The Redmi A1 is the first phone from Xiaomi in three years to drop MIUI in favor of stock Android. The entry-level smartphone is also dirt cheap.
Redmi, Xiaomi's subsidiary, announced a handful of new smartphones today, but one, in particular, stands out, and it is not because it is the best, but because of its software which isn't the brand's well-known MIUI. Xiaomi phones and those launched under its Redmi and POCO brands come with a custom android skin called MIUI. The latest version is MIUI 13, and it packs a lot of customizations and additional features that differentiate it from other Android skins.
However, Xiaomi has also launched phones that didn't ship with its MIUI skin. Instead, they ran what is commonly referred to as stock Android. It was once a part of the Android One program, which had phones that came pre-installed with a clean version of Android with no custom skin on top. Some of these phones are the Xiaomi Mi A1, Mi A2, Mi A2 Lite and Mi A3.
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The new smartphone is the Redmi A1, the first Redmi smartphone in three years to launch with a clean version of Android, coming after the Redmi Go that was announced in Jan. 2019. However, while the Redmi Go came pre-installed with Android Oreo (Go Edition), the Redmi A1 runs Android 12 out of the box, just like the Nokia G60 5G. Xiaomi describes it as a "Clean Android Experience" devoid of its heavily customized MIUI skin. However, the software is not the only exciting part of the phone. Redmi's new phone has some interesting specs balanced with a pocket-friendly price tag.
The Redmi A1 has a 6.52-inch HD+ display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 120Hz touch sampling rate. It doesn't have Gorilla Glass, but the spec sheet says the display is scratch resistant. It also has a brightness level of up to 400 nits. A MediaTek Helio A22 chipset is powering the phone with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. Thankfully, there is a dedicated MicroSD card slot for up to an additional 512GB of storage. Gracing the back of the phone, which is made of plastic but has a leather texture finish are two cameras — an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. There is also a 5MP front-facing camera.
Furthermore, the Redmi A1 has an audio jack, a single speaker, four satellite GNSS, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi and dual SIM 4G support. There is a 5000mAh battery inside the phone with support for 10W charging via a disappointing MicroUSB port. Redmi also includes a power adapter in the box. Available in Light Green, Light Blue and Black, the Redmi A1 is priced at ₹6,4999, which converts to about $80. Unfortunately, the phone seems to be exclusive to India for now.
Habeeb has years of experience covering consumer technology and has written for multiple publications. As a Senior Writer at Screen Rant, he enjoys writing about wearables, smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Several of his articles include guides and comparisons that help users get the best out of their devices or choose the one that bests suits them. When he's not writing, he's catching up on the latest TV shows. He considers The Crown as peak drama and Castlevania as one of the best game-to-screen adaptations. And on days when there is nothing to watch (is that even possible?), he sneaks in a few hours of games on his PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.