After long anticipation, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi launched the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A in China. The company’s co-founder, Lin Bin, previously released the launch posters on Chinese media platform Weibo and was expected to launch three Redmi 6 series smartphones. A third device called Redmi 6 Pro or Redmi 6 Plus was speculated to be launched with the other two, which feature a notch design. The Redmi 6 Plus has been previously spotted in TENAA.
The new Redmi 6 series is the successor to Xiaomi’s Redmi 5 series, launched last year. The Redmi 5 was renamed as Redmi Note 5 in the Indian market. The 6 series brings new improvements and performance in processing and camera. Both smartphones use a MediaTek chipset but may get a Snapdragon one on the global launch.
Redmi 6 Specifications
The Redmi 6 features a 5.45-inch display with a resolution of HD+ (1440 x 720 pixels) and an 18:9 aspect ratio with an 80 percent screen-to-body ratio. Under the hood, it is powered by an Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 chipset clocked at 2GHz. It is available in two configurations: 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage. Both variants can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.
In the optics department, it sports horizontally stacked dual cameras in the rear with a 12 MP primary sensor and a 5 MP secondary sensor of 1.25-micron pixels and f/2.2 aperture. It offers a 5MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture and 1.12-micron pixels on the front. It comes with features like Portrait mode and AI beautification. Other features include AI-powered Face Unlocking, Xiao AI digital assistant, and a rear-mounted circular fingerprint sensor.
Unfortunately, it runs on MIUI 9 based on Android 8.1 Oreo, but an MIUI 10 upgrade can be expected later. It is backed by a 3,000 mAh battery. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS/A-GPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and micro-USB, while sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, infrared and proximity sensor. It measures 147.5 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm and weighs 146 grams. It will be available in Blue, Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver variants.
Redmi 6A Specifications
The Redmi 6A features a 5.45-inch display with a resolution of HD+ (1440 x 720 pixels), an 18:9 aspect ratio, and 295 PPI pixel density. Under the hood, it is powered by a Quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal space. It can be further expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.
It sports a single 13 MP camera on the back with f/2.2 aperture and PDAF while offering a 5 MP camera on the front. Other features include a Portrait node, AI-powered Face Unlocking, Xiao AI digital assistant, and a rear-mounted circular fingerprint sensor.
The Redmi 6A also runs on MIUI 9 based on Android 8.1 Oreo, but an MIUI 10 upgrade can be expected later. It is backed by a 3,000 mAh battery. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS/A-GPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack, dual SIM, and micro-USB. In contrast, onboard sensors include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, infrared, and proximity sensor. It measures 147.5 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm and weighs 145 grams.
Price and Availability
The Redmi 6 costs CNY 799 (Rs 8,500 approx) and CNY 999 for the 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB variants respectively. The Redmi 6A comes at a price tag of CNY 599. Both smartphones will be sold in online and offline stores from June 15, starting at 10 AM. There is no word about a Global release, but we can expect it to happen like its predecessor, which was a massive hit in the Indian market.