Not too long after launching the Redmi 2, Xiaomi has released a mid-lifecycle refresh called the Redmi 2 Prime. The new release, which is more of a variant than a whole new model, brings a slight but significant bump to the spec sheet which will help the company fend off fresh competition. The Redmi 2 is sticking around at its recently reduced price of Rs. 5, 999 which allows the new Redmi 2 Prime to step in at its predecessor’s original launch price of Rs. 6, 999.
Xiaomi, the poster child of the low-cost, high-spec smartphone era, has also now turned the Chinese invasion story on its head with this launch: the Redmi 2 Prime is apparently manufactured in India, at a plant operated by Foxconn in the Sricity special economic zone in Andhra Pradesh. It should be interesting to note the differences between older models and this one, if any.
The Redmi 2 Prime was initially thought to be a special edition release, and while it is following the company’s online flash sale formula, it looks as though this model will coexist with its older sibling. That means there’s more choice for consumers, which is always a good thing. Let’s see if this new model is worth the extra money.
Look and feel
There is nothing different about the way the Redmi 2 Prime is built, compared to its predecessor the Xiaomi Redmi 2( Review| Pictures) . No matter how hard you look, you won’t find any evidence that it isn’t exactly the same as any Xiaomi phone that has come before. Which isn’t really a surprise - companies have been splitting inventory between multiple factories in multiple countries for ages. What all of this means is that while Made in India is a fantastic promotional tag, it is totally transparent and therefore means pretty much nothing for the end user experience - and that’s just the way it should be.
Xiaomi continues to use publicity shots of the Redmi 2 Prime with different coloured rear shells, but the phone is only available for purchase in white or grey. The front is plain black either way, with the capacitive button labels printed in red adding a little personality. The status LED is in an unusual location right on the bottom, beneath the Home button.
The power and volume buttons are on the right, the 3.5mm audio port is on top, and the Micro-USB charging and data port is on the bottom. The rear still has the pleasant matte texture we liked so much on the Redmi 2, which isn’t slippery and doesn’t look prone to picking up dirt or scratches. The only branding is a bright silver Mi logo which stood out quite boldly on our grey review unit.
The camera lens bulges slightly from the upper middle of the rear, with the flash, loudspeaker and secondary microphone arranged around it. There are two Micro-SIM slots and a microSD card slot beneath the rear shell. You’ll have to pop the battery out in order to swap SIMs.
The Redmi 2 Prime feels good in the hand; it’s easy to use with one thumb thanks to the relatively narrow plastic borders on either side of the screen and the gently curved rear edges. However, it isn’t the most comfortable phone to talk on thanks to a hard upper edge that digs in to your ear.
Specifications and software
As hinted at when the Redmi 2 launched, the Redmi 2 Prime is pretty much identical other than the increased amounts of RAM and storage space. The processor is still a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 with its integrated Adreno 306 GPU, but there’s 2GB of RAM now instead of 1GB, and 16GB of storage space instead of 8GB.
Nothing else has changed: the screen is still a 4.7-inch 720x1280 fully laminated panel which is still impressive for the budget segment. There’s an 8-megapixel camera on the rear capable of 1080p video recording, and a 2-megapixel one on the front. The battery is officially rated at 2200mAh although Xiaomi says it typically holds a little more juice than that: 2265mAh.
4G is supported on the Indian 2300MHz band on both SIMs, and there’s also the usual Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM