Xiaomi Redmi 5 was announced in December 2017 alongside the high-end Redmi 5 Plus, but up to now, the pair has yet to leave the Chinese market.
On the brighter side, news just trickling in suggests that the Xiaomi Redmi 5 global release may be around the corner, especially after the company promised that February is set to be lit. This statement only added more weight to a previous report that pegged the global release of the Redmi 5 to the second half of February.
Note that we still don’t know all the markets where Xiaomi will be selling the phone, but we are hopeful it’ll come to a shop near you, be it in Europe, Asia, Africa or any other market the company has a presence.
Nonetheless, February is here, which also means that the global release of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 is almost here. Given all the positive reviews the phone has received since inception, you are probably asking yourself: should I wait for the Redmi 5 release?
To help you answer this question in the best way possible, here are 5 reasons – and a bonus – we think you should wait for the release of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 in your local market.
A proven track record
This is easily the best reason why you should look at Xiaomi devices only under this range, at least until Huawei finds a way to crack the sub-INR 10,000 range.
The Xiaomi’s Redmi series is without a doubt the company’s best-selling smartphone range and this was further evidenced with the top-performing Redmi 4 and Redmi Note 4 in 2017. We have a hunch that the Redmi Note 5 might never see the light thanks to the existence of the Redmi 5 Plus, but that’s a story for another day.
The Redmi series has a proven track record of giving consumers top-notch handsets at affordable prices – and the Redmi 5 isn’t different.
The phone is expected to start retailing at an affordable price tag of about Rs 8,000 for the base model of 2GB RAM and 16GB storage and Rs 9,000 for the 3GB/32GB variant. You can check out the rest of the specs here.
You’ll be getting the best value for money
At the projected price of Rs 8,000, you’ll be getting one of the best value for money phones. Last year, Lenovorola’s Moto G5 was priced at Rs 11,999 at launch and you can expect even more with the upcoming Moto G6, which may start at about Rs 15,000.
Considering that the Moto G6 will share the same performance specs as the Xiaomi Redmi 5, that is, a Snapdragon 450 SoC, 2GB/3GB RAM and 16/32GB storage, it’s obvious to see why you should wait for the release of the Redmi 5. There’s even more to the Redmi 5, which leads us to the next point.
There’s a beautiful 18:9 display on the front
Xiaomi was among the first to venture into the “bezel-less” craze and while this had remained exclusive to the Mi MIX series, the Redmi 5 is the first to bring the new 18:9 design to other Xiaomi phones, more so the Redmi series.
The beautiful 5.7-inch LCD screen is definitely one of the major highlights of the Xiaomi Redmi 5. Considering its price segment, it is understandable that it has an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels, however, the trimmed bezels mean you get the same dimensions as the Redmi Note 4, which has a smaller 5.5-inch screen.
You’ll be surprised at how vibrant the LCD display used on the Redmi 5 is and it gets even better knowing that Xiaomi has more customization options for you thanks to the MIUI.
The battery is big
Like other Redmi devices, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a hefty 3300mAh battery unit, one of the biggest you can find in devices competing in the same segment. Even more interesting is the fact that you get support for fast charging technology. Unfortunately, you still get to deal with the aging microUSB port for charging, which means the 3.5mm audio jack is there.
Better software in MIUI, and regular updates
5th reason: On the matter of pricing, Xiaomi Redmi 5 exists in a segment that is filled with lots of unheard-of smartphone brands. While Xiaomi’s MIUI isn’t the best in the Android world, it’s without a doubt ahead of the pack in this segment.
However, things change a little when it comes to the Redmi 5 Plus, which is expected to start retailing at about Rs 10,000 when it hits the Indian market and has the likes of Huawei Honor 9 Lite and Honor 7X to battle with.
No really good alternatives
The sixth reason why we would want you to hold on to your next budget smartphone purchase is: because no really good smartphone is available in this range at the moment. Yes, some Indian companies are doing their to offer you bezel-less devices under the $100 (INR 6,500) range, but they are all failing quite miserably.
None could match the solid spec sheet the Redmi 5 gives you, while there are doubts on how well the hardware would be in the long run, let alone any expectations as regards timely software updates, whether that be Android Oreo or regular security patches.
Bonus: Guaranteed Oreo upgrade
Although not the fastest, Xiaomi has proven that it can be among the best when it comes to rolling out software updates. With this in mind, you’ll be glad to learn that the Xiaomi Redmi 5, which has Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box, will be updated to Android Oreo, probably somewhere in Q2 or Q3 2018.
There are not so many phones priced at Rs 10,000 and below that are guaranteed OS upgrades. In fact, there’s hardly any, with the likes of Moto C and Moto E4 series not guaranteed Oreo updates. So far, Motorola has only promised Oreo updates up to the Moto G4 Plus.
All these make the Redmi 5 quite the special device it is – and it’s definitely worth the wait.
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