Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus Price, Review And Specifications.

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Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus Quick Specs:

6.52" HD+ (1600×720) IPS-LCD Drop-notched Display.

269ppi, 20:9 Aspect Ratio.

Helio A22 (MT6761) Chipset.

Android 12 Go Edition, Redmi MIUI 4.1.

Dual-lens (8MP+QVGA) Back Camera.

Single-lens (5MP) Front Camera.

2GB/3GB of RAM (And up to 2GB Virtual RAM).

32GB Internal Storage.

MicroUSB Port:

4G (LTE) Network.

5000mAh Battery (10W Charging).

Starting Price:

53,000 naira, GHc 1,118, R 1,699, EGP 3,270, $97 (US), £111, KSh 10,899.

 

With its regular looks and basic specs, it's obvious that Redmi A1 Plus (220733SFG) is another budget phone with the usual features. However, this phone is one of the few ones, in this segment, that really offer value for money.

Note: Except for the fact that Redmi A1 Plus has a rear mounted fingerprint reader, there's no other difference between this phone and regular Xiaomi Redmi A1.

Sporting a 6.52-inch notched display, Redmi A1 Plus doesn't wear an exciting or appealing looks, especially if you're looking at it from the back. But one thing remain, it has a better build quality than most of others at this price point. That's the first unique thing about this phone.

Secondly, which probably should have been the first, is its display. Though, as expected of a phone in this segment, the 6.52-inch screen of the Redmi A1 Plus features a 720p resolution and has a regular 60hz screen refresh rate, but the picture quality is quite good. The screen is clear and has rich colours. Even, the picture quality (of this screen) rivals those of more expensive entry-level phones.

Also in spite of its 8-megapixel dual rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera; the setup that is common among the phones in this price range, Redmi A1 Plus was able to deliver an unusually clear and nice looking photos.

The same pleasant thing can be said of its performance. Because despite that the phone is fitted with the Helio A22 CPU, 2GB/3GB of RAM, and 32GB internal storage capacity like most of others, yet, with the latest version of Redmi MIUI skin on top of the Android 12 (Go Edition), this phone has been optimized to run more swiftly and more efficiently than most of its competitors.

Even, to ensure a lag-free performance, Redmi A1 Plus features RAM Extension. Which enables you to extend the 2GB of RAM of the base model, for instance, up to 4GB.

Redmi also equipped the A1 Plus with a big 5000mAh battery. Although, this battery capacity is common among other cheap Android phones, however, unlike many of them, Redmi A1 Plus offers standard 10W charging.

However, as i mentioned before, it's only the Redmi A1 Plus that includes fingerprint reader, the feature is missing on the standard variant Redmi A1.

Unfortunately, none of the two variants supports Face Unlock. None of them also support Double Tap (To Wake). Fortunately, there's an alternative for that, and it's called Raise To Wake, more on this later.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Redmi A1 Plus features are exactly like those of others in this category. For instance, this phone features MicroUSB port, a single speaker, and 3.5mm audio jack.

Price And Colours:

The current price of the Redmi A1 Plus is about 53,000 naira. And it's available in three colour options of Light Green, Light Blue, and Black.

Two Other Contenders.

Itel A60 (A662L) and Tecno Pop 7 Pro (bf7) are two other contenders in this category. At a much lower price, Itel A60 has the same attractive display as the Redmi A1 Plus, even the screen of the Itel phone is slightly bigger.

Itel A60 also has a more beautiful design. However, Redmi A1 Plus offers a more faster chipset and better build quality than the Itel phone. Also, the Redmi phone was able to take a better looking photos, despite having the same camera set-up as the Itel A60. In addition, Redmi features 10W standard charging.

On the other hand, and at a slightly higher price (than the Redmi A1 Plus), Tecno Pop 7 Pro offers 64GB internal storage and USB Type-C port. The Tecno phone also has a slightly bigger screen; same as that of the Itel A60, and the same good picture quality.

However, despite the fact that Pop 7 Pro also offers a slightly higher megapixel rear sensor, the photos (from this Tecno phone) look almost the same as those of the Redmi A1 Plus, even the ones of the Redmi seems to look slightly better.

DESIGN: Regular Looks, But Better Build Quality:

Design-wise, Redmi A1 Plus is a regular-looking phone. So, if you're the type of person that prioritize attractive design, you might want to check out those two phones i.e., Itel A60 and Tecno Pop 7 Pro.

Though, Redmi A1 Plus won't win you over with its looks, but it has a solid and built-to-last chassis.

Weighing about 192g, Redmi A1 Plus has a non-reflective (or matte) finish and non-smooth texture. And besides its regular 6.52-inch notched display, Redmi A1 Plus also has a regular form factor (164.9x76.8x9.1mm) and a regular aspect ratio of 20:9.

Also while many recent phones (such as the two mentioned above) are having flat edges, Redmi A1 Plus maintain the traditional curved edges. Though the curved edges enable this phone to be held with one hand easily. The phone also sports a simple looking camera bump.

Meanwhile, like those of others, the power button and volume keys of the Redmi A1 Plus are placed on its right edge, and its 4G Dual-Nano SIM+microSD card slot is also located on the left edge. Also as usual, the MicroUSB port, microphone, and 3.5mm audio jack of the Redmi A1 Plus are placed on the bottom edge.

But while other are having their single speakers on the bottom edges, the single speaker of the Redmi A1 Plus is placed on its top edge.

