Xiaomi Redmi 5 is a latest low budget smartphone. It is the successor of Redmi 4. The new Redmi 5 has 5.7-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display, acceptable features (such as Snapdragon 450 chipset, Adreno 506 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB Storage, 12MP rear camera, 5MP selfie shooter, 3300mAh battery, fast charging option and fingerprint scanner), and affordable low price. Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus has same features except 5.99 inches display, Snapdragon 625 chipset and 4000mAh battery.
Pros:
1 – 5.7 inches (18:9) display with MIUI 9 skin
2 – Snapdragon 450 (latest SoC for low-end devices)
3 – Fast charging support and fingerprint sensor
4 – Low Price
Cons:
1 - Downgrade Camera, only 5MP lens for selfies
2 – 3300mAh battery instead 4100mAh of predecessor
3 – Still Android OS 7.1.2
Design
Xiaomi Redmi 5 is made of aluminum body. It has 2.5D curved glass design. It measures 7.7 mm thickness and having 165 grams weight. The smartphone brings 5.7 inches screen with the aspect ratio 18:9. It is bigger and more beautiful than the Redmi 4’s 5.0-inch 16:9 display. A Gorilla Glass covers the touchscreen to get rid from scratches. A selfie camera, a notification LED and the speaker with a sensor are placed on top of screen. There are sensors as the alternative for Home, Back and Overview buttons.
Dual (Nano) SIM tray slot is available on left side of device. If you will select microSD slot then you will be lost second SIM slot. There are three buttons on the right side, one of them is a power key and the other two are volume keys. A secondary mic-pinhole, IR emitter and 3.5mm jack are available on the top side whereas the bottom side is armed with microUSB port and a loudspeaker. At the back, dual camera lenses placed up horizontally beside the LED flash. A fingerprint scanner is available on rear for biometric security.
Display
Xiaomi Redmi 5 sports a 5.7 inches bezel less display. The IPS LCD panel is used there. The display shows big, sharp and colorful pictures. It has 720 x 1440 pixels resolution that gives enough brightness for this display to see details easily on screen. The color saturation and contrast ratio is also good.
Software
Xiaomi Redmi 5 has MIUI 9 layer installed on Android OS v7.1.2 (Nougat). The MIUI 9 is the latest Xiaomi smartphones interface but the Android Nougat is not latest. Anyway, the MUI 9 overlay makes it premium and more polished for latest technology apps. It supports bundled notifications and quick replies so you can reply directly from the notification bar.
In the gallery, you can find a new photo editor with intelligent background erase. It is 2x faster than previous MIUI version. There is new Mi Video app, split screen feature, app shortcut support, and exclusive themes.
Chipset and Hardware performance
Xiaomi Redmi 5 is powered by 14nm Snapdragon 450 chipset. It has octa core processor. Its performance is not much faster but it runs apps in a steady manner. The hardware saves more battery power to extend your handset life time.
The CPU supports multiple apps, LTE fast connectivity, Adreno 506 GPU (for PC-class graphics), vibrant display, and fast charging.
RAM and Memory
Xiaomi Redmi 5 comes in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants. For normal usage the 2GB RAM is enough but if you want to enjoy smooth gaming experience then you should select 3GB RAM variant. The 3GB RAM option is also better for multi-tasking.
You also have two storage options – 16GB and 32GB. The 16GB storage is available in 2GB RAM model and the 32GB memory is present is 3GB RAM model of Redmi 5.
Camera
Xiaomi Redmi 5 having a 12MP (f/1.2) primary camera and the 5MP front shooter. Although the back camera is slightly downgraded than the 13MP camera of predecessor but the performance remain same. The Redmi 5 can record 1080 pixels videos at 30fps. HDR mode is useful to capture more beauty. The pictures taken by Redmi 5 are beautiful but not splendid. By using LED flash you can enhance shooting performance in low light.
There is a 5MP front camera on the top of screen to capture your moments. The selfie camera performance is just fine. You cannot make bright video calls with Redmi 5.
Battery
Xiaomi Redmi 5 has 3300mAh battery juice which is lower than the 4100mAh of the Redmi 4. Battery reduction doesn’t mean that the handset can’t provide satisfactory performance. The 3300mAh battery can last you through your day. You can refill battery power up to 50% within 30 minutes thanks to its fast charging option which was not available in the predecessor.
Price
Xiaomi Redmi 5 (16GB) price is only $120 that is quite affordable. The 32GB variant of Redmi 5 is offered for $160. On the other hand, the Redmi 5 Plus’s 32GB and 64GB variants prices are $150 and $200 respectively.
Verdict
Xiaomi Redmi 5 has come up with latest and acceptable features within a low price. It has 5.7 inches display with 18:9 aspect ratio, latest MUI 9 skin, Snapdragon 450 (top chipset for low-end devices), fast processor, Adreno 506 GPU, fingerprint sensor, and 3300mAh battery with fast charging support. If you want to get a low-end smartphone with modern specs then you can go for Xiaomi Redmi 5 but if you are a selfie lover then it will be disappointed you however the other features are good.