Xiaomi Redmi 5 vs Redmi Note 5 vs Redmi 5A: Clash of budget smartphones

Design

The Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 have a similar design and it is not surprising as the latter is said to be the Redmi 5 Plus outside the Chinese market. Both the smartphones embrace the full-screen design and have screens with an aspect ratio of 18:9, which gives a tall look to the smartphone despite the bigger screen size.

Both these smartphones have a similar rear panel with a single rear camera positioned at the top center of the rear panel. Below the camera is the LED flash unit and a circular fingerprint sensor as seen on the Xiaomi smartphones.

However, the Redmi 5A is different in terms of design as it does not have the full-screen design. The smartphone features the usual display with the conventional 16:9 aspect ratio. The rear camera arrangement is different as it is positioned at the top left corner of the back cover above the antenna line and the LED flash is positioned next to it.

None of these smartphones have a groundbreaking design though we would appreciate the thin bezels on the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 in comparison to those of the Redmi 5A.

 

Display

The Redmi 5 flaunts a 5.7-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels while the Redmi Note 5 adorns a 5.99-inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. On the other hand, the Redmi 5 has a smaller 5-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution.

Having given the screen sizes and resolutions of all the three smartphones, I personally like the display of the Redmi Note 5 has it is bigger than the rest and packs in more pixels as well. Moreover, the full-screen design doesn't give the feel of actually holding a 6-inch smartphone as there are slim bezels at the sides.

Camera

When it comes to the optics department, the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 have similar specifications. Both smartphones sport a 12MP main camera at its rear with PDAF, HDR, f/2.2 aperture and LED flash. Up front, there is a 5MP selfie camera with LED selfie flash. On the contrary, the Redmi 5A flaunts a 13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture and PDAF and a 5MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture.

We cannot expect a lot of advanced features from these Xiaomi smartphones in terms of imaging. However, during our review and first impressions, we have found the Redmi Note 5 (check out Redmi Note 5 review) and Redmi 5A to do justice to their pricing. We will get to know the Redmi 5 camera performance in our review but it could be similar to that of the Redmi Note 5 in terms of performance.

Performance

Performance is something that many of you might be concerned about and here it is. The Redmi 5 makes use of a 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. And, gets the power from a 3300mAh battery. The Redmi Note 5 employs a 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 SoC and a capacious 4000mAh battery with support for fast charging as well. The Redmi 5A is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 SoC and a 3000mAh battery.

Of these, the Redmi Note 5 has an advanced processor, which is better than the ones used by the other two models. While the 3000mAh battery in the Redmi 5A is itself claimed to render a long lasting battery life to the smartphone, the 4000mAh battery in the Redmi Note 5 will undoubtedly render a better performance. Having said that the Redmi Note 5 has a larger display and better processor, it makes sense for the device to have a juicier battery than the rest.

All these smartphones from Xiaomi run MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat and come packed with connectivity features such as 4G VoLTE among other common aspects. The Redmi 5A comes with a dedicated microSD card slot and dedicated dual SIM card slots.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro First Impressions

Variants and pricing

In a price conscious market such as India, the pricing of the smartphone is very important for its success. Xiaomi has been pretty good in terms of its pricing strategy, which has helped it gain massive success in India.

Talking about these smartphones, Xiaomi has launched multiple variants of these devices with a marginal price difference. The Redmi 5 is available in three variants - 2GB RAM and 16GB storage space priced at Rs. 7,999, 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space priced at Rs. 8,999, and 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space priced at Rs. 10,999.

The Redmi Note 5 launched back in February is available in two variants - 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space priced at Rs. 9,999 and 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space priced at Rs. 11,999. The Redmi 5A, the most entry-level smartphone from Xiaomi among the trio comes in two variants - one with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage priced at Rs. 5,999 and the other with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage priced at Rs. 6,999. Notably, until recently, Xiaomi was selling the Redmi 5A's base variant at Rs. 4,999, which is Rs. 1,000 discount on the original pricing.

Verdict

Xiaomi smartphones are highly popular and the company has gained immense success in India. The flash sales of these smartphones leave the devices out of stock in a matter of a few minutes. And, this is because, the smartphones from the Chinese manufacturer do not compromise on specifications to stick to the budget.

If you are looking at performance, then you could opt for the Redmi Note 5. And, if your choice is to stick to the sub-Rs. 10,000 price bracket and still get a decent performer, then you should opt for the Redmi 5 via Amazon and Mi.com. However, if you choose the Redmi 5, you need to know that the sale debuts on March 20 and it might take a considerable time for the device to be made available offline.

On the other hand, if you have a tight budget and you are confined to the price bracket of Rs. 7,000, you can choose to get hold of the Redmi 5A also called the Desh ka Smartphone. Though it misses out some aspects seen on the other two Redmi phones such as a fingerprint sensor and full-screen design, it will not leave you disappointed on its battery performance.