Xiaomi REDMI A1 – The cheapest smartphone of the brand. You take it home for just €70
Finding a smartphone under 100 euros that is worth purchasing is always a challenge that stimulates me a lot, especially today where price increases have affected all brands but if with Xiaomi/Redmi once upon a time this challenge was also quite easy, In today's technological landscape the challenge becomes truly demanding. I would like to point out that it is necessary to generally evaluate any device based on the user it is aimed at, because for example it would be stupid to judge an opera as boring if we are metal lovers or to judge an adventure book for children if we are thriller lovers psychological. Having said that, the time has come to try the super entry level model Redmi A1.
Topics of this article:
On offer on Amazon
unboxing
Like any self-respecting review, I cannot fail to include the contents of the sales package which includes the following equipment:
- Redmi A1;
- Power supply with 5V / 2A output and European socket;
- Fast guide;
- Cable for charging and micro USB data transfer;
- Pin for removing the SIM tray;
Therefore, protective covers, earphones (but who still puts them in the package?) and protective film pre-applied to the display are absent.
HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE
Let's start by saying that Redmi A1 does not want to amaze with high-level specifications nor with a super futuristic design but rather the target it is aimed at is that segment of users who look for reliability, excellent autonomy and ease of use at a daily.
It is therefore right to start with this review by talking to you about the hardware, which in the case of Redmi A1 consists of a MediaTek Helio A22 processor, a 12nm quadcore solution at 2.0 GHz Cortex A53 accompanied by a PowerVR GE8300 GPU at 660 MHz. Nothing exceptional , although all operations on a daily basis are carried out without particular problems as long as you wait to open or reload the apps. It is also possible to carry out some "gaming", certainly not with titles that require particularly large amounts of memory and power, but for example with Asphalt 8 you can treat yourself to some exciting games, speeding on the racing cars offered in the game, with a certain fluidity, leaving aside the graphic details. to the utmost.
We cannot expect much also due to the cut in RAM and integrated memory, in fact we find only 1 GB of LPDDR2X type RAM on board the Redmi A4, which cannot support the load of applications in the background, often generating the various reloads of the themselves but also system glitches and significant lag. At a software level we have the virtual extension of the RAM by a further 2 GB, but in reality I advise against applying this function, as it does not improve performance but worsens it, perhaps because it draws on only 32 GB of eMMC 5.1 type which can be expanded via micro SD with support up to 1 TB without giving up the functionality of Dual SIM Dual Standby.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
But let's get to the interesting things about this device, which could prove to be the right purchase to make, perhaps giving it as a gift to your grandfather or why not as a good forklift to use for holidays or for work. First of all, Redmi A1 is pleasantly surprising to handle even if you don't rely on compact dimensions and specifically we are talking about 164,9 x 76,75 x 9,09 mm for a weight of 192 grams.
Everything is well balanced and the design is very sober even in the fresh color, light green, which we tested but there is also light blue and classic black as additional colors. Back cover made of polycarbonate with imitation leather effect, which thanks to the embossed texture helps with grip but above all is resistant to dirt and fingerprints. Redmi A1 houses the volume rocker and the power button on the right while on the left there is the SIM tray capable of accommodating 2 nano format SIMs and a micro SD card to expand the memory. The system speaker is inserted at the top of the device while on the opposite side we find the 3,5 mm jack, the main microphone and the charging input with micro USB type OTG support.
On the back of the device we find nothing, except the double rear camera which is flanked by an LED flash. And the fingerprint sensor? We don't find it, and in a certain sense it could be an advantage. First of all because it benefits the design, the final cost of the terminal but above all because if you think about the hypothetical grandfather/daughter to whom you give the smartphone as a gift, he/she might prefer to unlock the phone with the classic PIN/pattern or even keep the device without any lock. However, I did not appreciate the absence of face unlock, which would have helped the less experienced user a lot.
DISPLAY
The panel mounted on Redmi A1 offers a diagonal of 6,52 inches with HD+ resolution (1600 x 720) in 20:9 format with IPS technology and drop notch. Visibility under direct sunlight is also good, as are the various functions offered at the software level such as the reading mode, the dimming of brightness and the dark theme which, although it does not help to increase the already excellent autonomy, is particularly useful. help at night.
