Redmi K50i Review: Smooth Display Fused With Powerful Hardware

Redmi K50i Design

The Redmi K50i might not be the fanciest looking mid-range handset but it checks most boxes of being a well-designed phone. The handset isn't very wide and fits well in the palm for easy one-hand operation despite its 200g weight and 8.87mm thickness.

The flat edges and a slightly curved back improve the ergonomics. Since the device has a polycarbonate body, it doesn't come across as very premium but there's no compromise in sturdiness and durability standards.

 

Redmi K50i Durability & Color Variants

The handset also gets an IP53 rating, which makes it resistant to some degree of water abuse; just don't dip it inside a pool. The display is protected by a layer of Corning's Gorilla Glass 5. The K50i lacks a microSD card slot but you do get the good old 3.5mm audio jack. The Redmi K50i is available in three color options- Stealth Black, Phantom Blue, and Quick Silver. We got the silver color variant and its shimmering gradient finish looks quite eye-catchy.

Redmi K50i Display

Redmi decided to go with the smoothest refresh rate in the category and in the process ditched the AMOLED panel. The handset uses a 6.6-inch Full HD+ LCD screen, which does not match the vividness and deep blacks of an AMOLED display. Also, the peak brightness levels aren't mind-boggling and you might struggle reading content or consuming media in extremely bright surroundings such as under direct sunlight.

144Hz Display & Dual Stereo Speakers

Thankfully, you do get HDR10 and Dolby Vision support with a 100% DCI-P3 Color gamut that enables a decent viewing experience on the supported OTT apps indoors. On the flip side, the K50i's LCD aces the smoothness. The 144Hz refresh rate allows for an unmatched scrolling experience and fluid UI navigation.

Thanks to Dolby Atmos and High-Res, the handset also handles audio well. Audio support. The dual stereo speaker setup produces loud and clean sound.

Redmi K50i Performance

The Redmi K50i's USP is its raw performance. You can throw anything at this mid-range device and it won't disappoint you with the results. The smartphone effortlessly handles heavy tasks such as gaming and video editing and doesn't break a sweat with day-to-day phone jobs such as calling, social media apps, video calls, etc.

We pushed the handset by playing the most graphics-intensive games (Apex legends, COD Mobile, Asphalt 9, etc.) and didn't experience any performance issues. The credit goes to the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, which is an excellent chipset at the asking price for this handset. The same SoC is being offered on some expensive devices such as the OnePlus 10R and the Realme GT Neo 3.

Smooth Multitasking & Lag-Free Gaming

Fabricated on the 5nm process, the octa-core CPU (4x ARM Cortex A78 super cores & 4x ARM Cortex A55 efficiency cores) delivers comparatively stable performance as compared to devices running on the Snapdragon 870 and Snapdragon 778+ chipsets. The CPU is supported by 6GB/8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The ample RAM-ROM combination ensures lag-free multitasking.

We did notice some heat signatures but it didn't affect the overall performance of the device. The K50i's thermal efficiently handles the excessive heat even in continuous intense gaming sessions. The smartphone runs on MIUI 13.0.2 based on Android 12.

Redmi K50i Camera Performance

The cameras on the Redmi K50i are mediocre at best. The 64MP f/1.89 main camera can capture some decent high-resolution pictures. The colors aren't always natural, and the contrast and sharpness seem a bit heightened. I would recommend disabling the AI mode/filters and setting the screen colors to sRGB in 'Advanced Settings' to experience natural-looking pictures.

8MP Wide-Angle Lens & 2MP Macro

You can capture crisp 4K 30fps videos from the main camera. Moving on, the 8MP wide-angle sensor delivers acceptable results in ample lighting but loses credibility in slightly challenging lighting. The wide-angle shooter can record decent-looking 1080p 30fps videos. There's a 2MP macro sensor if you want to experiment with macro photography; however, the results are below average.

Redmi K50i Battery Life & Connectivity

The Redmi K50i draws power from a beefier 5,080mAh battery cell that easily a day even with heavy usage. If you use the handset moderately for just regular phone tasks, the K50i will easily last more than a day with one full charge. As far as the charging speed is concerned, the bundled 67W charging brick takes around 63 minutes for a full refill. The Redmi K50i is future-ready and supports 12 5G bands (n1/3/5/7/8/20/28A/38/40/41/77/78).

Verdict

The Redmi K50i is primarily focused on raw performance. It excels at day-to-day tasks and does not disappoint when it comes to gaming and multitasking. The battery life is adequate, and the 144Hz refresh rate smooth display compensates to some extent for the lack of a more vivid AMOLED panel. The support for 12 5G bands further enhances the overall package.

On the flip side, the Redmi K50i's camera is its weakest link. If you enjoy photography, this is not the smartphone for you.