On June 7, Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi Y2, the successor of the company's bestselling selfie-camera phone Redmi Y1. Now, the new phone is all set to be released on multiple e-commerce platforms-- Amazon India & Mi.com-- and also brick-and-mortar Mi Homes across India on June 12.
Is Xiaomi Redmi Y2 worth buying?
Going by the specifications and the price, Redmi Y2 is a very competitive phone in the mid-range segment. Its USP is the camera and will find traction among college youths and salaried class, especially those who joined the job for the first time. Here are five key aspects of the Xiaomi phone that makes it a smart buy.
Camera:
As said before, the highlight of Redmi Y2 is its photography hardware. It boasts a 16MP front camera with a plethora of features including Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Beautify 4.0.
When Auto HDR is enabled, the 16MP front camera automatically detects a back-light environment and applies the HDR effect. Selfie-light on Redmi Y2 mimics natural light, allowing catchlights in the eyes to be captured, which makes for great portrait photos. The camera also supports AI bokeh that effectively distinguishes the subject from the background, even correctly identifying elements such as hair accessories and popular hand gestures as being part of the subject.
It also boasts face unlock feature and during our review process, it has impressed me a lot. It is lightning fast and has very low false rejection ratio.
It also In low-light conditions, the sensor uses pixel binning technique to combine information from four pixels and create one large 2.0µm pixel. This greatly improves the resulting picture quality, producing clearer and brighter photos in low light with less noise. Another addition to its low-light repertoire is the Selfie-light, which produces a 4500K colour temperature making it easier to take selfies in low-light conditions, the company said.
On the back, the Redmi Y2 comes with a 12MP + 5MP AI dual camera. The 12MP primary sensor has 1.25µm large pixels, which guarantees brighter images in low light conditions. The 5MP secondary sensor is dedicated to acquiring depth information, producing photos with great bokeh effects.
Xiaomi Redmi Y2 camera sample shot taken in the afternoon.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India 
Xiaomi Redmi Y2 camera sample shot taken in the late evening.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India
In Portrait Mode, both the front and back cameras support AI Beautify. AI Beautify 4.0 is designed keeping in mind specific needs of users in India, and can detect elements such as makeup, beards, nose rings, etc. and keep them intact (besides popular selfie facial expressions).
Processor, RAM and storage configuration:
Xiaomi Redmi Y2 comes with the time-tested Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core. It is backed by 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage, which can also be expanded up to 256GB via micro SD.
It is also one of the rare phones in the market to come with three dedicated slots---two for 4G SIMs and one for microSD card. Rival branded phones, except the Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1), offer hybrid SIM slot, which offers two choices —SIM+SIM or SIM+microSD. The consumers have to compromise second SIM for want for extra storage or let go of memory expansion for the second SIM.
With Redmi Y2, users don't have to make any of those compromises.
Display:
It sports a 5.99-inch HD+ (1440x720p) screen with 18:9 aspect and 450nits brightness level. With such features, users are guaranteed of the cinematic viewing experience. Also, the legibility of the content on Redmi Y2's screen under the bright sunlight is quite impressive. I didn't find strenuous to view the text message or differentiate colours of the multimedia contents.
Design and build quality:
Xiaomi Redmi Y2 comes with a sleek body and on the back, the company engineers have done a fine job of placing antenna lines with aesthetically pleasing design on the top and at the base. Even the material used for the construction of the shell and on the display is of good quality for its price range.
Cost-effective price:
The new Xiaomi Redmi Y2 comes in two configurations—3GB RAM+32GB storage and 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage—for Rs 9,999 and Rs 12,999, respectively. The company is also bundling a semi-transparent TPU case along with the phone in the retail box.
This makes Xiaomi Redmi Y2, one of the most cost-effective mid-range phone in the market.
Additionally, Xiaomi, as part of the promotional launch offers, is collaborating with Airtel and is offering Rs 1,800 instant cash back and up to 240GB data benefits free.
Also, consumers with ICICI debit/credit card are entitled to get Rs 500 instant cash back for buying Redmi Y2 on June 12 via Mi.com and Amazon.
For those unaware, the Redmi Y2 is slated to go on sale at 12:00 pm, June 12 on Mi.com, Amazon and Mi Home stores across the country. It will also be available across offline partners at a later date.
Key specifications of Xiaomi Redmi Y2:
| Model | Xiaomi Redmi Y2 |
| Display | 5.99-inch HD+ (1440x720p) screen with 2.5D curved glass
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| OS | Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9.5 (will get MIUI 10 soon) |
| Processor | 14nm 64 class 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 506 |
| RAM | 3GB/4GB |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB + up to 256GB via microSD card |
| Camera |
|
| Battery | 3,080mAh |
| Network | 4G-LTE |
| Add-ons | Fingerprint sensor, face unlock infrared sensor, dual-SIM (nano+nano+ microSD), Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), GPS+GLONASS, micro USB port |
| Dimensions | 160.73 × 77.26 × 8.1 mm |
| Weight | 170g |
| Colours | Rose gold, Champagne gold, Platinum silver |
| Price |
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