Xiaomi Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A: All you need to know

Xiaomi recently refreshed the high-end segment with a trio of Xiaomi Mi 8 phones and it hasn’t taken the company too long to do the same to the other end of the spectrum, which has received Xiaomi Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A handsets.

These two are immediate successors to the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5A that are quite popular in markets like India, where Xiaomi reigns supreme in the budget segment. The Redmi 5, for instance, wows with its 18:9 design, big battery, premium-looking build, and powerful specs while the 5A is even better when it comes to offering the best bang for your buck.

In essence, the Redmi 6 and 6A are here to pick up from where these two left. Let’s check out the specs and features.

Redmi 6 and 6A specs and features

Like many other smartphones that have been released prior to today, the Redmi 6 comes with support for AI-assisted Face Unlock to back up the traditional and trusted fingerprint scanner that rests on the back panel. Thanks to AI, all you have to do is lift up the phone and the screen will light up and scan your face to unlock the phone.

As for the more affordable Xiaomi Redmi 6A, as you’d expect, the hardware and features are toned down to match the price tag, but you are getting the same build as the Redmi 6.

The fact that the Redmi 6 is viewed as the direct successor to the Redmi 5 yet it rocks a smaller 3000mAh battery compared to its predecessor’s 3300mAh unit is still sinking in, but that’s just that. You may have also noticed the presence of new MediaTek chipsets, especially the one under the hood of the Redmi 6A. Both chipsets are products of the 12nm process, but the P22 has eight cores compared to the A22’s four, although both are clocked at 2.0GHz.

MIUI 10 download available

Despite coming out when Xiaomi had already launched the new MIUI 10, the Redmi 6 and 6A have MIUI 9 out of the box. However, we already have download links to the latest update that brings MIUI 10 to the two phones, which can be found on this page. This update is still based on the same Android 8.1 Oreo you find out of the box, but the pair should jump to Android P when the time comes, probably in early 2019, if not late 2018.

Redmi 6 and 6A price and availability

In typical fashion, Xiaomi has launched the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A in China as the first market and even though there’s no mention of when the phones will start selling globally, we think it won’t be long. It took the Redmi 5 and 5A about a month to start selling outside China and with this in mind, we expect to see the Redmi 6 and 6A in Europe and India beginning next month, but we cannot give out a specific date.

As far as the prices are concerned, the Redmi 6 has a price tag of about $125 for the 3/32GB variant and about $155 for the 4/64GB variant. If either price tag is too high for you, the Redmi 6A will set you back just $95 or thereabout. Keep in mind that these prices are direct conversions from what the phones cost in China, so expect a small change when the phones finally hit your local store.