Xiaomi Redmi Y2 64GB

Design-wise, Xiaomi has gone with what's worked for other manufacturers in the budget segment and has constructed the Redmi Y1 entirely out of plastic. My guess is this was done to reduce costs and truth be told, I didn't really expect the company to use metal in the Y2's build. However, using a sturdier polycarbonate back and playing with the design a bit isn't a big ask as the Y2 looks quite generic. As a matter of fact, I made the mistake of confusing the Redmi Y2 with its pricier sibling, the Redmi Note 5 Pro (review) more than once, which is a testament to the smartphone's uninspired design. This doesn't necessarily mean that the smartphone is ugly - just a tad bit boring.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 is a budget smartphone, albeit can give pricier mid-rangers a run for their money with its fast and consistent performance. Inside, the smartphone is driven by an octa-core Snapdragon 625 chip which works alongside 3GB of RAM and 32GB of user-expandable storage. Do note that there's another variant that offers 4GB RAM and double the storage. My review unit is the one with 3GB RAM. Now, the SD625 processor is over a year old, but it still retains its spot as the most popular 600-series processor amongst manufacturers since it strikes the perfect balance between performance and efficiency. Allow me to explain.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 isn't the first affordable smartphone from the company to ship with dual cameras, but it is the first in the brand's Y-series lineup. The handset comes with dual 12MP and 5MP sensors on the back, which look identical to the ones found on the pricier Redmi Note 5 Pro, at least on paper. Unfortunately, we have no way to ascertain this as the company is keeping a tight lip about the type of sensor the smartphone employs to click images. That being said, Xiaomi is targeting the selfie-centric demographic with the Redmi Y2 and therefore, has equipped the smartphone with a generous 16MP shooter up front.