Xiaomi has been in the Indian market for close to four years now, during which time it has managed to climb up to the number two spot, just behind Samsung[1]. With the top spot in sight, the Chinese company has been steadily widening its portfolio in the country. In the last few months, we saw the introduction of its flagship, the Mi Mix 2[2] (Review[3]), and the Android One-powered Mi A1[4] (Review[5]). Xiaomi has launched yet another series in the country this month, dubbed the Redmi Y series. With this move, Xiaomi is looking at a dedicated lineup to cash in on the selfie craze. Its first device, the Redmi Y1, has good specifications on paper, but should it be your first choice? We find out.
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 design
One look at the Redmi Y1 and it is safe to say that it carries the family look. We wouldn’t be surprised if you mistook it for the Redmi 4 at first glance. Hold the phone and you will see that the Redmi Y1[6] is bigger than the Redmi 4, sporting a 5.5-inch display. This selfie-focused phone has a 16-megapixel camera at the front along with a diffused selfie flash. There are non-backlit capacitive touch buttons below the screen for navigation instead of on-screen touch buttons, and the usual sensors above it as well.
Pick the phone up and you will notice that it is fairly light at 153g. Xiaomi has used plastic in its construction, which helps keep the weight down. While the chrome highlights give the impression that it has a metal backplate, the entire rear and sides along with the power and volume buttons are...