We all know how much Xiaomi likes to release new smartphones in the market. On an average, the company seems to be releasing at least a couple of smartphones every month, which is a lot! Sometimes, a particular model seems to take the limelight, and rightly so, because of its decently powerful specs at an affordable price tag. But this also means that there are a few models that receive less attention, like the Xiaomi Redmi 4A.
Today, in this Xiaomi Redmi 4A review, we take a look at what this phone brings to the table.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A Design
If you have ever unboxed a Xiaomi smartphone before, (which I’m sure majority of our readers have at least according to this poll), you know what’s inside the box. You have the Redmi 4A smartphone, a manual, charger, and USB cable. So, basically, the usual stuff.
In the design department as well there are no surprises. The Xiaomi Redmi 4A continues the traditional Redmi design language, coming with an all metal body, non-removable back in gold and rose gold color options. But the Redmi 4A is a bit different from the Redmi 4 in terms of its design. The phone features the non-protruding rear camera on the top left corner accompanied by a single LED flash. Despite its low-end placement, the camera is decent, but more on that later.
You have the MI logo etched at the back along with speakers below it. Buttons are tactile and are made out of metal. On the left, you have the hybrid SIM tray while at the bottom there’s a regular MicroUSB port. Since the front of the phone is white, the bezels on the side look a bit thick. But it doesn’t really come in the way of using the phone, thanks to its vibrant display.
One thing to note here is that the Xiaomi Redmi 4A is super light. It weighs just around 132 grams and is super easy to carry around. It’s compact and thin as well, measuring 139.5 x 70.4 x 8.5 mm. This makes it thinner as well as a bit more compact than its elder sibling, the Xiaomi Redmi 4.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A Display
The Redmi 4A comes with a pretty good display. The screen is sharp and the colors are vibrant. Brightness isn’t too high as compared to some other phones like the Moto G4 Plus, but I found no issues using the display under direct sunlight. In fact, I personally found the display on the Redmi 4A ideal for reading.
Specs wise, the display isn’t that great — 5-inch 1280 x 720p resolution (294 ppi) but in real world usage, you won’t be disappointed.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A Hardware & Performance
Given its low-end segment, don’t expect anything out of the ordinary from this device. The Redmi 4A handles almost every task with minimum lag and for your everyday usage like browsing or watching a few videos, the Snapdragon 425 chip inside should be sufficient. Note that the major difference between the Snapdragon 430 that powers the Redmi 4 (and even Nokia 6) and Snapdragon 425 inside the Redmi 4A is the GPU on board. The former comes with Adreno 505 while the Redmi 4A features a slightly slower Adreno 308.
Gaming on the Redmi 4A was a pleasant experience. There were a few skipped frames here and there, but overall, the phone managed to tackle games like Asphalt 8 and Real Drift Racer without any significant hiccups. Even opening up apps and games were pretty quick. So, for your basic everyday usage, the Snapdragon 425 and 2GB RAM should just be enough.
Overheating is not an issue with the Redmi 4A. Even after half an hour of gaming or consistent browsing, the phone doesn’t seem to overheat, which is a good sign. Check out the full hardware specs of the model here.
As for the battery life, I could get an entire day with the 3000mAh battery inside. This includes moderate usage like browsing for an hour, watching a few videos on youtube and talking for about an hour. Messaging apps and internet tend to drain down the battery quite quickly, but still, if your usage is moderate, the phone will last an entire day without much trouble.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A Camera
The phone comes with a 13MP f/2.2 aperture camera at the back and a 5MP shooter up front. The rear camera is pretty decent, managing to take pictures with good clarity under good lighting conditions.
Low light images are bad, but HDR mode is something that helps you overcome lighting issues in most situations.
The HDR mode on the rear camera managed to capture much better photos, especially indoors, where lighting conditions were not exactly favorable.
The front camera is also decent and is good enough for a few selfies. Nothing out of the ordinary, just what you can expect from a sub-$150 smartphone.
The full-size samples and even a video have been uploaded here. Feel free to check them out.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A Software & Features
The UI is smooth and the animations are fluid, as is the case with most MIUI powered phones. The phone is currently running Android 6.0.1 with MIUI 8 on top. The software comes with all the basic features found on MIUI 8, including Second Space and Dual Apps. The Second Space is like a second smartphone inside. You can use this space to customize for a particular need, like choose the themes, apps that will be displayed in this mode.
You can set a password for protecting the data on this space as well as quickly transfer apps to this new space. Revert back to the first space (using the icon on the home page) and you get all your original data back. It’s a smart way to manage your work and home profiles in one phone. You can also duplicate apps on the device, which is yet another smart feature on MIUI 8.
I have been using this phone as my primary device for making and receiving calls for the past several weeks and I must say that given its super light weight body, you can talk for hours on the device without any issues. The call clarity is decent and you won’t find any trouble hearing the person on the other side.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A Review: Conclusion
Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi 4A is a pretty decent smartphone at its price. If you are looking for something that’s compact, lightweight and can tackle most tasks without much hassle, then the Redmi 4A is for you. The phone looks pretty good, the display is bright and good for reading and the overall experience is good. The camera could have been better, but for a couple of images once in a while, it will suffice.
