We witnessed a quite a few smartphone launches in India this week. On Thursday, we came across the budget smartphone from Xiaomi - the Redmi 5A launch in the country. This smartphone priced from Rs. 5,999 onwards has been teased to be the Desh ka Smartphone for its pricing. Also, it is the successor to the Redmi 4A that is one of the bestselling devices in the entry-level smartphone market.
Within a day of its launch, the homegrown manufacturer Micromax announced the launch of a budget smartphone - the Micromax Bharat 5. This smartphone is teased to be the 'The Power of 5' and comes with a 5000mAh battery at an affordable price point of Rs. 5,555.
Given that both the smartphones are in the budget price brackets, we have come up with a brief comparison based on the specifications and pricing to help you decide which one you can consider buying if you are in need of a budget smartphone.
Display
The Xiaomi Redmi 5A flaunts a 5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels while the Micromax Bharat 5 boasts of a relatively larger 5.2-inch display with a similar HD resolution carrying 1280 x 720 pixels. The latter features a 2.5D glass layer on top of the display as well.
Processor and Storage
The Redmi 5A employs a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 SoC under its hood. The device has been launched in two variants - one with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage space and the other with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space. The graphics performance is handled by the Adreno 308 GPU on board. The smartphone has a dedicated dual SIM card slot and a microSD card slot that supports up to 128GB of expandable storage.
On the comparison grounds, the Bharat 5 gets the power from a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor that is coupled with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage space. The device features a microSD card slot that supports up to 64GB of expandable storage. There is a dedicated dual SIM card slot in this smartphone as well just like the Redmi 5A.
Camera
The Xiaomi smartphone boasts of a 13MP main camera at its rear with f/2.2 aperture, LED flash and support for FHD and HD video recording. Up front, there is a 5MP selfie camera with facial recognition and f/2.0 aperture.
On the other hand, the Bharat 5 features a 5MP primary camera at its rear with flash and f/2.2 aperture. The camera has many modes such as Watermark, Time Lapse, Bokeh and Beauty Mode. At the front, the device flaunts a 5MP selfie camera with modes and a 83.3-degree wide-angle lens.
Battery
A 3000mAh battery powers the Redmi 5A and it is touted to provide up to 8 days of standby time to the smartphone. When it comes to the Micromax Bharat 5, the USP of the device is its juicy 5000mAh battery that is claimed to render around 20 days of standby time to the smartphone. Furthermore, the smartphone also supports OTG that makes it double as a power bank and charge other devices.
Software
Both the smartphones run the Android Nougat OS out-of-the-box but the Redmi 5A is topped with the company's latest MIUI 9 that gives it many new features such as the new Mi Video app, Split Screen, app shortcuts and more. This way, the Redmi 5A users can get a better user experience.
Offers
The Micromax Bharat 5 has been launched along with Vodafone. Both the new and existing Vodafone users buying the device will get 10GB free data per month for five months that totals to 50GB of free data. On the other hand, the Redmi 5A buyers using Reliance Jio can get a cash back of Rs. 1,000 in the form of 10 vouchers worth Rs. 100 each on recharging for Rs. 199 per month for 12 months.
Verdict
Having said that, both are entry-level smartphones that come bundled with enough goodies. But the Micromax Bharat 5 is a clear cut winner when it comes to battery life. The smartphone features a 5000mAh battery and is one of the few smartphones with a huge battery in the budget market. But in terms of hardware performance, the Redmi 5A with a highly efficient Snapdragon 425 processor emerges out as the winner in comparison to the entry-level MediaTek SoC used by the Bharat 5.
