Chinese Apple: Hard to Ignore. Review on Xiaomi Redmi 1S

Xioami fascinated me from the first day they launched their phones in India although I am not big fan of Chinese manufacturers. The fascination may be because of the value or the specifications they were delivering at such a reasonable price.  I tried purchasing Mi3 but could not get my hand over it so I tried my luck with Redmi 1S once it was launched.

Build and design

The phone looks like a mix of Lumia(back) and Xperia(front). The front panel features 4.7-inch IPS display and 1.6MP front-facing camera. It has a removable back cover with matte finish. Lucky that opening back cover is not as tricky as Lumia’s.  The phone features an 8MP camera with LED flash.

By design R1S does not look and feel like sub-6k phone. It feels much more durable and well-built compared to phones in the same price bracket.

But perhaps the biggest problem is the red-colour capacitive buttons without backlight under the screen. The red colour is a turn-off and sometimes hard to notice. With time you may get used to it.

Display

The 4.7-inch HD IPS screen is, without a doubt, the best to get at this price. Plus, it has Dragontrail protection to keep away scratches on the glass. Thanks to the higher display resolution of 320ppi(same as my Note 2 and iPhone), images and text are crisp and sharp- somewhat like iPhone screens.

Software

R1S runs MIUI, a heavily customized version of Android. As of now, MIUI on R1S is based on Android 4.3 and hopefully to be upgraded to 4.4. If I have to explain R1S software in one phrase I would say MIUI is Androidised version of iOS

There is no app drawer like iOS and all the apps & widgets are spread across the home screens. The Multi-Tasking is also slightly different- where you get icons instead of small screenshots.

One of the main features of MIUI is the ability to customize the user interface with themes, downloadable wallpapers and clocks.

Xiaomi has also made a “Lite Mode” for the MIUI that features simplified Home screen and menus in the form of large tiles(like Windows phone).  It’s the kind of stuff that would make Android easy for parents and others new to smartphones who don’t want to fiddle with settings and all.

Camera

For the first time, you will get a budget phone with a camera that you won’t complain about.  It sports an 8MP rear camera accompanied by an LED flash. You can safely use it in most situations and even low-lit environments.

The phone is capable of shooting 1080p video(in addition to 720p and 480p) and the results were surprisingly good for a phone that costs less than Rs 6, 000. Overall, the R1S comes with a capable camera that won't disappoint you.

Memory

Unlike other sub-10k phones, there are no compromises with internal memory- RAM & ROM.  You will get almost 4GB ROM and 300MB RAM available for use. Good that the memory is expandable to 64GB using microSD card.

Performance

There is no noticeable lag while navigating through the phone's menu, browsing the web, multimedia and scrolling inside apps. There are little lags in transition effects that can be managed using Developer Options.

There are all the available connectivity features- 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0. and even USB On-the-Go(can be used by an adapter).

It offers good call quality and signal reception. The call quality is comparatively softer and is not as loud as other phones.

The messaging app allows you to reply to messages without having to quit any app you are working. It is small but nice addition.

Gaming on R1S is a satisfying experience, but not an excellent one. You’ll be able to play most games, but not at their highest graphics settings. You’ll be able to multi-task between apps, but once in a while, they do crash. .

The 2000mAh battery lasts for about 12 hours of usage on a single charge with full screen brightness, which is not bad. It lasted more than 20 hours with light to medium usage.

Pros

1. Best specifications in this price range

   
   




2. Camera better or at par with all the phones in sub-12k range

   
   




3. New experience of Android as MIUI- lovable and innovative

   
   




4. IPS screen with good clarity

   
   




5. Inbuilt Storage of 8GB

   
   




6. Drogantail glass at this price range

   
   

Cons

1. The device heats up faster

   
   




2. Screen and back cover is fingerprints magnet

   
   




3. USB charger adapter too bulky and of awkward shape

   
   




4. UI(User Interface) quite confusing for Android users

   
   




5. Very hard to notice capacitive buttons at the bottom

   
   




6. Very less usable(less than 300MB) RAM

   
   

Why Xioami?

1. Taking screenshots is very easy with the MIUI interface by just pulling down the notifications panel, tap on the settings option, and access the screenshot option from there.

   
   




2. Enable Lite Mode if navigating home screens creates troubles for you. Just head over to the settings app, select Lite mode and tap on the Lite mode to turn it on.

   
   




3. Deleting Unwanted Apps is very easy with a simple tool. Just plain drag and delete the number of apps you want deleted, and your will shall be done without even touching other apps that are there in the window.

   
   




4. There is no need of third party apps for cleaning the apps as inbuilt Clean Master ensure your handset remains as fast as ever.

   
   




5. Customizing the phone is never so easy- with options to customize everything- Dial pad, Lock Style, Lock Screen, Icons, Alarm Style, Status Bar, Favorites Tray, Messaging, Boot Animation, Boot Audio etc.

   
   




6. There is Torch Mode that can be activated from notifications bar- very similar to iPhone.

   
   




7. Private messaging is an inbuilt feature with option to set password to prevent unauthorized access, or you can even designate private contacts that’ll send messages straight into the private folder.

   
   




8. In MIUI, there’s an easier way to share your Wi-Fi network via a QR code. So there is no need to remember or divulge complicated passwords.

   
   




9. Moving the apps across the screens is made simpler. Just pinch & hold the app by one thumb, and keep moving the screen by another till the app got right place.

   
   




10. There is an option in inbuilt Explorer app to compress/ extract any file, images etc. to/ from zip or rar.

    
    




11. Xiaomi provides warranty even if your phone is bricked after rooting the device- no phone manufacturers in the market ensures this.

    
    




12. This is the best specs for price phone. It is possible because of the business model followed, by eliminating mediators and direct selling the devices.

    
    

Verdict

At a price of Rs 5, 999, Xiaomi Redmi 1S is a game changer despite of few flaws. It redefines the entry-level smartphone segment and creates a new benchmark. The phone is not just good on paper but is also an all-round performer with solid build quality, superior performance and a great camera.

This phone is not for hard gamers. And a suggestion for all the buyers that it is a 6k phone so you may compare it with a phone of 10k but DON'T EXPECT IT TO DELIVER THE PERFORMANCES OF 20K+ PHONES.

Bottomline

Xiaomi has released an update V45 recently that tries to resolve the major issues with Redmi 1S

1. The thermal control algorithm has improved to better regulate temperature and keep it under 38-degrees Celsius in normal usage conditions. Also the device cools down much faster than it used to before.

   
   




2. RAM availability has improved now- you may notice free RAM upto 400MB now.