Xiaomi’s Redmi 5 phones have 18:9 displays and start at $120
Xiaomi’s Redmi 5 phones have 18:9 displays and start at $120

Xiaomi showed off the first pictures of its new Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus earlier this week, and now the smartphones have been revealed in full. Redmi is Xiaomi’s brand that attempts to deliver solid products at extremely low prices; the new devices follow the Redmi 4 and Redmi Note 4, which became the two most […]

Xiaomi showed off the first pictures of its new Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus earlier this week, and now the smartphones have been revealed in full. Redmi is Xiaomi’s brand that attempts to deliver solid products at extremely low prices; the new devices follow the Redmi 4 and Redmi Note 4, which became the two most popular phones in India this year.

As was apparent from the pictures, the Redmi 5 and 5 Plus bring a very 2017-style 18:9 design to the Redmi line, with rounded corners and thin bezels on the top and bottom of the screen. Around the back there’s a fingerprint sensor and a single camera, and the phone’s body is made from aluminium. It comes in blue, pink, gold, and black.

Here are the rest of the specs:

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor for Redmi 5, Snapdragon 625 for Redmi 5 Plus
  • 5.7-inch 18:9 “HD+” LCD for Redmi 5, 5.99-inch 18:9 “Full HD+” for Redmi 5 Plus
  • 2 or 3GB of RAM for Redmi 5, 3 or 4GB for Redmi 5 Plus
  • 3300mAh battery for Redmi 5, 4000mAh for Redmi 5 Plus
  • 16 or 32GB of storage for Redmi 5, 32GB or 64GB for Redmi 5 Plus
  • Unspecified camera sensor with 1.25-micron pixels
  • Selfie light
  • Micro USB charging

The Redmi 5 starts at 799 yuan (about $120) for the 2GB RAM and 16GB storage model, with 899 yuan (~$135) getting you 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The 5 Plus starts at 999 yuan (~$150) for the 3GB/32GB model, with a 4GB/64GB variant selling for 1299 yuan (~$180).

These are definitely inexpensive phones by global standards, then, with the 5 Plus sounding like particularly good value. The Snapdragon 625 is a solid processor with great power efficiency, especially when paired with such a large battery, and an 18:9 full-HD display is impressive at this price point. The phones have only been announced for China so far and will be available on December 12th.

Short link :