Xiaomi has just launched the successor to Redmi 4 series of smartphone called the Redmi 5 (obviously). During the launch of the device the company’s Global VP and India Head, Manu Jain said that the Redmi 5 improves upon its predecessor in three areas, namely design, performance and camera. Let’s take a look at the new things the Redmi 5 brings to the table based on those three parameters.
First, let’s take a look at how the two phones stack up in terms of specifications.
| Specs | Xiaomi Redmi 5 | Xiaomi Redmi 4 |
| Launch price | Rs 7,999 / Rs 8,999 / Rs 10,999 | Rs 6,999 / Rs 8,999 / Rs 10,999 |
| Display | 5.7-inch HD+ | 5-inch HD |
| Aspect ratio | 18:9 | 16:9 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 720 pixels | 1280 x 720 pixels |
| Dimensions | 151.8mm x 72.8mm x 7.7mm | 139.24mm x 69.96mm x 8.65mm |
| Processor | Snapdragon 450 | Snapdragon 435 |
| RAM | 2GB / 3GB / 4GB | 2GB / 3GB / 4GB |
| Storage | 16GB / 32GB / 64GB | 16GB / 32GB / 64GB |
| Rear camera | 12MP | 13MP |
| Front camera | 5MP | 5MP |
| Battery | 3000mAh | 4100mAh |
Design
The most obvious difference between the two phones is the design. While the Redmi 4 sported a 16:9 aspect ratio, the new phone sports an 18:9 display aspect ratio. This means that while the Redmi 5 sports a larger 5.7-inch display as compared to the 5-inch display on the Redmi 4 (review), it is still only a few millimeters wider than its predecessor. The Redmi 5 is 72.8mm wide, while the Redmi 4 is 69.96mm wide.
Performance
The Xiaomi Redmi 5 is powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 450 SoC. The new octa-core chipset is based on the 14nm FinFET process. The Redmi 4 on the other hand, is powered by the Snapdragon 435 SoC, which is manufactured using the 28nm process. As a result, the new chipset offers much improved performance. On top of this, you should also get better battery efficiency, which is an important factor considering that the new phone has a 3000mAh battery has compared to the 4100mAh found on the old device.
Of course, you’ll have to wait for our full review to know how much of a difference the new chipset makes. However, our review of the Vivo V7 should give you a fair understanding of what you can expect. You can check out your full review of the Vivo V7 here.
Camera
The Xiaomi Redmi 5 also comes with a 12MP rear camera as opposed to the 13MP sensor used by the Redmi 4. Xiaomi says that the sensor on the new phone has 1.25μm pixel size that should take in more light. In return, this should improve low light imaging on the new phone. However, the rear camera has a smaller aperture size of f/2.2 as compared to the f/2.0 aperture size used by the Redmi 4. Once again, you’ll have to wait for our full review to see how the large pixel, but smaller aperture size affects low light imaging in the new phone.
On paper, the Redmi 5 seems like a pretty big improvement over the Redmi 4 in terms of design and performance. The switch to a smaller aperture in the new phone is putting the low-light imaging capability of the Redmi 5 in doubt. But considering the improvement that the cameras on the Redmi Note 5 (review) and Note 5 Pro (review) were over the Redmi Note 4, we can keep our hopes up. Wait for our full review to know more.