The Redmi 2 is powered by the same 64 bit processor that is used on the Lenovo A6000. Redmi 2 is better than the Redmi 1S and it is running MIUI 6 based on Android 4.4.4 out of the box. This dual SIM handset with 4G support is priced at Rs. 6,999.
Box Pack
Inside the brown box pack you will find the Redmi 2 handset, user guide, data cable, 2200 mAh battery and travel charger. There is no earphone included. SAR value : 0.999 W/kg (MAX).
Design, Display and OS
The Redmi 2 looks exactly similar to the Redmi 1s, but on a close look you will find that there are some minor changes. For example the flash is moved on the left side and micro USB port is on the extreme right.
Build quality and finishing is very good. The body is made of plastic and the pure white colour / black combination does give a very premium look. Handset is comfortable to hold, back panel is with a matte finish. Weight with battery is 136 grams and dimensions are 67.25 x 133.98 x 9.11 (mm).
Volume rocker and power button is on the right, micro USB port at the bottom and 3.5mm audio jack on the top. There are dual Mics for noise cancellation. Like the Redmi 1S the Redmi 2 also comes with 3 red coloured dedicated navigational buttons.
This is a dual SIM handset, there are dual micro SIM slots and a micro SD card slot. Redmi 2 sports a 4.7 inch IPS screen protected with dragon trail glass, it is scratch resistant to some extent. Display resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels. Viewing angles, colour reproduction are very good and touch is smooth and responsive.
There is LED notification just below the home button – you can select the colours and the handset also comes loaded with accelerometer, light, proximity, gyro and magnetic sensors.
Redmi 2 is running MIUI 6 based on Android 4.4.4.
Memory and Storage
This handset comes packed with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. On the first boot you will get about 4.4GB free internal storage space and 325MB free RAM. OTG is supported but apps are getting installed on internal storage.
Performance
This smartphone is using the qualcomm snapdragon 410 64 bit cortex A53 1.2GHz quad core processor coupled with Adreno 306GPU. Performance is pretty smooth.
| App | Result |
| Quadrant | 11845 |
| Antutu | 20305 |
| Vellamo | Metal (799) Multi core (1244) Browser (1888) |
| Nenamark 2 | 53.2 fps |
| Multi Touch | 10 point |
Redmi 2 by default is set to balanced power setting mode, it will perform even better in performance mode but I would suggest you keep it in balanced mode for better overall performance.
Gaming
I installed Asphalt 8 – it got installed on the internal storage. In high visual quality mode the game is playable but you can feel it lagging occasionally. Game was very smooth in medium visual quality mode.
Camera
There is 2MP FF camera on the front – native video calling is not supported. And there is 8MP auto focus camera on the rear with LED flash. Camera interface is similar to as seen on the Mi4 handset. You can tap to focus and then turn the dial in the green circle to adjust the exposure if needed.
Rear camera can shoot full HD videos. Camera quality is above average. You can check the sample images and video at the end of this review. I did not find any heat up issues when using the camera.
Others
The handset supports 4G, 3G, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. No issues found, I could not test 4G as the same is not available in my area. Sound output is very good, loud and clear (for both loud speaker and in-call speaker).
One hand operation is supported, just tap the dedicated home button and drag finger to the left button, the screen will shrink and you will be able to easily access it using one hand. To revert back do the same tap and drag from home icon to the left icon, if you are a lefty, for right handed users tap home button and drag to the right.
Battery
The 2200 mAh battery gives a very good backup time. You can expect about 5 to 7 hours of continuous moderate to heavy usage (in balanced mode). The handset also does not heat up much, max temperature encountered during the review was 41 degree. It took 1 hour 51 minutes to charge from 16% to 88% that is 72%.
| Task | Time | Battery drop (%) (max temp) |
| Running Benchmark apps | 19 minutes | 4% (39) |
| FHD video playback with Wi-Fi on + full brightness | 31 minutes | 10% (41) |
| Asphalt 8 Game Play | 18 minutes | 6% (40) |
| Full Wall Charge | Under 3 hours (2 hours 30 minutes) | 16% to 100% |
Verdict
Lenovo A6000 is also using the same hardware that the Redmi 2 houses. There are some differences in the specifications when you compare these two handsets, and they both are priced at Rs. 6,999. These handsets are really good – 64 bit snapdragon 410 quad core powered. The Redmi 2 camera however shoots better.
Redmi 2 is a very good buy for Rs. 6,999.
Image Gallery
Rear Camera Sample
Front Camera Sample
Video review