Xiaomi has launched a selfie centric smartphone in a new series called the Redmi Y1. Check this Redmi Y1 review to get an idea about how the handset performed and if it is worth the price. This handset comes with a 16MP camera on the front and is powered by Snapdragon 435 octa core processor.
Redmi Y1 is Judwaa of Redmi Note 5A that was launched in China. The lightning image in the Xiaomi teaser images (that Xiaomi shared before the launch) – most thought was related to fast charging is actually referring to lightning speed MIUI 9.
And indeed the MIUI 9 does perform really well, very smooth on this phone. Overall performance was impressive, camera quality is also pretty good, you can check the camera section. This handset comes with 3080 mAh battery that also does a good job.
Redmi Y1 features, specifications
Inside the box (unboxing the Redmi Y1) : Redmi Handset – Model Y1, user manual, SIM Tray ejector PIN, data cable (USB to Micro USB) and travel charger 5V/2A
SAR Value : 1.092 W/Kg head and 1.440 W/Kg body
Body : Curvy design, very good build and comes with metallic finishing, very comfortable to hold and use
SIM Type : Nano + Nano + micro SD slot (128GB), you can use all 3 together, 4G with VoLTE supported, video calling option when using contacts not in dialer
Weight and Dimensions : 153 grams, 153 x 76.2 x 7.7 (mm)
Screen : 5.5 inches, 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, viewing angles, touch response and color reproduction are pretty good, 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass protection – mentioned on box too
Connectivity : 4G, VoLTE (work on both SIM, but you can use 4G on only one SIM at a time), WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth
Sensors : Accelerometer, Proximity, light, magnetic, gyro, step and hall
LED Notification : Yes
OTG : Yes supported
RAM : 3GB (about 1.5GB free on first boot)
ROM : 32GB (about 21GB free on first boot)
OS : MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat 7.1.2
Unique feature : Finger Print sensor and IR blaster
Y1 review Performance
CPU : 64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 octa core @1.4GHz
GPU : Adreno 505
Heating : Medium
Max Battery Temperature : 37 degrees
Y1 Performance was smooth, no lags, MIUI 9 worked buttery smooth. Even when playing high end games there was no lags.
Redmi Y1 Benchmark
Antutu : 45615 / 8693
NenaMark3 : 59.4fps (3-4)
Multi Touch : 10 points
Disk Speed : 154 MB/s read and 78 MB/s write
Redmi Y1 Gaming Review
I played 3 games (Asphalt 8 in high mode, Modern Combat 5 and Real Racing 3) and all of these high end games did well without any noticeable lags.
Redmi Y1 Camera Review
Rear Camera : 13MP, flash, f/2.2
Front Camera : 16MP selfie flash, f/2.0
Video Recording : FHD resolution
The Y1 camera performance is above average. This smartphone is really good for selfies, do check some of my selfie shots in the camera sample section below. Daylight and nigh shots also turned out great. This Redmi phone can shoot max FHD videos and in video recording mode there is just the time-lapse option, there is no slow-motion option.
Camera Rating : 4 out of 5
Y1 review camera samples
Download Original Image files (right click and save) (do not use it for commercial purpose, without permission of gogi.in).
Other features
The finger print sensor on the back is really fast. You can also use dual space (two whatsapp accounts for example), app lock feature (lock apps so they open only after you use security features like pin, finger print etc). Sound is loud and clear, no issues with networks.
Redmi Y1 Battery Review
Battery capacity : 3080 mAh (Non-removable)
Charging Time : Charge – 2 hours (1% to 100%) using the charger provided
Battery Life : 5 to 7 hours non-stop (moderate to heavy)
Daily usage battery life : One day to One and a half day of battery life depending on your usage
Battery Test Results
Battery Temp at idle : 31 degrees
Running Benchmark app : 14 minutes / 3% / 33 degrees
Asphalt 8 + MC5 game play : 24 minutes / 8% / 37 degrees
FHD video playback with full brightness (WiFi /4G on) : 30 minutes / 8% / 35 degrees
Verdict
Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5A in India and called it the Redmi Y1. It is indeed a very good handset and does well in all areas be it performance, gaming, camera and battery life. A very good buy for those looking for a powerful handset with an affordable price tag and someone who loves taking selfies.
