Redmi A4 5G First impressions
Consumers simply aren’t buying as many entry-level smartphones as they used to. At least, that’s what the IDC does most of the time recent report dictates the Indian smartphone market. It clearly states that the market witnessed a sharp decline of 36 percent in entry-level models year on year. While there are many entry-level smartphones available in the market, most new smartphone buyers seem to be looking for a budget smartphone (starting from Rs. 10,000). And that’s mainly due to the fact that entry-level smartphones have kind of ruined it for themselves over the years. Considering the meager hardware manufacturers can leverage with such budget constraints, the overall experience (despite ignoring camera performance) was also mediocre at best.
The only prominent player, Xiaomi, seems to be doing something about this. It has now launched its all-new Redmi A4 5G. As the name aptly explains, the phone delivers 5G connectivity and is priced starting from Rs. 8,499 for the 4GB + 64GB option, while the top-end 4GB + 128GB variant is available for Rs. 9,499.
The Redmi A4 5G has a 3.5mm headphone jack
Our Sparkle Purple review device, despite its polycarbonate frame and back panel, looks polished and could easily be mistaken for a more expensive budget device. It has flat sides and flat front and back panels. The chunky camera module on the back appears to have four camera cutouts and feels out of place on an entry-level model.
The phone has a large footprint, but does not feel too heavy at 212 grams. The plastic design also has an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance, which is good to see in this segment.
The dated display notch at the top of the large 6.88-inch 120Hz HD+ screen is the only giveaway you have in your hands for an entry-level model. During my brief use, I took it outside and it seemed to handle the outdoors quite well.
The phone has a slightly dated notch at the top of the 6.88-inch screen, which has a taller aspect ratio
Unlock the smartphone and you are greeted with Xiaomi’s HyperOS software, based on Android 14. As with all entry-level devices, this is no different. And I was greeted with a bunch of pre-installed apps and games. My first impression, however, is that it all seems well optimized (especially when scrolling), even if launching an app takes a second longer than on a budget smartphone.
Back to the cameras: there’s only one rear camera. Despite the four camera cutouts, there’s a 50-megapixel primary camera (f/1.8 aperture) and a secondary depth-sensing camera (when using portrait mode) that users can’t access. So you are left with a very simple camera experience indeed. The selfie camera is also a basic 5-megapixel unit.
The above hardware and software experience is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 SoC. Xiaomi has backed it up with LPDDR4X RAM but offers UFS 2.2 storage. The processor is manufactured using the 4nm manufacturing process so that it can deliver better performance with better efficiency compared to what is currently available in smartphones at this price.
There’s not much in the box, but you do get a 33W charger that charges the phone at 18W
The new chipset is backed by a 5,160 mAh battery. Considering the price of the smartphone, it is a bit surprising to find a 33W charger in the box. However, the Redmi A4 5G charges at 18W, so I expect faster charging speeds despite the slightly higher capacity compared to the Redmi A3.
The few hours I spent with the Redmi A4 5G have been enough to convince me that Xiaomi is out to shake up this much-ignored market segment. The segment as such hasn’t been completely ignored (there are still plenty of choices to choose from), but it seems to have been devoid of any innovation or sensible hardware choices in recent years. Xiaomi seems to have figured out a winning formula, and the 4nm Qualcomm chipset is at least showing positive signs of delivering a smooth and stable software experience. Can Xiaomi’s Redmi A4 5G be as good as a budget smartphone? Stay tuned for our detailed review.