The front glass protecting the display is also quite resistant: during the test days I always used the Redmi A1 without the case and film, despite keeping it in my pocket even with other objects it did not suffer any scratches. To complete the design overview, we do not find any soft touch keys which will instead be emulated on the screen or you can proceed with the use of convenient gestures. On the top part of the display we find the earpiece capsule, the selfie camera, proximity and brightness sensor but no LED for notifications. The frames are particularly pronounced but without compromising the general pleasantness when viewing multimedia content. Speaking of sensors, the brightness sensor is a bit lazy in varying the correct backlighting from dark to bright environments (and vice versa) while the proximity sensor is virtual and not physical, although in my tests I didn't have any problems when listening to voice notes and/or calls.
AUTONOMY
We have named it: well yes, the new entry level of the Asian brand can be considered a battery phone, thanks to a 5000 mAh unit combined with a SoC poco energy-intensive and the various optimizations of the software, it manages to obtain at least two days of continuous use, even reaching 3 if you are a user poco Be careful about your "social" life. Unfortunately, charging still takes place via a micro USB cable with a maximum of 10W of power, but at least the port has OTG support.
SOFTWARE AND CONNECTIVITY
I won't spend many words on the software, because on Redmi A1 we find a sort of neutered MIUI but based on Android 12 Go Edition with patches updated in October 2023. We actually have a good idea of MIUI poco, but overall the graphics are nice, maintaining faith in the features offered by the Android system. We can also record calls via Google's stock dialer but above all, 2 years of updates are guaranteed by the manufacturer, both for patches and major releases.
In terms of reception, the device behaves in a more than satisfactory manner, net of 4G connectivity to be exploited on both SIM slots, a single-band WiFi module, Bluetooth 5.0 and a GPS which was found to be ultra-fast in signal coupling of satellites (Galileo ones also supported), with good stability and reliability in road navigation, even if in sudden changes of direction it takes 2/3 seconds before the route is corrected. The WiFi, however, surprised me, as it reaches everywhere even in the "darkest" places. NFC is absent but instead we have the FM Radio supplied, although to enable it natively you will have to follow this little guide.
The browsing speed, even if the device never connected to 4G+ but only the 4G signal, was exceptional, with download/upload peaks that I really hadn't expected. The single microphone is also noteworthy, offering truly unique conversation quality, even for audio capture during video recording. Finally, the speaker, only mono, does not shine for its bass power but manages to be appreciated for the high volume it releases without ever croaking or distorting the sound flow.
PHOTO AND VIDEO
As anticipated a few lines above, Redmi A1 is equipped with a dual rear camera, but in reality for photos and videos we can only count on an 8 MP sensor with f/2.0 focal aperture. The second lens is in fact a QVGA 248×328 lens which comes into play in portrait mode photos, for capturing depth of field data. The photos returned are of decent quality with good lighting while they become particularly rich in digital noise when the ambient light does not assist us. However, the colors are not excessively saturated but sometimes they deviate too much from reality and perhaps a night mode would have helped the performance. In short, enough shots to immortalize a small memory, but nothing more.
In terms of video we can record up to Full HD 1080p resolution at 30fps, both with the front and rear cameras, but stabilization is practically absent in every form, both digital and optical. However, we have support for automatic HDR at the software level. For the selfie camera I will simply say that we have a 5 MP module with f/2.2 focal aperture which offers the possibility of taking photos with the classic bokeh effect, with decent results. But if for the rear camera at night we can use some shots at least for social media, with the front camera we would have to throw everything away.
On offer on Amazon
PROJECTED IMPACT
Obviously Redmi A1 is not a best buy but it remains an interesting smartphone considering the price. Poco more than 70 euros directly on the Amazon store, they are almost a gift for a device that makes autonomy its real strong point. Therefore, it is excellent as a smartphone to leave in the car or inside the backpack to be used as an emergency device, or to give as a gift to people who do not pay particular attention to technology.
However, the device is complete in its functions and the FM Radio is a gem not to be underestimated, as is the ease of use, truly suitable for everyone. It is certainly worth keeping an eye on because the price often drops, even by a lot, almost touching 50 euros. In any case, in comparison with models in the same price range offered by rival brands, or rather by the real "Chinese" who too often dominate this segment of the market, Redmi's solution is undoubtedly a winner.
