Redmi A4 is one of India’s most affordable 5G phones, but is there a catch?

Remember when 5G phones were these expensive flagship devices that only a few could afford? Fast forward a few years, and 5G-enabled smartphones have become democratised, and phones that now support the new-gen fast network are getting more and more affordable.

The latest instance is the newest phone by Xiaomi’s sister brand – Redmi. The new Redmi A4 5G is one of the most affordable 5G Android phones that you can get your hands on right now, costing less that Rs 10,000.

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But what do you get for that price? More importantly, what do you miss out? Here’s a deeper look at the Redmi A4 5G, where we answer these questions.

Redmi A4: What’s new?

The Redmi A4 sports a large 6.88-inch display. The IPS LCD screen comes with a 720p HD+ resolution, which is good enough for this segment. It also sports 120Hz refresh rate, which should offer super smooth scrolling across apps and social media feeds – a feature you don’t usually find in this segment.

The phone is powered by the new Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, which thanks to its 4nm architecture should offer better efficiency, or in layman’s terms, better battery life than most older phones. There is also a 5,160mAh battery and 18W charging to support this.

Other features include a 50MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for authentication, and even a 3.5mm headphone port for connecting wired earphones. There’s also a new design that takes a lot of cues from last year’s Redmi A3.

Redmi A4: Is there a catch?

The Redmi A4 comes with quite a few value-for-money features, but there are some aspects that you should pay some extra attention too, especially if you plan on using the device for longer.

The first of these is the software version. Despite Android 15 being out, the phone launches with the dated Android 14-based HyperOS skin. While this isn’t an immediate issue, and Redmi has promised two years of updates, know that this phone is not on the latest version of Android, and that no update timeline has been officially shared yet.

The second is the 4GB RAM module on the device. While 4GB RAM should be enough to power basic functionality on an entry-level device like the Redmi A4, it may mean not being able to run a bunch of larger apps at once.

However, considering the price of the device, which starts at Rs 8,499, these are little more than nit-picks. For anyone looking for their first 5G smartphone, or wanting to experience the fast speeds of the network on a tight budget, the Redmi A4 offers a good mix of specifications. The phone will be available with leading online and offline retailers next week, from November 27.

However, for those who prefer a little more performance instead of the 5G support, last year’s Redmi A3 offers better specifications at 6GB RAM for roughly the same price.