Micromax YU Yureka vs Xiaomi Mi4: Which Smartphone to Buy?

Top Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi made a remarkable debut last year in mid-July in India.

Xiaomi's feature-rich Mi3, which got launched at a dirt-cheap sub-Rs 15,000 price bracket stirred a huge storm in the Indian smartphone market, which until then was ruled by domestic players like Micromax, Karbonn, Lava and others.

Xiaomi continued to impress smartphone enthusiasts with its Redmi 1S and Redmi Note through the end of 2014. Taking note of the Chinese rival, Micromax made a superb comeback by launching a feature-rich YU Yureka.

However, Xiaomi's new phone Mi4 has, for the first time, received mixed response from the public. Many believe that that the company should have launched the 4G-LTE Mi4 with 64GB model, which the company sells in China.

To provide a better perspective on these phones, we have briefly described the key specifications of Xiaomi Mi4 and Micromax YU Yureka.

Micromax YU Yureka vs. Xiaomi Mi4 - Design and Display:

Xiaomi Mi4 boasts polished stainless steel lining all around the contours of the phone, giving true premium feel. The glossy plastic cover on the rear side is visually appealing and also sturdy enough to bear minor accidental drops.

On the front, it sports 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) with Sharp/JDI OGS (One Glass Solution) full lamination that has pixel density of 441ppi (pixels per inch). It is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 shield.

The new Micromax YU Yureka comes with ergonomic sloping edge design with a bulge in the middle (on the rear-side). It is 8.8 mm thick in the middle and tapers down to 6.0 mm at the edge.

In terms of display specifications, Yu Yureka sports 5.5-inch HD (720x1280p) screen with 80-degree viewing angle. 

Although many may say Yu Yureka's HD screen is a bit sub-par as compared to Mi4, many studies have reportedly stated that the human eye cannot note difference in pixel density beyond HD (720x1280p), so we can rest assured that anything beyond HD resolution is just a gimmick used by companies to sell the device.

Micromax YU Yureka vs. Xiaomi Mi4 - Processor, RAM and storage capacity:

In this aspect, Micromax YU Yureka closely edges past Xiaomi Mi4 thanks to the advanced 64-bit class CPU.

Micromax houses the new generation 64-bit class-based Snapdragon 615 Octa-core SoC (System on Chip), manufactured by industry leader Qualcomm.

One advantage of having 64-bit processor is that the phone performance and RAM management will be more optimized and efficiently used among the apps. Users are less likely to face lag during multi-tasking.

Secondly, new Android applications starting this year will roll-out with 64-bit architecture compliant codes, making YU Yureka future-proof.

Snapdragon 615 chipset comes with H.265/High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) which enables in faster computational operations.

It will be aptly backed by Adreno 405 graphics engine, 2GB DDR3 RAM and 16GB inbuilt memory with an option of expansion up to 32GB via microSD card.

Whereas, the Xiaomi Mi4 houses a generation-old but super-fast 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 series quad-core CPU and is backed by sumptuous 3GB LPDDR 3 RAM.

One downside is that Mi4 features only 16 GB (12GB available for use) in-built memory with no slot for microSD card.

Micromax YU Yureka vs. Xiaomi Mi4 - Camera specifications details:

Micromax YU Yureka packs a 13.0-megapixel camera with Sony Exmor RS sensor, Blue-lens architecture, 5-physical element lens, f/2.2 aperture, 75.4 degree wide-angle, full HD (1080p) resolution recording, LED flash and a pretty decent 5.0-megapixel camera with 71-degree angle lens, which is certain to cheer selfie enthusiasts.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi Mi4 also boasts a 13.0-megapixel Sony IMX214 camera with 6 element lens, f1.8 aperture, real-time HDR, CMOS sensor, 0.3-second auto-focus feature and is capable of recording 4K video as well.

However, Mi4's 16GB storage makes high-resolution video recording limited to few minutes because a one minute 4K clip consumes close to 500MB of memory. There is just not enough memory to fully experience this camera feature.

