After launching the Redmi Note 5 phablet series, Xiaomi is all set to release the smaller Redmi 5 in India next week. As per the latest teaser, 'compact powerhouse' phone will be available exclusively on Amazon.
Amazon India has opened a dedicated webpage on its e-commerce site for the Xiaomi phone. There is no word on whether the Redmi 5 will be available from March 14, but if the previous release pattern is taken as any indication, it would be available from the day one.
Also, there is no word on the price details of the Redmi 5 and we will have to wait till Wednesday. Xiaomi may keep the same price range as in the home market China.
For the uninitiated, Redmi 5 made its debut along with Redmi 5 Plus (aka generic Redmi Note 5 in India: REVIEW) in China in December 2017.
The standard Redmi 5 comes in two variants—2GB RAM+16GB storage and 3GB RAM+32GB storage— ¥799 (approx. $126/€102/Rs 8,200) and ¥899 (approx. $142/€115/Rs 9,227), respectively.
Since Xiaomi has two factory units managed by Foxconn in the country, it doesn't have to pay any customs duty tax and the company is more likely to pass the benefits to the consumers, like it has done with previous products over the past years.
Redmi 5 sports a 5.7-inch HD+ (1440x720p) screen and houses 2GB/3GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage and a 3,300mAh cell. It also houses 12MP camera with 1.25µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus), LED flash and a 5MP front snapper.
In a related development, Xiaomi has temporarily suspended the Cash on Delivery (CoD) option in Redmi Note 5 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro flash sale in India to mitigate black marketeering of the devices. Despite keeping a lot of stocks, the company has not able to satiate the market demand. Several fans are not able to get the Xiaomi's new phones despite trying their luck during three flash sales.
Key specifications of Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus (aka Redmi Note 5 in India):
| Models | Redmi 5 | Redmi 5 Plus (aka Redmi Note 5 in India) |
| Display | 5.7-inch HD+ (1440x720p) with 2.5D curved glass screen
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5.99-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) with 2.5D curved glass screen
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| OS | Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 | Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Adreno 506 |
| Processor | 14nm-based 64-bit class 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core | 14nm-based 64-bit class 2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core |
| RAM | 2GB/3GB RAM | 3GB/4GB RAM |
| Storage | 16GB/32GB + expandable up to 128GB via microSD | 32GB/64GB + expandable up to 128GB via microSD |
| Camera |
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| Battery | 3,300mAh | 4,000mAh |
| Network | 4G-LTE with VoLTE (Voice-over-LTE | 4G-LTE with VoLTE (Voice-over-LTE) |
| Add-ons | Dual-SIM (+ extra microSD slot), Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n; dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz), fingerprint sensor, infrared sensor (IR blaster) | Dual-SIM (+ extra microSD slot), Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n; dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz), fingerprint sensor, infrared sensor (IR blaster) |
| Dimensions | 151.8 x 72.8 x 7.7 mm | 158.5 x 75.45 x 8.05 mm |
| Weight | 157g | 180g |
| Colours | Black, Gold, Light Blue and Rose Gold | Black, Gold, Light Blue and Rose Gold |
| Price (in China) |
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