TECH BREAK: The Redmi 6A is not your average entry level phone

The device boasts of a 5.45” HD LCD Display, the 5MP selfie camera, earpiece and a proximity or light sensor. PHOTO| AUGUSTINE SANG

What you need to know:

  • Powering the device is a quad core mediatek processor and a 3000mAh non-removable battery.
  • The device boasts of a 5.45” HD LCD Display, the 5MP selfie camera, earpiece and a proximity or light sensor.
  • The main camera at the back is 13MP with PDAF (phase detect autofocus) coupled with a flash.

Xiaomi Kenya has launched its latest smartphone. Dubbed the Redmi 6A, the device is set to help the company capture users in the entry level category of the smartphone market in Kenya.

The device, launched in partnership with Jumia Kenya, packs a 2GB RAM (Random Access Memory) and a choice of either a 16 or a 32 GB of internal storage, both expandable to up to 128 GB via an SD card slot.

Powering the device is a quad core mediatek processor and a 3000mAh non-removable battery.

The device boasts of a 5.45” HD LCD Display, the 5MP selfie camera, earpiece and a proximity or light sensor.

The main camera at the back is 13MP with PDAF (phase detect autofocus) coupled with a flash.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Xiaomi Redmi 6A may be entry level but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I loved its build quality and even though the body is made of plastic, it just felt comfortable due to its curved edges. It's quite light as well.

Xiaomi also did a great job with the design, especially on the front side.  

But we don’t buy smartphones just for their looks only. Performance matters more. I played around for a few days with the phone and my conclusion is that it’s exactly what you would expect from a modern budget smartphone with a number of bonuses.

The back side of the Redmi 6A. PHOTO| AUGUSTINE SANG

The 3000mAh battery powers the device through a day of extensive usage and that’s a big plus.  

Embedded features such as the face unlock (you’ll get this after the next firmware update) helps make up for the lack of a fingerprint scanner on the device but from experience, especially on low end devices, the scanner reigns supreme over face unlock.

In this case, you are better off going with archaic security methods such as passwords or patterns.

The cameras perform exceptionally well, on this price range at least. The main camera at the back is able to capture detailed photos and the 5MP front cam with its field of depth effect will easily excite selfie lovers.   

The device retails on Jumia at Sh9,299 for the 16GB variant and Sh11,999 for the 32GB variant.

Tip: If interested, go for the cheaper 16 ROM version then get a 32GB (costs about 1,000), you’ll still have saved about 1,700 and better off than the more expensive 32GB ROM version.