Xiaomi Redmi 1S: This phone stoops to conquer!

Mumbai: Five weeks ago we brought you a test report of Chinese phone maker Xiaomi's first handset launched in India — the Mi3 — which offered premier smartphone specs at half the market price and caused the website of FlipKart to crash. Now it looks as if Xiaomi's second India offering — the Redmi 1S — may do likewise, for what the late management guru, CK Prahlad famously called the 'bottom of the pyramid", consisting of customers who aspire for smartphone experience at feature phone prices. Like Oliver Goldsmith's heroine, this is a phone that stoops to conquer!

Unboxing the 1S, is an experience very similar to that of its costlier cousin: the same starkly minimalist packaging — Xiaomi still audaciously provides a Made-for-China power plug and Indian buyers presumably have to lump it or buy their own adaptor. Thankfully the startup instructions at least, are in English this time.

The 4.7-inch In Plane Switching (IPS) screen uses a special scratch resistant glass - we tested the claim. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.6 GHz quad chip; 1GB RAM and 8 GB flash memory (6GB usable, expandable to 64GB with microSD card), an 8 megapixel rear camera with wide angle and flash and a 1.6MP front camera — these are all specs that one is unlikely to find in a phone that cost less than Rs 10,000. Interestingly, the rear camera can record full HD 1080p video though the phone can only display 720p HD. This is a dual micro-SIM phone, one of which supports 3G. The audio technology from Dirac adapts to the headphones you use.

The makers have created their own User Interface on top of Android's — and whether you find it useful or just a departure from the familiar, is a matter of personal taste.

The OS seems to be Android Jellybean and not the latest KitKat, which is strange, but at an asking price of Rs 5999, it's still a great bargain and you can always upgrade. FlipKart is again replaying its drama of pre-registration by September 1, midnight for purchase the next day. Let's hope they have learnt from the Mi3 fiasco and won't irritate aspiring buyers.