Until a few years ago, there were plenty of phones under Rs 15,000, but they seem to have been sold out. When profits decline, companies focus on higher-tier segments. However, there is a possibility. According to August 2021 figures from Counterpoint Research, there are 320 million installed mobile phone users in India. On the other hand, we have more than 800 million Internet users. In other words, there is a lot of room for growth in the budget segment, at least in the next few years as people switch from regular phones to smartphones.
We recently had the chance to review Redmi A2+, which has an additional feature compared to Redmi A2: a fingerprint scanner. In addition to updating groups of people, many people want a phone that can perform some basic functions in addition to making calls: WhatsApp, browsing websites, streaming videos, recording some moments, and performing frequently used actions. Applications Some people are looking for a secondary device. Redmi A2+ is this phone.
Although this is a budget phone, it does come with a 10W charger and power cable (Type A - Micro USB) in the box. But the most important thing in this type of phone is the interface. Instead of the previous version of the operating system, you get the version of Android 13 Go, which provides a smoother experience. The department where Redmi wins is security patches – you get them for two years. Most companies cannot offer this in the budget segment. On the other hand, there are several pre-installed programs. Recommendation: Please remove all viruses when you buy your phone as it is a device with limited built-in memory. So uninstall Facebook Lite and Spotify if they don't interest you.
As for the hardware, the phone has a polycarbonate body with a beautiful finish. In addition to dual SIM cards, there is a dedicated A2+ microSD card slot, which is equipped with a responsive fingerprint scanner. As expected, the bezels are thick and the screen isn't bad for a budget phone. On the 6.52-inch HD+ screen, content offers a good viewing experience and brightness levels are also acceptable. The resolution is 1600x720, so don't ask too many questions over the phone. It should be noted that there is a reasonable degree of color accuracy.
As for the cameras, there are two on the back panel: the main 8 MP one and the depth camera. At the front is a 5-megapixel camera. The image does not flicker? Acceptable, and those who use this phone are looking for nothing more than to capture moments and make video calls. The images are stunning, and the photos have contrast and depth. Sometimes I wonder how much the smartphone market has grown in the last decade. Redmi has done a great job in the camera department. HDR is sufficient and the portrait shots are quite good. Not ultra-wide, as you won't see that on a budget phone. Video recording is limited to 1080p at 30fps (same for the front camera). Sound transmission is good when using the front camera, but don't expect too much in terms of stable video.
The device is powered by MediaTek Helio G36 processor and we have 4 GB LPDDR4X memory and 64 GB EMMC 5.1 memory for review. It makes no sense to go into the comparison results, suffice it to say that the phone ran smoothly and performed everyday tasks without a hitch. In terms of audio, loud music is played through a speaker.
As expected, you get a 5000mAh battery that will definitely last for a day and a half. With a 10W charger, charging can take hours, but of course you can do it overnight and it won't be a problem. But Redmi can remove the micro USB charging port. The Redmi A2+ is built to last and is the benchmark for budget phones. At a time when component prices are skyrocketing, this is a bold move by Redmi.
