The all new Redmi 4A could be a game changer in affordable smartphone segment. Here’s how it compares with the Moto E3 Power and the Samsung Galaxy J1.
After teasing new product launch for the past couple of weeks, Xiaomi has finally launched the affordable new Redmi 4A smartphone in India. India is the second largest smartphone market in the world, with the affordable segment being the most lucrative one. Xiaomi has been one of the successful smartphone vendors in India, and most of its devices are priced under Rs 10,000 bracket. These include the Redmi 3s, Redmi 3s Prime, Redmi 3s Prime+, Redmi Note 3 and the newly launched Redmi Note 4. With the Redmi 4A priced at Rs 5,999, Xiaomi has hit the sweet spot, and the smartphone could be a game changer in its segment.
With thickness of 8.5mm, the Redmi 4A is a compact smartphone and should comfortably fit in one’s palms. In terms of design, the Redmi 4A features a metal unibody, curved edges and a 2.5D curved glass on top. At its price point, the smartphone will compete with the likes of Moto E3 Power and Samsung’s Galaxy J1 4G. We compared all three devices based on their price, specifications and features, and here’s how they fare.
Price and Availability: The Redmi 4A is priced at Rs 5,999 and will be available exclusively via Amazon India. The Moto E3 Power is also Amazon India exclusive and is priced slightly higher at Rs 7,999. The Samsung Galaxy J1 4G, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 6,890 and can be purchased from online and offline channels, giving it a slight edge, especially for customers who prefer buying it from the brick-and-mortar stores. ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime Review: The holy grail of smartphones
Display: The Redmi 4A and the Moto E3 power feature a 5-inch HD (720p) display, whereas the Galaxy J1 4G features a slightly more compact 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display running at a resolution of 480x800pixels. The Galaxy J1 4G is also one of the affordable smartphones to feature an AMOLED display, whereas others feature an IPS-LCD panel.
Chipset, RAM and storage: At the heart of the Redmi 4A runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 425 quad-core SoC (four Cortex-A53 cores) clocked at 1.4GHz, paired with Adreno 308 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The Moto E3 Power is powered by MediaTek’s MT6735p quad-core SoC clocked at 1GHz and paired with 2GB of RAM, whereas the Galaxy J1 4G is powered by a Spreadtrum SC9830 quad-core SoC running at 1.3GHz paired with 1GB of RAM.
On the storage front, the Redmi 4A and the Moto E3 Power come with 16GB of built-in storage, whereas the Galaxy J1 4G comes with rather 8GB onboard storage. Luckily, all three smartphones feature a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Cameras: In the photography department, the Redmi 4A is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear snapper with an LED flash. For selfies, the smartphone is equipped with a 5-megapixel front-facing unit. The Moto E3 Power, comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel selfie snapper. The Galaxy J1 4G, on the other hand, features a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel selfie snapper. Clearly, specifications wise the Redmi 4A has a better resolution camera, but we won’t pass a judgment until we review all three devices.
Battery: Xiaomi has equipped the Redmi 4A with a 3,120mAh battery, the Moto E3 Power is fuelled with a larger 3,500mAh battery whereas the Galaxy J1 4G is equipped with a 2,050mAh battery. The Moto E3 Power gets slight advantage in the battery department.
Connectivity: All three smartphones feature dual SIM card slots, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity options. The Redmi 4A and Moto E3 Power get slight advantage with 4G VoLTE HD voice calling support.
Operating System: While the Redmi 4A runs MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS, the Moto E3 Power also runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS, and the interface is closer to stock Android. The Galaxy J1 4G, on the other hand, runs on the dated Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS, wrapped under Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.
Overall, Xiaomi seems to have yet another winner on hand with Redmi 4A, which has a lot to offer compared to its competitors. It brings the right mix of software and hardware combination and the aggressive pricing is something that could help it further. However, we will reserve our final judgment until we review the smartphone.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A vs Moto E3 Power vs Samsung Galaxy J1 4G: Comparison Table
| Features | Xiaomi Redmi 4A | Motorola Moto E3 Power | Samsung Galaxy J1 4G |
| Display | 5-inch HD | 5-inch HD | 4.5-inch(800x400pixels) |
| Processor | Snapdragon 425 quad-core SoC | MediaTek MT6735p quad-core processor | Spreadtrum SC9830 quad-core SoC |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB | 1GB |
| Storage | 16GB(expandable) | 16GB(expandable) | 8GB(expandable) |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel with LED flash | 8-megapixel with LED flash | 5-megapixel with LED flash |
| Front Camera | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 2-megapixel |
| Battery | 3,120mAh | 3,500mAh | 2,050mAh |
| Connectivity | Dual SIM, 4G, VoLTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Dual SIM 4G, VoLTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Dual SIM, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Android OS | Android 6.0 Marshmallow wrapped under MIUI 8 | Android 6.0 Marshmallow wrapped under MIUI 8. | Android 5.1 Lollipop wrapped under TouchWiz UI |
| Price | Rs 5,999 | Rs 7,999 | Rs 6,890 |