparison of all three Redmi 6 variants.

Specification Redmi 6 Pro Redmi 6 Redmi 6A
Resolution FHD+ (2280 x 1080) HD (1440 x 720) HD (1440 x 720)
Aspect Ratio 19:9 18:9 18:9
Display Size 5.84" 5.45" 5.45"
Chipset (SOC) Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MediaTek Helio P22 MediaTek Helio A22
RAM/ROM/Expandable 3/4GB; 32/64GB; up to 256 GB dedicated 3/4GB; 32/64GB; up to 256 GB dedicated 2GB; 16GB; up to 256 GB dedicated
Selfie Camera 5 MP 5 MP, f/2.2 5 MP
Rear Camera 12 MP + 5 MP f/2.2, Electronic Image Stabilisation 12 MP + 5 MP f/2.2, Electronic Image Stabilisation 13 MP f/2.2
Battery 4000 mAh 3000 mAh 3000 mAh
USB microUSB microUSB microUSB
Operating System Android Oreo 8.1, overlaid MIUI 9.6 Android Oreo 8.1, overlaid MIUI 9.6 Android Oreo 8.1, overlaid MIUI 9.6
Price 3GB+32GB: Rs 10,999; 4GB+64GB: Rs 12,999 3GB+32GB: Rs 7,999; 3GB+64GB: Rs 9,499 2GB+16GB: Rs 5,999; 2GB+32GB:  Rs 6,999
Editors opinion Redmi 6 Pro is for those who want to shoot photos, watch videos, play games and require long battery life. Redmi 6 is for those who want to shoot photos, watch occasional videos, play basic games and have a tight budget. Redmi 6A is for those looking for a phone with multimedia and socialising features at the lowest price possible.

Looking at the comparison above, the phones seem to be well priced with respect to features and hardware.

Xiaomi is clearly continuing its tradition of offering feature packed phones at a budget price.

 

Ashish Narsale