The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is a budget smartphone with a selfie-centric approach. We can safely say that this phone is Xiaomi’s answer to Oppo and Vivo phones in the same range. We got our hands on the device and here are our initial impressions of the Xiaomi Redmi Y1. Apart from the Redmi Y1, the company also launched the Y1 Lite.
Xiaomi Redmi Y1 Specifications
Physical Overview
It seems like Xiaomi has compromised on the build quality with the Redmi Y1. The phone is made of plastic which feels good but does not give a premium feel like metal build. On the front, you will get three capacitive navigation keys below the display. The front camera with flash and other sensors is above the display. Coming to the back, you will find the single camera at the top-left corner along with a flash. The fingerprint sensor is quick and easily accessible around the center of the back panel. Xiaomi has given antenna bands that run horizontally on the top and bottom of the phone. Coming to the sides, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 sports the volume rockers and power button on the right side. A SIM tray that can use 2 nano-SIM cards and a microSD card is given at the left side of the phone. You get the Micro USB port and speaker grille at the bottom and a 3.5mm earphone jack and IR blaster on the top. Thanks to the IR blaster, you can use your Redmi Y1 as a remote for multiple appliances.
Display
On the Xiaomi Redmi Y1, you get a 5.5 inch display with HD IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Being a budget phone, it does not come with an Always-On display or lift-up display. The display on the Redmi Y1 is actually better than what it sounds on paper. It is readable in direct sunlight and can be dimmed well in low light conditions. It is responsive to different touch inputs and the slight stickiness from the Mi A1 is not there. Also, the viewing angles on this display are good because of the IPS panel.
Camera
Being a selfie-centric smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 focuses more on the selfie camera. The phone comes with a 16MP front-facing camera and a 13MP rear camera, both with flash.
Hardware
The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 comes with a Snapdragon 435 octa core processor. This processor is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage or 4GB and 64GB storage. There is also a dedicated microSD card slot that allows expansion up to 128GB. With this hardware, the Redmi Y1 looks promising when it comes to specifications. Unlike other phones in the same range, Xiaomi has not compromised on specifications for a camera, which is good.
Software and Performance
Like all Xiaomi devices, the Redmi Y1 also comes with the latest MIUI 9 with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. This means that the phone will optimally perform on a software level. Having said that, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 actually performs well and shows no noticeable lag while using the device for moderate tasks. However, after a constant camera usage and 15 minutes of heavy gaming, the phone started heating up. We expected it because this is a budget smartphone and is not the best device for heavy usage. However, we were not disappointed by the overall performance of the Redmi Y1.
Battery and Connectivity
In terms of battery, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 is powered by a 3,080mAh non-removable battery. This phone is a dual SIM 4G VoLTE smartphone with Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, Micro USB, 3.5mm earphone jack, and an Infrared blaster as the connectivity options.