On the front, Xiaomi has generously incorporated a feature-rich 8.0-megapixel Sony (IMX219) 80-degree wide-angle camera with 5 element lens, f1.8 aperture which is certain to please the selfie aficionados.

Micromax YU Yureka vs. Xiaomi Mi4 - Mobile operating system:

Here too, Micromax narrowly wins over rival Xiaomi Mi4, thanks to its feature-rich Cyanogen custom Android OS.

CyanogenMod takes Android experience to the next level like no other Custom ROM developer does. They provide almost unlimited custom features.

Advantages of using Cyanogen OS include options to remove any app (even the pre-loaded ones which come with the phone), enhanced performance, better RAM management, regular security updates [case in point POODLE vulnerability fix released last month], quick settings configuration option, regular monthly update, privacy guard (gives users the control to what the applications can learn about you and your contacts),Global Blacklist (gives users the ability to flag telemarketers, robo-callers, annoying people and blacklist them) and many other customization options.

[Read More: CyanogenMod Team Releases new Android KitKat CM11 M12 Series Custom ROM; Brings Security Patch for Poodle Vulnerability Issue]

[Note: It is learnt that Micromax YU Yureka will be the first device among all Android phones in the world to get custom CyanogenMod series Android 5.0 Lollipop OS. That's not all. Yureka will get monthly OTA (Over-The-Air) updates there-after and the company warranty will not get void, even if user roots (unlock) the phone.]

Redmi Note 4G also boasts feature-rich tweaked Android OS with MIUI. This refreshing interface can be referred to as a hybrid between Android and iOS which is not at all complex; it is simple and yet visually appealing.

Honorable mention:

Xiaomi is one of the very few OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) partners of Google, who are quick with releasing software updates. That's not all, they also listen to fans on official forums and release regular software patch soon after a bug is reported.

Micromax YU Yureka vs. Xiaomi Mi4- Price:

Price is one of the most important aspects of this comparison article as it plays a crucial role in the minds of the price-sensitive middle class and the working youth population, which form the largest chunk of India's demography.

Micromax YU Yureka comes with a price-tag of just ₹8,999 and is sold exclusively on Amazon India on Thursdays.

[Read more: Micromax YU Yureka Registration Service Goes Live on Amazon India; Company Promises to Double Inventory Capacity in February]

On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi4 is priced at ₹19,999 and will go on sale next week, on 10 February, exclusively on Flipkart.

[Read more: Xiaomi Mi4 Flash Sale Alert: Select Flipkart 'First' Subscribers to Get Early Access Pass to Buy]

Micromax YU Yureka vs. Xiaomi Mi4: Verdict

Micromax YU Yureka:

Pros:

·        Advanced 64-bit class Snapdragon 615 Octa-core SoC (System on Chip)

·        CyanogenMod custom Android OS

·        4G-LTE Modem

Cons:

·        Limited Availability

·        After sale service (needs improvement)

The only complaint by Micromax fans is the after-sale services, but Micromax has announced that YU Yureka buyers will be provided with on-call service. The company's service personnel will come to their said location to fix the glitch. This is a testing time for Micromax as it needs to make a good impression on consumers and keep the loyalty as tier-1 MNC brands like Apple and Samsung do.

Xiaomi Mi4

Pros:

·        Stainless Steel-clad body

·        MIUI v6.0

Cons:

·        Limited storage space

·        No 4G-LTE Connectivity Support

·        Limited availability

Xiaomi's stupendous success in India is due its strategy of selling of high-end devices with dirt-cheap price-tags. But this time, Mi4 which comes with a ₹19,999 price-tag that fails in two critical areas – limited storage capacity and no 4G network compatibility.

It already sells 4G compatible model with 64GB memory in China, so it would have been better if company offered the same in India.

We heard that 4G antenna chip compatible with Indian 4G spectrum was too big to incorporate requiring change in Xiaomi Mi4's design.

If this is true, it's pardonable; but the company should have at least released the 3G model with 64GB memory so that it could compete with its Chinese peer OnePlus One which has a huge following in India as well.

Key specifications of Micromax YU Yureka and Xiaomi Mi4: