Xiaomi Redmi A5

At Rs. 31,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version, the Xiaomi Redmi A5 is a sensible all-rounder for everyday use.

• Main advantages: a big 6.88-inch 120Hz screen, a 5200 mAh battery, a design that looks more expensive than it is, a dedicated microSD slot and Android 15 Go edition with up to two major upgrades.
• Main compromises: weak low-light cameras, a single speaker that is not very loud, slower eMMC storage, and no NFC or 5G.

The Honor X5c costs Rs. 31,995 and brings a 50 MP + 13 MP rear camera and a 5260 mAh battery, but its screen tops out at 90Hz and its memory card shares a SIM slot. Because the Redmi A5 has a separate card slot, the 64GB version plus a memory card is the smarter buy than paying more for 128GB.

Verdict: good value for calls, social media, videos and long battery life, but not a phone for photography.

The 6.88-inch IPS LCD has HD+ resolution (720 x 1640) and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is rare at this price where 60Hz or 90Hz is normal.

• Switch on 120Hz: the phone ships at 60Hz, so select 120Hz in display settings.
• Colours and sharpness: colours look good, and the sharpness is typical for this price. There is no HDR support.
• Brightness: typical brightness is 450 nits. The screen is bright indoors but hard to read in direct sunlight; an outdoor mode helps. Adaptive brightness tends to make the screen too dark, so manual brightness works better.
• Wet touch: the screen keeps responding with wet fingers or in light rain.

The waterdrop notch and thick bezels look dated, but the big screen is a real plus for watching videos and movies.

The Unisoc T7250 (12 nm) octa-core chip comes with LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC 5.1 storage. Day-to-day use feels quite fast, helped by the lighter Go edition of Android.

• Class level: performance is similar to other chips at this price, such as the MediaTek Helio G85, with an AnTuTu score of about 250,000.
• Gaming: popular games run smoothly at balanced HD settings, but this is not a phone for heavy games at high graphics.
• Efficiency: the chip is less power-efficient than the Helio G85.
• Storage: eMMC is slower than UFS, and the 64GB version leaves about 48GB free.
• Unlocking: face unlock is very fast. Opinions differ on the side fingerprint sensor: some find it fast, others find it small and a little slower.

The rear has a 32 MP main camera (f/2.0) with an auxiliary lens, and the front has an 8 MP selfie camera.

• Photo mode: photos are saved at 8 MP by default; the Ultra HD mode uses the full 32 MP for more detail.
• Daylight: photos are usable indoors and outdoors after processing, but opinions differ, and many shots look underpowered for social media.
• Low light: both cameras struggle. Night mode reduces noise but softens the picture.
• Selfies: usable, and the front camera does surprisingly well for indoor video.
• Video: both cameras record at 1080p 30fps, with little stabilisation, and focus can take a moment in harsh light.

This is a basic camera for everyday snaps, calls and social apps rather than serious photography.

The Redmi A5 has a 5200 mAh battery, a little bigger than the 5000 mAh common at this price.

• Battery life: reports differ, from about one day of heavy use to 1.5 to 2 days of normal use. The Go edition of Android helps, but the chip is less efficient than the Helio G85.
• Charging: a 15W charger and USB-A to Type-C cable come in the box. A full charge takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Charging is slow by today's standards, so overnight charging suits this phone best.

The phone runs Android 15 (Go edition), not HyperOS. It keeps Redmi-style theming, but the settings and camera app feel different from regular Redmi phones, and features like the wallpaper carousel and the new control centre are missing.

• Updates: GSMArena lists up to two major Android upgrades.
• Bloatware: light. Google apps come preinstalled with a few Xiaomi apps such as Mi Video and Music, which can send notifications.
• Extras: lock screen customisation, face unlock, and haptics with sounds on taps, though the vibration motor is not strong.
• Missing: no NFC, so tap-to-pay is not possible.