Early this week, Xiaomi Redmi Note made its debut in India.
Like its siblings - Xiaomi Mi3 and Redmi 1S, Redmi Note is set to stir up another storm in the Indian smartphone market. The only complaint among the consumers is the limited availability of the device in the market.
On Tuesday (on 2 December), only 50,000 units were stocked in the Flipkart flash sale for more 3.5 lakh registered users. Predictably, the sale got over in just six seconds, leaving many fans frustrated.
Like rubbing salt on the wound, some miscreants were seen reselling the Redmi Note at popular online classified sites like OLX, Quikr and others for exorbitant prices. So people who have no patience to wait for a weekly flash sale, then Alcatel OneTouch Flash and the recently released ZTE Grand S2 are interesting enough to take a look at.
To help give clear perspective on the devices (Xiaomi Redmi Note, Alcatel OneTouch Flash and ZTE Grand S2), we have briefly described the key specifications of the smartphones.
Display:
Xiaomi's Redmi Note and Alcatel OneTouch Flash sport 5.5-inch HD (1,280x720p) screen with pixel density close to 267 ppi (pixels per inch).
On the other hand, ZTE Grand S2 features full HD (1,920x1,080p) display with pixel density of 401 ppi.
Processor, RAM and Storage capacity:
In this aspect, ZTE Grand S2 wins hands down thanks to the industry leader, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 series quad-core processor, which can clock close to 2.3GHz CPU speed and is backed by Adreno 330 graphics engine and sumptuous 2GB RAM, which can assist in performing multi-tasking and run hard-core energy guzzling games with less lag.
On the other hand, Redmi Note and OneTouch Flash house less popular MediaTek manufactured 1.14GHz Octa-core processor.
[Note: 4G Redmi model house 1.6GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor]
Xiaomi phablet features 2GB RAM and 8GB in-built memory (expandable up to 32GB), whereas Alcatel devices pack 1GB physical memory and 8GB storage space (up to 32GB).
Mobile Operating System:
In this aspect, all devices almost stand even as they run on the same ubiquitous Android operating system sans version.
However, there is one advantage of owning Xiaomi device is the timely Android update and bug fixes. In October, Xiaomi got itself a unique distinction of being the first company to release the new Android 5.0 Lollipop update to Mi2 series, weeks before Nexus devices began to get the new software.
If history is taken as any indication, Redmi Note will get the Lollipop update by December end or early January.
Camera Specifications:
Again, all three Redmi Note, OneTouch Flash and Grand S2 boast same camera features.
They house 13mp main camera with LED flash, HDR, , auto-focus, 4x digital zoom, full HD video recording and on the front, they come packed with 5mp camera.
[Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Note is Best Budget Android Phablet: Exclusive Review, Design, Feature Details]
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 youth, which forms the biggest chunk of the India's demography.
Among three competitors, Redmi Note comes on top, thanks to its dirt-cheap price tag of just ₹8,999 (4G model: ₹9,999).
[Note: Xiaomi, in collaboration with home-grown network carrier Airtel, is slated to release 4G-based Redmi Note in select cities (around 15) across India little later this month.]
[Read More: Alcatel OneTouch Flash: Selfie-Centric Smartphone Launched in India]
Alcatel One Touch costs ₹9,999, whereas the ZTE Grand S2 is priced ₹13,999 making it costliest among the rivals. It has to be noted that the ZTE phone houses Snapdragon 800 series SoC (System on Chip). No other devices in the market offer this specification for under ₹14,000 bucks.
[Read More: ZTE Grand S2: Budget Phablet with Snapdragon 800 Series SoC Goes on Sale in India]
[Xiaomi Mi3 boasts this Snapdragon 800 series SoC feature, but it is no longer available in the market]
Key Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi Note, Alcatel OneTouch Flash and ZTE Grand S2:
| Models | Xiaomi Redmi Note | Alcatel OneTouch Flash | ZTE Grand S2 |
| Display | 5.5-inch HD (1280x720p) IPS LCD screenPixel density: close to 267 ppi (pixels per inch) | 5.5-inch HD (1280x720p) IPS screen | 5.5-inch full HD (1920x1080p) screenPixel density: 401 ppi (pixels per inch) |
| OS | Android v4.2 Jelly Bean with custom MIUI | Android 4.4 KitKat | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean |
| Processor | 3G model: MediaTek (MTK MT6592) Octa-core processor with 1.7GHz CPU speed4G model: 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 series quad-core CPU(3G model: Mali-450MP4 GPU4G model: Adreno 305 GPU) | 1.4GHz MediaTek Octa-core CPU(chipset type: MTK 6592M) with Mali-450MP4 GPU | 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core CPU(Adreno 330 GPU) |
| RAM | 2GB | 1GB | 2GB |
| Storage capacity | 8GB, expandable up to 32GB | 8GB, expandable up to 32GB | 16GB, expandable up to 32GB |
| Camera | Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash, HDRFront: 5.0-megapixel camera | Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, HDR, image stabilizations, auto-focus, 4x digital zoom, full HD video recordingFront: 5.0-megapixel camera | Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with LED flashFront: 5.0-megapixel camera |
| Battery | 3100 mAh (Li-Ion Polymer);Internet usage time: up to 14 hours (3G) & 38 hours (2G)Standby time: close to 775 hoursMusic playback time: up to 60 hours | 3200 mAh;Talk-time: up to 19 hoursStandby time: close to 465 hours | 3000 mAh |
| Network | 2G/3G & 4G (optional model) | 3G | 3G |
| Add-ons | Dual-SIM slots (WCDMA:3G & GSM: 2G), Bluetooth v4.0 (with LE, A2DP), micro-USB v2.0 (OTG), GPRS/EDGE, microSD card slot, | Dual-SIM slots (type: micro), Bluetooth v4.0 (with EDR), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), micro-USB v2.0, A-GPS integrated with Google Maps | Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), micro-USB, GPS, FM radio, micro-SIM slot |
| Dimensions | 154.0 x 78.7 x 9.5 mm | 152.1 x 76.2 x 8.1 mm | 157.0 x 77.0 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 199 g | 150 g | 120 g |
| Price | 3G Model: ₹8,999/-4G model: ₹9,999/- | ₹9,999/- | ₹13,999/- |
