Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Vs Xioami Redmi Y2: Which one to choose?

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 are the latest budget smartphones from the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, which offers a lot of value for money (bang for the buck). Both models will be available in the 3/32 GB RAM and storage combination for a price of Rs 9999. There is one more RAM/storage variant with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage which costs Rs 11,999 for the Redmi Note 5 and Rs 12,999 for the Redmi Y2.

Design

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 does look stunning, but when you actually feel the Redmi Note 5 surpasses the feel of the Redmi Y2 the Note 5 moniker gets a +1 mark for design. The Redmi Note 5 has a metal unibody design (with plastic antenna bands), whereas the Redmi Y2 is entirely made out of plastic (to be precise polycarbonate). The Redmi Y2 might be the lightest of the lot, however, the metal body on the Redmi Note 5 will help with the heat dissipation, which will help to keep the smartphone a tad cooler compared to the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 in the long haul.

Display

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 have a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 2.5D Curved tempered glass protection offering a modern 18:9 aspect ratio, which makes these smartphones look premium against the other competitor's devices. However, the similarities end here. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has a high-res FHD+ 2160 x 1080px panel offering 401ppi, whereas the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 has an HD+ panel with 1440 x 720px resolution offering just 269ppi. This makes a lot of difference in these smartphones and one can easily notice the pixels on the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 while watching a multimedia content or while gaming. However, the Redmi Note 5 has a much better display and offers an overall better smartphone user experience.

Cameras

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 has a dual camera setup on the back, whereas the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has a single camera. Both phones have a 12 MP primary camera with an F/2.2 aperture and 1.25-micron pixel size and the Redmi Y2 has an additional secondary 5 MP depth sensor, which will help the smartphone to capture photos with bokeh effect. However, with the MIUI 10, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 will also be able to take bokeh shots and the users can try out the same by installing the beta build. For the selfie camera, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has a 5 MP selfie shooter, whereas the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 has a massive 16 MP selfie shooter. The Redmi Y2 also supports Face Unlock, which is missing on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5.

Xiaomi Redmi Y2 Unboxing and First Impressions

Processor and storage

Both smartphones are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-core chipset with either 3/4 GB RAM and 32/64 GB storage. The Redmi Note 5 has a hybrid SIM slot, which can either accept two SIM cards or a SIM and a micro SD card, whereas the Redmi Y2 has a SIM tray with three slots, where a user can easily use two SIM cards and a micro SD card together. In this scenario, the Redmi Note 5 clearly has an advantage over the Redmi Note 5.

Battery and OS

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 has a 3080 mAh Li-ion battery, whereas the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has a massive 4000 mAh battery. Non of these phones supports fast charging. However, as the Redmi Note 5 has a bigger battery, it can last longer for sure. In terms of OS, the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 runs on the Android 8.1 Oreo OS with custom MIUI 9.5 skin on the top, whereas the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 runs on Android 7.1 Nougat with custom MIUI 9.5 skin on the top. As these smartphones are running on the same processor, the Redmi Note 5 will also be updated to Android Oreo and it is just a matter of time.

Conclusion

There are only two reasons to consider the Redmi Y2 over the Redmi Note 5, that is the front-facing camera and the triple SIM + SD card slot. The Redmi Note 5 tops the chart with respect to display, build quality, video recording (Redmi Note 5 supports 4k video recording, whereas the Redmi Y2 tops at 1080P) and battery. The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 is strictly for the selfie enthusiasts, whereas the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is more of a balanced smartphone in all aspects, except for the selfie camera.