Rating : 4.4 out of 5
Redmi Y1 price in India is Rs. 8,999 with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM.
Y1 Handset will be available in Gold and Gray color options.
Gogi ji,
Shall I go for it ? or is it better to wait for Redmi note 5? My budget and 10,000. Please suggest.
my budget is 10,000.
I got update notification for Redmi Y1 now it’s 452 MB FILE
You have said in your review that it has a Octacore processor but at Amazon site it is mentioned that it has quardcore processor. Which is true???
Redmi Y1 is octa core and Redmi Y1 Lite (cheaper one) is quad core.
Kindly plz share PPI of display
Hello Gogi,
I have heard Xiaomi used different camera sensors(omnivision and samsung) for the same models of redmi note 4 and redmi note 3. So please specify the camera sensor of the review handset.
Xiaomi might be sending phone with samsung camera sensors for reviewers.
hi gogi ….
you said that it has metallic finishing …so is it plastic body or metallic body ?????? …
and for volume output ..did the volume output had depth ..??? ….
i m asking this question bcz my redmi note produce good depth sound output but redmi note 4 output is very bad and redmi note 4 speaker quality output is not comparable to redmi note 3 …
so plz clarify …
Note 4’s sound has the greatest depth and best quality in earphone and speaker too. Note 3 stands nowhere. I haven’t checked redmi note 5 and note 5 pro’s sounds so can’t comment. But all the predecessors of redmi 4 and redmi note 4 stands nowhere in sound quality and depth.
does this Redmi Y1 phone heat up while charging??
Which is better redmiY1 Lit or redmi4 in price range of 6999 as I am students can’t afford more than that ? Will redmi provide update of miui9 for redmi4 ?
Don’t buy y1 lite unless and until u want a big display phone desperately.
They will provide miui 9 in mid November conformed i have redmi 4 too so i know that rest specifications are in front of u and choice is ur
Does it have IR?
All Xiaomi phones has IR blaster.
Gogi seems like u have started running or jogging…slimmer
He has become Xiaomi (Katrina) from Asus (Sonakshi)… Lol
Sir which will u recommend redmi 4 3gb 32gb or redmi Y1 ,.
I’ll recommend Y1. Think why?
Full hd & 4000 mah are out KATRINA is in. 😃😎😎😍😍😍😘😘😘😘
What about 2000 price cut? This phone is priced same in China bro.
But still not a great specs @ this price. Earlier they done with note 3, 4, note 4. But this time no excitement with this release. They should stop selling 4a and 4 to succeed it. Now a days people are Interested to buy a phone in budget segment. Do you really heard specs of y1 lite? Only separate SD card option is good. Why should not go with redmi 4. Y1 Is ok. Not great as earlier release. They also play a trick. They give review unit earlier to almost all expert. Why didn’t give y1 lite? The are not same. Sorry 4 my bad English bro.
Redmi note 3 was really a great phone for the price they offered. Today lenovo is clearly matching xiaomi in nearly all price points and in some cases like offering fhd display at low prices they are ahead of xiaomi.
And what about 2000 less price?
Expecting something like Mi Note 3 and a great disappointment from Xiaomi, Please bring something in 20k
thanks for redmi y1 review, major Con of this phone is Big Black Borders .
No I don’t think so. Plz see the videos bro I think it has same boarder width as redmi note 4.
it is clearly noticeable after watching many vids .
It’s 1.5 times redmi note 4.
Redmi note 4 battery performance ~ Redmi y1 battery performance
What’s better ?
Almost same, (less battery with 720p display, more battery with 1080p display) but a little better in note 4.
Note 4 ofcourse
Who Need Selfies????? Redmi Note 4 Better Choice Find It In OLX At Cheap Prices or Better Go For Redmi 4 or Galaxy S5 At Less Price 🙂
Gogi Sir,
Please mention on your reviews if LED notification has some other colours or only one colour (White like latest MI devices)
It helps many of us…..
