Xiaomi Redmi 2

Let’s face it… the Redmi 2 isn’t going to dazzle you with its looks. Sure, our white unit looks fine, and the brand is selling the device in China in a variety of hues… but it remains to be seen whether those options will be available to buy in India when the phone launches here or not. Like the Redmi 1s, Xiaomi may just launch the staid grey variant here and sell differently-coloured back panels as optional accessories.

The Redmi 2 can’t really boast of much improvement in the screen department too, as it offers the same 4.7-inch display with 720p resolution. The Redmi 1s was a game-changer in offering a screen of this resolution at a budget price point, and the refreshed device is no different. We can’t find fault with it, especially considering that the new device would be a budget offering too.

We won’t mince words and go right out and say it – Xiaomi’s MIUI is one of the most loaded and feature-rich platforms we’ve tried. We’ve covered it in detail in our reviews of Xiaomi smartphones, talking about the customisability (including the extensive theme support) and other special features such as the built in security suite, call and message blocker, and the private area for SMSes, along with tons of other small yet handy features such as the call recorder. The attention to detail is just mind boggling, and experiencing the clock app that makes the phone vibrate subtly in sync with the seconds hand should be enough to know what we mean. While this particular feature is missing from MIUI v6, the latest refresh of the platform that the Redmi 2 runs, that doesn’t make it any less loaded.

Camera-wise, the Redmi 2 offers an 8-megapixel rear shooter (the same as the Redmi 1s), and a 2MP sensor at the front which betters the older handset just marginally in terms of resolution. The user interface revamp carries forward to the camera app too.

With a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 chip ticking under the hood along with 1GB of RAM, the Redmi 2 doesn’t feel like a massive upgrade over it predecessor as far as pure performance is concerned. There’s a hint of lag on occasion, but day-to-day tasks run smoothly for the most part.