Low Megapixel Cameras, But Nice Looking Photos:

Normally, photos from an 8-megapixel dual rear camera, such as the one on the Redmi A1 Plus, can not be as detail or as sharp as those of others (budget phones) with higher megapixel sensors. Still, photos from this phone are more detail than those of its competitors.

Also, because the rear camera was able to maintain a good balance between contrast and brightness level, the photos appear clearer than those of its competitors. Apart from the clarity, photos from the A1 Plus also have a more uniform and brighter colours.

And in spite of its 5-megapixel selfie lens, Redmi A1 Plus was able to take a slightly clearer and brighter selfies than many others with a similar sensor. Colours also look better too.

By the way, both the front and rear cameras of the Redmi A1 Plus support HDR. Both of them are also capable of shooting 1080p or Full-HD videos at 30fps (frame per seconds).

A Nice Looking Display:

For an entry-level Android phone, Redmi A1 Plus has a nice looking display. Though, like those of other budget phones, the 6.52-inch screen of this phone has an IPS-LCD panel, and features a 720p (1600x720) resolution. It also lack high screen refresh rate.

However, this screen offers a richer colours and vibrant picture. Though, such nice display is easier to come across among many recent budget android phones, but they're still rare among the low-end ones, especially the ones at this price point.

Also with its peak brightness of about 400nits, the screen of the Redmi A1 Plus is manageable under direct sunlight.

Decent Performance:

Considering its Mediatek Helio A22 CPU (a low-end 12nm Quad-core processor) and its 2GB/3GB of RAM, Redmi A1 Plus doesn't pack enough power to multitask quickly, or run swiftly, like more expensive entry-level phones, That's the main reason this phone is running on the Go Edition (lighter version) of the Android 12 OS.

Still, as i said earlier, and with the latest Redmi MIUI 4.1 custom UI on top of the Go Edition (of the Android 12), Redmi A1 Plus has been optimized to perform day-to-day tasks and handle normal internet browsing more easier than many of its rivals. Also with its PowerVR-GE8320 GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), Redmi A1 Plus was able to play many mid-range games, though at medium or low graphics-settings. 

In short, when it comes to internet browsing and low graphics gaming, Redmi A1 Plus moves faster than most of other low-budget android phones.

And if you're the type that likes to open multiple apps simultaneously, i would say you should stick with the 3GB of RAM variant.

Still, whether you go for the 3GB or 2GB RAM variant, the performance of the Redmi A1 Plus can still be boosted through RAM Extension.

Similar to the Infinix and Tecno Mobile's MemFusion, or Samsung Mobile's RAM Plus, Redmi's RAM extension enables you to convert certain amount of your phone's internal storage to Virtual RAM. In the case of 2GB RAM variant of the Redmi A1 Plus, RAM Extension enables you to convert up to 2GB of free space (out of the phone's inbuilt storage) to Virtual RAM. Thereby allowing you to increase the 2GB of RAM of the phone up to 4GB.

Meanwhile, the 32GB inbuilt storage of the Redmi A1 Plus can still be expanded, via microSD card, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).

Furthermore, another feature of the Redmi A1 Plus, that's worth mentioning, is the Raise To Wake. This intuitively activates the screen of the Redmi A1 Plus when you raise it up, or pick it up, from the table. This is quite useful because this phone does not have Double Tap (To Wake).

5000mAh Battery And Standard Charging Rate:

As a result of its cheap price, Redmi A1 Plus couldn't present the buyers with USB Type-C port, instead it has a regular MicroUSB port. The phone also doesn't support fast charging, but instead of having a slower 5W or 8W charging, like many others in this category, Redmi A1 Plus features standard 10W charging.

So with its out-of-the-box 10W charger (adapter), it'll take you exactly three hours to fully charge this phone's battery when it drops to zero percent.

Full Specifications Of Xiaomi Redmi A1 Plus (220733SFG):

GENERAL

Maker: Xiaomi Redmi.

Name: A1 Plus (220733SFG).

Year Announced: September, 2022.

Dimensions: 164.9x76.8x9.1mm

Weight: 192g.   

Colour: Light Blue, Light Green & Black.

DISPLAY
Screen Type: IPS-LCD capacitive Touchscreen.

Size and Resolution: 6.52-inch, HD+, 1600-by-720 pixels, 60Hz Refresh Rate.

Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20:9, 269PPI.

Protection N/a.

PORTS:

3.5mm Audio Jack: Yes.

USB Type-C Port: No.

MicroUSB port: Yes.

Lightning Connector: No.

Google Assistant Button: No.

PERFORMANCE

Chipset: MediaTek Helio A22 (MT6761) Quad-core Processor, 2.0GHz.

GPU: PowerVR-GE8320.

RAM: 2GB/3GB (up to 2GB Extra through RAM Extension).

Operating System: Android 12 Go Edition, Redmi MIUI 4.1.

STORAGE

Internal Storage: 32GB.

Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 1TB (Terabyte).

SIM AND NETWORK

SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.

Network:  GSM, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE.

CAMERA

Rear camera: Dual-lens; (8MP f/2.0+QVGA) With LED-Flash.

Front camera: Single-lens, 5MP (f/2.2) Single Front Flash.

VIDEO RECORDING:

Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.

Front Camera: 720p, 1080p, @ 30 fps.

CONNECTIVITY:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, HotSpots, FM Radio.

BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION: 

Security: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader, Screen pattern, & PIN.

Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, G-sensor, Accelerometer And

Barometer sensor.

Others: Location (Geo, Glonass), Radio.

BATTERY

Battery Capacity: 5000mAh.

Qi Wireless-Charging: N/a.

Fast Charging: No (10W).

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