Xiaomi Redmi S2 is an AI Powered Selfie Focused Phone on a Budget

Xiaomi has made an all new addition to its widely popular midrange segment. TheXiaomi Redmi S2 is a budget smartphone with a popular bezel-less design and dual cameras. Its design and specifications were already revealed before when a test unit was leaked by an individual over the internet.

Those specifications have now been confirmed and Xiaomi has finally launched it, as promised, and it will hit the Chinese market soon. Let’s dig in to its details,

Design & Display

Much like most of Xiaomi’s budget lineup, Redmi S2 follows a minimalist design language and looks quite similar to the Mi A2. The body is made of aluminum, Xiaomi is among the few companies that sells metal-body smartphones in this price bracket, and the front has a glass coating. The fingerprint is mounted on the rear.

For the display, the company included a 720 x 1440 pixels IPS LCD with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Pixel density is ~269, screen-to-body ratio is around 75%, and screen size is 5.99-inch.

Hardware & Storage

Beneath the covers, the Redmi S2 packs a decent Octa-core Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.0 GHz. It comes paired with either 3 or 4 GB RAM and an Adreno 506 runs the GPU department.

Storage comes in two options as well, 64 GB internal storage with 4 GB RAM model and 32 GB storage with 3 GB RAM. Fortunately, its expandable via microSD by up to 256 GB (dedicated slot).

Camera & Software

The rear vertical array of dual cameras consists a 12 MP primary shooter paired with a 5 MP depth sensor. Impressively, there’s also gyro-EIS to remove shakiness and unwanted motion blur from images and video. The rear cameras can shoot up to 1080p videos at 30 fps. The front camera can shoot 16 MP photos, supports HDR, and also has its own LED flash for low-light selfies.

Redmi S2 gets Google’s Android 8.1 Oreo operating system with Xiaomi’s MIUI 9.5 layer running on top of it.

Battery, Price, & Availability

The battery size is 3,080 mAh, non-removable, chargeable via microUSB 2.0. Fast charging, however, is available at 5v/2A 10W.

Color options for the Xiaomi Redmi S2 are Rose Gold, Champagne Gold, and Platinum Silver which will have a price tag of CNY 999 (~Rs. 18,000) for its 3/32 GB variant and CNY 1,299 (~Rs. 22,000) for the 4/64 GB option. For now, it has been announced for the Chinese market and will hit the international market soon. No word on a release date for Pakistan.

Xiaomi Redmi S2 Specifications

• CPU: 2.0 GHz Octa-core Cortex A53
• GPU: Adreno 506
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9.5
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
• Display:
  • 5.99” LCD with HD+ (720 x 1440 pixels) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 3/4 GB
  • Internal: 32/64 GB
  • Card slot: yes, by up to 256 GB
• Camera:
  • Primary: 12 MP (f/2.2) + 5 MP, PDAF, gyro-EIS, LED Flash, 1080p@30fps
  • Secondary:  16 MP, HDR, LED flash
• Connectivity: microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi ac, FM Radio, IR Blaster
• Fingerprint scanner (rear)
• Battery: 3,080 mAh, 5V/2A 10W fast charging
• Price: ~Rs. 18,000 (3/32 GB), ~Rs. 22,000 (4/64 GB)