Should you prepare for the next round of Xiaomi Redmi 1S flash sale on Flipkart? Here's an analysis that will help you decide on whether the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is the best budget smartphone for you.
Buy the Xiaomi Redmi 1S…
1. If you want the best camera in a sub 7K smartphone: Yes, in our review of the Xiaomi Redmi 1S, we came out impressed with the imaging capabilities of the Xiaomi Redmi 1S. The 8MP sensor offers good performance in terms of speed, image quality and video capture quality.
2. If you want 6K phone that offers excellent scratch resistance for the display/glass. In our tests, we vehemently tried scratching the Xiaomi Redmi 1S display glass with keys and even scissors, but the glass just won't scratch. Though, that makes the Redmi 1S scratch resistant but not shatter proof!
3. If you want the best specifications in a 6K phone, no phone gives you a Snapdragon 400 quad-core with Adreno 305 graphics in this price range. Though, performance isn't in-line with specs.
4. If you want a good quality 720p display smartphone under 6K, the Redmi 1S is the only option right now.
5. If you have set a hard cut-off of 6K for a smartphone and cannot extend it further. Yes, if 6K is all you want to spend, get the Xiaomi Redmi 1S.
Don't bother lining up for the Xiaomi Redmi 1S flash sale if…
1. You are a pure Android fan and aren't comfortable with customized UI. The MiUI isn't a minor diversion to the stock Android OS, it deviates quite a lot compared to stock Android. Moto E, Moto G users, happy with pure Android experience and quick updates, don't bother with the superior specs in the Redmi 1S. Read our Xiaomi MiUi review for more details.
2. You are expecting a lot from the Snapdragon 400 SoC in terms of running intensive games like the Asphalt 8, Real Racing 3, etc. In were disappointed with the gaming performance of the Redmi 1S, the phone froze, crashed and struggled to deliver a smooth gaming experience for longer durations (20 mins plus). Watch our Xiaomi Redmi 1S performance video for more details.
3. You want the latest Android version, the Redmi 1S runs on MiUI 5, which is based on Android Jelly Bean. This is one of the prime drawbacks of the Redmi 1S at this point, missing on KitKat translates to missing out on performance optimizations and also implies further delay in getting the MiUI version based on Android L. In short, Redmi 1S might take 3-6 months to get Android L optimizations as compared to Moto G and Moto E (which might get Android L a lot sonner)
4. You want a light, compact smartphone, the Redmi 1S is not the ideal device for you. Redmi 1S is a fairly large phone for a 4.7-inch screen device, and it is one of the heaviest on its class.
We hope these objective pointers will help you make that final call on whether you should prepare for the next Redmi 1S flash sale.
Related story: 6 alternative smartphone options to the Xiaomi Redmi 1S
Buy Redmi 1S from Flipkart at Rs 5999/- only