Until the launch of the Redmi Y1, Xiaomi was known for its attractive pricing paired with good built quality and innovation. But with Oppo and OnePlus shifting its focus to garner sales out of the selfie-crazy population, Xiaomi is also looking to follow the same trend with the introduction of the affordable Redmi Y1. This is evident from the fact that the company has touted its front-camera as a key feature. The smartphone is designed to appeal to buyers who take a lot of selfies courtesy of the 16-megapixel front-facing shooter.
It is apparent that Xiaomi has opted for a different approach with the Redmi Y1 as it focuses on selfies, with most smartphones willing to offer what consumers want. While the company has moved away from providing good specs at an attractive price point with the Redmi Y1, Xiaomi seems to have lost its ideology. The company has also spent heavily in roping in Katrina Kaif as the brand ambassador for the Redmi Y1. Xiaomi seems to have lost its way with the introduction of the Redmi Y1, as the focus on providing unique devices to technologically inclined youngsters has fallen by the wayside.
Recommended Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Review: The battery life champion
As for the display, the Redmi Note 4 is a step ahead with its 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, whereas the Redmi Y1 offers a 5.5-inch HD screen. The significant difference in both the device comes in the imaging department. The Redmi Note 4 is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera, whereas the latest kid on the block from Xiaomi ships with a 13-megapixel primary and a 16-megapixel front-facing sensor. The Redmi Note 4 also lacks a selfie flash at the front which the Redmi Y1 users might enjoy.
Moving over to image quality, daylight shots on the Redmi Y1 look good, but images lack detail if shot in dim lighting. But the front-camera offers excellent quality selfies in the given price segment, which the Redmi Note 4 fails to produce. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 outpaces the Redmi Y1 in terms of performance. The processing power of the Redmi Note 4, which comes with an octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipset is much higher compared to what the Redmi Y1 churns out with an octa-core Snapdragon 435 SoC under the hood. Also, the Redmi Note 4 is backed up by a non-removable Li-Po 4,100mAh battery as opposed to a modest 3,080mAh battery on the Redmi Y1.
| Category | Xaiomi Redmi Y1 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 |
| Display | 5.5-inch HD IPS LCD | 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD |
| Chipset (SoC) | 1.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 435 | 2.0GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 |
| RAM | 3GB/4GB | 2GB/3GB/4GB |
| GPU | Adreno 505 | Adreno 506 |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB expandable up to 128GB via microSD | 32GB/64GB expandable up to 128GB via microSD |
| Rear Camera | 13MP f/2.2, PDAF, dual-tone flash, 1080p video | 13MP f/2.0, PDAF, dual-tone flash, 1080p video, 720p@120fps |
| Front Camera | 16MP f/2.0 lens, 1080p recording | 5MP f/2.0 lens, 1080p recording |
| Battery | 3,080mAh | 4,100mAh |
| Fingerprint | Rear-mounted | Rear-mounted |
| Connectivity | LTE with VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS, microUSB, IR Blaster | LTE with VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, GLONASS, microUSB, IR Blaster |
| Weight | 153 grams | 165 grams |
While the Redmi Note 4 remains one of the most-loved top-selling smartphones in the sub ₹10,000 price bracket, the Redmi Y1 looks nowhere close to grabbing its market share anytime shortly. Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 cannot compete with the Redmi Note 4. The phone itself is very basic and is nothing but a budget selfie smartphone. Both on paper and reality, the smartphone fails to cope up with the Redmi Note 4. So, if your only concern is selfies then you can opt for the Redmi Y1, and if you want better performance, multi-tasking capabilities, and more extended battery-life, the redmi Note 4 is the device for you.