Wow Gogiji u r also lightening fast in reviewing this awesome phone redmi y1 review. I have few important queries please reply:
1. Gestures supported or not? Any difference in customization from redmi note 4?
2. How is the sound quality from the earphone? Is it like Redmi note 4 or like Redmi 4?
(I didn’t like the customization options and sound quality in redmi 4 but loved these things in redmi note 4).
3. Touch buttons do light up or not?
Video me bataye hain ki navigation touch buttons lightup nahi hote is phone ke.
Hello gogi sir,
you reviewed this phone without knowing the price & gave it 4.4 rating, which is similer with redmi 4 that priced the same. It clears the confusion for those guys who can’t choose b/w these 2 phones & prooves that how accurately & smartly you review your phones, that no one can.
But honestly I felt bad, cz last week (on 24th oct) I bought redmi 4 3gb vesion for my sister & this week they launched this phone. Y1 seems better as it has bigger 5.5 inch screen, better front camera with flash, dual led flash for rear (redmi 4 has single rear flash), latest ROM & most importantly triple slots, whereas redmi 4 only wins in the battery section & yes it is more compact. I know both are for different kind of users, but still I think y1 has an edge (its just my personal opinion though).
Sir, I want to congratulate you again for your silver play button & for your hard work. I hope you’ll continue this as long as possible.
Looks like Xiaomi cutting down on specs like battery and screen to rope in brand ambassadors.
Battery size is reduced and made slim like Katrina Kaif…..since she is the brand ambassador. In other words Katrina took away 1000 mah battery. same story happened with Asus after they roped in Sonakshi Sinha and price of asus phones went up…(she was fat).
redmi 4 and note 4 is 8.5mm thickness and y1 is 7.5mm
No I don’t think so, at least not this time. Y1 is awesome man. Redmi note 5A prime has been priced same in China and they have launched the same phone here in India with a different name: Y1.
Degraded: 720p display, 3080 mAh battery,SD435.
Upgrade: front 16mp camera with selfie flash.
And then a price cut of 2000 rupees as compared to RN3 (3/32).
Think otherway: compare it with redmi 4(3/32).
Only degrade is the battery: display bigger, cameras better and priced same…. Wow that’s great na???
The same resolution maintained when increasing screen size resulting in low screen density PPI. Text and videos will be with noticeably less sharp.
296ppi is not that less man, u won’t notice believe me. Its good according to the cpu, gpu and the battery size. Buy redmi note 4 if u r not satisfied with it.
Gogi Sir, Should I go for Redmi Y1 or Redmi Note 4 ?
Redmi note 4 unless u need a selfie phone.
without selfie there is nothing in the world so go with y1, thank you for this redmi y1 review
Hahaha… I’m also going to grab one. Already have redmi note 4 and Infinix note 4. Commenting from my Coolpad note 3, trying to sell Swipe Elite Sense and Coolpad note 3 but not getting good prices because of redmi phones.
if u wish to sell Coolpad nite 3..vijayshimla AT gmail i need for parts.
Does it have any extra amplifier for sounds reproduction?
I guess: NO
xiaomi is now bluffing and misleading Indians…launching note 5A with another name and callings its a new series not note…woww same as mi A1 😞😞😞 also have started on compromising battery..not expected from xiaomi
katrina kaif promoting Redmi y1 😕 😛
Yea now thats Expensive…Xiaomi is becoming like Oppo & Vivo..
Kahan she expensive ho gaya bhai.
Oppo aur Vivo se to bahut sasta hai.
Yes oppo vivo sell such specs phone with minimum price of 15k , so Mi is still giving better phones .
Not expensive atleast this time bro. Compare it with redmi 4(3/32).
Only degrade is the battery: display bigger, cameras better and priced same…. Wow that’s great na?
compare this with oppo and vivo 16 mp selfie cam phone’s price and see the difference
Now Mi is showing ads On TV.
That’s good and they haven’t raised their prices!!!
Wow Gogi Sir, thanks for redmi y1 review. Camera looking more than average. A good mobile in affordable price.
No doubt!
All doubt cleared by Gogi’s video and complete description.
Any ways Nice Selfies. Greater degree of details.
Redmi 4 (2/16) is better than redmi y1 lite
With 1k bigger battery and fingerprint sensor, sd435
Y1 lite has 5 MP front cam with no flash,sd 425, 3k battery …
Y1 lite is just like bigger version of redmi 4a with dedicated sd card….
Absolute rubbish….
Redmi 4 2/16 should be considered over this at rs 6999
I think y1 lite makes no sense at all..
Yes Y1 lite makes almost no sense. But it’s almost no sense. We can’t say makes no sense at all because there are so many buyers who want a bigger display at around 6,7k.
Does it have front flash ??
Yes there is front flash.
Gogi bro, it’s not “flash”.. that’s why they used “Selfie light” in marketing specs, not “Selfie flash”. It’s just a single LED , not same power or quality as regular flash.
its just a term they used for front flash. If you interpret the words so literally then how will you describe the moonlight camera of vivo? Isn’t it just a flash or is it like they went to moon, captured some light emitting particles, brought those back to earth and used those in their phones?
Peace.
Gogiji,
I think now mobile manufacturers should consider dual sim with both sim on 4G LTE mode, because with Jio a trend has started that every network service provider coming up with 4G or 4G LTE, with better coverage speed offers etc. So there is no point of dual sim mobile with while 1 on 4G mode then second 2G mode or 2G/3G mode only
when will u review y1 lite ?
Compare Redmi 4 with y1
Redmi 4 is way better Sam… You can see my other comment
Redmi 4 is for who want Performance
and Y1 for Those who want better camera.
But processor of both is same Snapdragon 435.
I was saying about y1 lite which i forgot to write in my above comment.
Dear Sam, I am saying about redmi y1 lite as you asked for its review
That’s just an absolute disaster
Redmi y1 is going to replace redmi 4 slowly, at 8999 and 10999 price bracket…
But, y1 lite at 6999 will never take off as still redmi 4 with 2/16 is better
y1 lite is not that bad , if compare its specs with oppo vivo its still good .
oppo vivo sell such phones at 12-15k price .
I guess I was having very high expectation from the launch hence disappointed. But in the price range handset is very good.
Battery should have been on little higher side & 4GB RAM, 64 GB option should have been provided.
Gogiji plz make a small video of miui 9 new features
Does it have a split screen option?
Yes it does.
6gb/64gb
Hi gogi sir ,Is there any potrait mode option on camera app ?
I think they downgraded battery from 4000mah to 3080mah for the sake of separate microSD card slot ….If they choose tho give bigger battery and micro SD then their next sequel smartphones should have better specs so a little marketing trick…If they have given 4000mah battery …..Is should have best budget smartphone
no for the sake of katrina kaifs endorsement.
Hello Gogi Bro..Did they launch 4Gb 64Gb variant…
Yes
Full hd is must now a days why not provided 435 supports ,other sim goes to 2g only mode or may be 3g can be done please tell gogi ji
Nowadays manufaturers are trying to keep 2nd SIM on 3G because in most countries 2G support is being removed so your second Sim slot remains functional with 3G service providers….
If Xiaomi give 4000mAh battery then this phone flagship killer.
Do u even knw what a flagship killer phone is?
Exactly !!
Hi Gogi, redmi Y1 @8999 or redmi note 4 64 GB @9990 (if comes on discount again) which one you would prefer pl
Y1 is a good option with additional 10% discount.
Of course redmi note 4 is better overall. But if u need a selfie phone then Y1 ka better.
*is (not ka)
Thanks wamiq
Screen should have been full hd, otherwise I think its pretty good phone
Great Work Gogi Bhai Lightning Review @ the Launch itself………kool
A removable battery would have been good.
Great handset with awesome price..I’m going to sell my Redmi 4 now..
Better than redmi 4?