Xiaomi Redmi 5A review: Hail the new king of the budget smartphone segment

The Redmi 5A has best-in-class features and specifications, but it is the smartphone's subsidised launch price of Rs 4,999 for first 5 million units that makes it a lot more special

China-based smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is enjoying quite some success in the price-conscious Indian smartphone market, thanks mainly to its affordable budget smartphone segment, where the company has a stronger hold than competitors.

Xiaomi’s latest offering, the Redmi 5A, is another budget device that comes with best-in-class features and specifications. But it is the subsidised launch price of Rs 4,999 for the first 5 million units – against the actual price of Rs 5,999 – that makes the phone a lot more special.

Business Standard reviewed the Redmi 5A to test its overall performance. Here are our observations:

Design

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A sees no