BUDGETPHONE FORSELFIE STICKLERS
With bright selfies and satisfactory performance, the Redmi Y1 is a budget segment challenger
Along with the Redmi Y1 Lite, the Redmi Y1 (~8,999 for 3GB/32GB) is Xiaomi’s first shot at the selfiecentric smartphone segment.
The Y1 has a premium metallic finish. Its 5.5-inch HD screen is bright but is limited by low pixels per inch. The screen is covered with a 2.5D Gorilla Glass that blends perfectly with the chassis. The sensor placed on the back recognises fingerprints quickly, even if your fingers are moist. It takes almost no time to unlock the screen, irrespective of how you are holding the phone.
I went on a selfie-shooting spree with the Y1’s 16megapixel (MP) front camera, which comes with an LED flash. While the images were clean, they showed heavy postprocessing. The soft flashlight helps in low light but its use is limited to selfies. Overall picture quality wasn’t exceptional but was satisfactory for the phone’s price. In fact, the 13MP rear camera takes better photos. It performs well in bright light, but the picture quality deteriorates in low light.
Running Qualcomm’s entry-level Snapdragon 435 processor, the Y1 does well in daily tasks like checking emails, browsing the web, calling and messaging, with no lags. But the performance takes a toll during processor-intensive tasks such as broadcasting live videos for long hours, or playing games while keeping the screen recorder active in the background.
I liked the fact that the phone offers VoLTE capabilities for both SIMs and a dedicated memory card slot.
The phone has a 3,080 mAh battery that runs for almost a day. The software-optimised battery assistant helps keep the phone running optimally but requires regular check-ups to clean the background processes that drain battery. The smartphone runs MIUI 8.5, based on Android Nougat 7.1.1, out of the box.
The recently announced MIUI 9 Global ROM is scheduled to come sometime this month.
With a starting price of ~8,999, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is for selfie lovers on a budget. It’s an updated version of the Redmi 4 with a few major changes. In the sub-~10,000 price segment, this smartphone challenges the likes of Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie.
The overall picture quality produced by the front camera wasn’t exceptional, but was satisfactory for the phone’s price