Common Specifications Pros: Great all-rounder phones, high-quality 720p displays, notification LED, fast face unlock, great for one-hand use, fast fingerprint (on Redmi 6)
Cons: Polycarbonate body, no IR emitter (usually standard on Redmi phones), rear facing speaker gets muffled on soft surfaces
Budget phones are just that — built to a budget. But they should still be able to provide a good experience to first-time smartphone users and that’s exactly what the Redmi 6A and Redmi 6 are aiming for. Most new users would want a phone with a nice screen, lightweight design, capable cameras, able to work on 4G with dual SIM and something that doesn’t keep freezing up with daily tasks.
Redmi 6A These new phones are updates to Redmi 5A and Redmi 5 but in some ways, they are downgrades too. Notably, the Redmi 5 was one of the few budget phones to have a metal unibody design with 18:9 display but the Redmi 6 goes with a polycarbonate shell. Display size is down to 5.45-inch from 5.7-inch. The LED selfie light is gone, the IR emitter for universal remote is missing and the battery size has been reduced. So why has Xiaomi done this?
One reason is the much wider variety of phones (even from Xiaomi) in the budget space. With the display size reduction also comes a reduction in overall size — making it much easier to use with one hand. The polycarbonate shell reduces weight/cost and most people use a case anyway. The processors are more efficient too, which means a smaller battery will reduce weight and last about the same.
You get a good experience out of the box with MiUI 9 (built on Android 8.1 Oreo). You can record calls, change themes, set up face unlock (and it works well), configure a second space or set up dual apps. The display is identical on both phones — it’s a 720p HD LCD with nice colour and excellent viewing angles. The Redmi 6 will obviously be the better performer with its P22 octa core and more RAM. That being said, both are good for uses like calls, messaging, web, music, apps and basic games. The interface is not blazing fast but it gets the job done without freezing up.
Redmi 6 The camera on the Redmi 6 is surprisingly good for the asking price. You get a portrait mode (because of the 5MP depth sensor), manual mode, multiple scene modes, 1080p video, slo-motion video, EIS for video and built in time lapse. The 6A drops the portrait mode and slowmotion but is otherwise mostly the same. We got some nice results in daylight with good dynamic range and colour. You also get a beautify mode (configurable) for the front camera and generally pleasing photos in good lighting. Battery life is about a full day for most users.
Ultimately, both these phones are mostly identical except for four key things: Redmi 6 has the faster processor (Helio P22 octa vs A22 quad), dual 13 + 5MP camera, more RAM (3 vs 2GB) and rear fingerprint scanner.
If these things are important to you and you can spend the Rs 2k extra, then it’s the Redmi 6 for you. The Redmi 5A remains great value at Rs 6k and the phone to beat at this price. Other options to consider in this price range are the Asus Zenfone Lite L1 (Rs 5,999) or if you want a notch type full screen, Realme C1 (Rs 6,999).
Speed Up, Customise Your Phone With These Simple Hacks
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Tricks And Treats
31 Jan, 2018
Smartphones are complex devices and they continue to evolve with new features like AI and neural engine processors.
This also means that there could be a number of handy tricks in your device that you might not be aware of.
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Advance Notification Controls On Android
31 Jan, 2018
For Android phones with Android 7.0 and above, there is hidden settings menu that gives you nuanced control over notifications. To enable this, pull down the notification bar, tap and hold the gear icon on the top right for a few seconds.
When you let go, you will see a message on the bottom saying ‘System UI tuner has been enabled’. Head to settings and scroll to find System UI tuner. Tap on Other > Power notification controls and enable it. Now for each app, you can set different levels of notification alerts instead of just the standard on/off.
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Auto-Stop Music Playback On iOS
31 Jan, 2018
If you like to go to sleep while listening to music, this feature is a Godsend. The trouble with this is that once you go to sleep, audio continues to play in the background which eats up battery life.
For iPhone users, a simple way out is to use the timer function. Open the Clock app and go to the timer section. Now set the timer to 45 or 60 minutes as per your preference. Tap the box below the time that reads ‘When Timer Ends’ — scroll down to the bottom and select the Stop Playing option. Now, when the timer ends, music playback will automatically stop on your iPhone.
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Creating Custom Vibration Alerts
31 Jan, 2018
Both iOS and Android let you select a custom ringtone for a contact. However, iOS users also get the option to set a customized vibration alert for each contact. To access this, open the contact card in your phone book and tap on edit. Tap on Ringtone and in the next menu tap on vibration — you will see a list of preset vibration styles to choose from. If you want to create your own alert, scroll down and you will see the option to ‘Create New Vibration’ to make your own custom vibration pattern.
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Play Games Without Ads
31 Jan, 2018
A lot of game developers are moving to the freemium model for their apps. This means that while you don’t pay for the game upfront, small or full screen ads will pop up every few minutes.
The frequency of ads tends to increase the more your play. A simple way to get rid of the ads is to switch off your data and WiFi when you want to enjoy the game.
Typically, ads are delivered over the Internet and if you switch off 3G/4G and WiFi, you can play uninterrupted. This won’t work if the app/game has the ads pre-loaded.
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