There’s a new entry level device in town and this one is the Redmi A5. So let’s look over this device and see if it’s any good.
Last year, 2024, Redmi released an entry level 5G phone that went under the radar and wasn’t announced globally. That phone is the Redmi A4. An excellent device especially for the price offered.
This year, Redmi has not only reverted to type, they’ve also decided to globally market it as well. This one is a reminder for those who still rate phones on the basis of numbers. Redmi A4 > Redmi A5.
That aside, let’s look at the specs and see what the Redmi A5 brings.
Redmi A5 Specs
- Body: 193g, plastic frame and back, IP53 water splash and dust protection
- Display: 6.88″ 720p IPS-LCD, 120Hz, 263ppi, 1500nits
- Processor: Unisoc Tiger T7250
- OS: Android 15 Go
- Camera: 32MP + Auxillary cam
- Selfie: 8MP
- Video: 1080p@30fps
- Sound: single loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack
- Comms: 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB C (2.0)
- Sensors: Side mounted fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer and a proximity sensor.
- Battery: 5200mAh, 18W
Body:
As expected, it’s an all plastic affair here. The A series phones are getting bigger but they’re still entry level devices. All you get here is the usual IP53 dust and splash protection.
With that being said, I actually like the camera island and the overall design. It is absolutely well made. This phone looks more expensive than it actually is. In an era where people care more about outward appearance than actual ability. This phone would probably sell very well.
Display:
This is where things begin to go sideways. I have no problem with 720p resolution as long as it’s below 6.6″. However, putting 720p into a 6.88″ display just further exposes the weaknesses that the 720p already has.
Maybe I’m being nitpicky but there’s really no need for these extra large displays with very little pixel counts which harms the overall display quality. 720p on 6.88″. Who does that?
There’s also 120Hz here but you already know how I feel about high refresh rates on entry level devices. (spoiler: They’re just cheap gimmicks).
The only good thing to be said about this display is that it is very bright and can be used under sunlight.
Performance:
I talked about Unisoc the other day and why we should pay attention to their rebranding shenanigans. The first fruits of that rebranding is already here.
The Redmi A5 ships with the Unisoc Tiger T7250 which is nothing other than a rebranded Unisoc T615.
The Unisoc T7250 is actually on the level of the Helio G88/G91 in terms of performance which is actually an improvement from the Unisoc T603 from the Redmi A3.
So the choice of an Android Go is particularly perplexing to me as the SoC is capable of running the full version of Android. That being said, they’re offering 2 years of updates for this one.
Camera:
There’s a 32MP main camera on this one with an 8MP selfie in front. Unisoc isn’t really well known for their camera prowess and Redmi doesn’t care enough about the camera output of the A series. So I’m expecting the camera performance here to be very average.
Take pictures and videos in well lit areas and edit the ones you can, if you know how to. The rest is inshallah.
Sounds
There’s a single firing loudspeaker and a 3.5mm jack.
Comms and features
There’s 4G, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 5, GPS and USB 2.0 (type C). There’s also a Fingerprint reader (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity and compass
Battery life
There’s a 5200mAh battery here with 18W of fast charge.
Overall
Compared to the previous A series such as the Redmi A1, Redmi A2 and Redmi A3, the Redmi A5 is a fantastic upgrade over its predecessors. However, compared to its immediate predecessor, the Redmi A4 5G, the Redmi A5 is a step back in the wrong direction.
So it’s either apples or oranges depending on where you’re looking at it from. That’s the Redmi A5 4G for you.
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