Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 arrived on our doorstep last week. We unboxed it and took it out for a quick spin. And I think we can all agree the device is worth more than PHP5,999 selling price.
What’s in the box?
As soon as you open the box, you will be greeted by the Redmi 2. Besides the unit, you get the usual contents: a data cable, the battery, and some documentation.
I removed the plastic film on the screen before playing around with it. Don’t forget to remove the silver film covering the camera.
First Impressions
The Redmi 2 has a rectangular shape with rounded edges. It feels good to hold and the build quality seems very solid. In my opinion, this is a good size for one handed operation, and so far, its comfortable to use.
The back plate is made of a plastic material with a matte finish. The metallic logo produces a nice contrast. You could also see the camera, flash and speaker grill here.
The device has a minimalist design with a nice clean look. Notice how the top black layer contrasts the white plastic body.
The power and volume buttons are on the right side. It also has a metallic coating similar to the logo.
You’ll find the 3.5mm audio jack at the top, and the micro USB port at the bottom.
The 4.7 inch screen has a 1280 x 720 resolution and a respectable 312 pixels per inch. The text on screen looks crisp and colors look good. Default brightness looked a bit low for me, so I had to raise it to about 75%.
One small caveat I found was that that the capacitive keys do not light up. It means you might fumble a bit in the dark looking for the keys. Here’s a closer look. Also, the LED notification light is underneath the home key (not pictured).
The Redmi 2 runs MIUI 6.4.4 based on Android 4.4.4. So far, the device is generally smooth and responsive. It’s not lag free though, but its tolerable.
Here’s the camera app. I like it’s simple layout.
AnTuTu’ed
A quick run of AnTuTu showed a score of 20,125. Not bad for PHP5,999 phone. Remember, the score is just half the story. So far, the UI is smooth and responsive.
It’s a Good Phone
Needless to say, our first impressions of the Redmi 2 is a positive one. The minimalist design gives it a nice clean look. The UI is smooth and responsive. The screen may not be that bright, but you can adjust it in settings. Overall, I’d say this is a good buy for PHP5,999.
Xiaomi Redmi 2 key specs:
- 4.7 inch HD screen (1280 x 720, 312 PPI), protected by AGC Dragontrail glass
- 1.2GHz Quad-core 64-bit Snapdragon 410
- Adreno 306 GPU
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage (expandable to 32GB)
- 4G dual SIM and dual standby capability
- 8MP BSI f/2.2 rear camera
- 2MP BSI front camera with 720p video recording
- 2200mAh battery
- MIUI 6 based on Android 4.4.4
The Redmi 2 is now available in Lazada.