The all-new Xiaomi Redmi S2 budget smartphone with 16MP front-facing camera launched in China
Xiaomi just announced their new affordable handset titled Redmi S2. One glance at the specifications and it looks like a cross between all their phones from the Redmi 5/Note 5 series. In order to clear the confusion and see how it differs from the Redmi Note 5, with which it shares its processing hardware, we have compiled a list of dissimilarities between the two. So let’s see where the new S2 sits on the Xiaomi product tree.
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Vs Redmi Note 5: Display
Both of Xiaomi’s budget smartphones, the Redmi S2 and Redmi Note 5 feature a tall 5.99-inch 18:9 touchscreen display. The elongated screens on the devices have thick bezels on top and bottom that make them appear like identical brothers. The noticeable difference, however, is their display resolution. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution stretched across the front facia. The Redmi S2 meanwhile features a lower resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels that drops the pixel density to 269ppi from the significantly higher 403ppi on the Redmi Note 5. So do not expect the picture quality to be as sharp on the S2.
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Vs Redmi Note 5: Camera
Xiaomi upgraded the imaging quality on the Redmi Note 5 compared to the previous iteration. The Redmi Note 5 offered better colour reproduction, refined details and accurate focus in good light conditions. On the front, the Redmi Note 5 carried a decent 5MP sensor. Coming to the Redmi S2, Xiaomi has combined the Redmi Note 5’s front and back camera sensors and packed it as dual sensors on the new Redmi S2 phone. The Redmi S2 has dual camera arrangement of 12MP+5MP sensors at the rear.
The company also cites this new handset to be a selfie-centric smartphone. The Redmi S2 accommodates a big 16MP camera sensor up front. That’s a big jump from the 5MP on Note 5. The front camera sensor is further accompanied by a soft-LED flash for better clicks in a poorly lit situation. While the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 manages to shoot decent selfies in moderate lighting condition, unlike the Redmi S2 it doesn’t have a soft LED flash support. The camera app on the Redmi S2 offer AI portrait mode and has AI-based beautification features as well.
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Vs Redmi Note 5: Design
Both the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi S2 flaunt metal unibody. Although these two smartphones appear similar from the front, what differs is the design on the rear side. The Redmi Note 5 shared quite a few similarities in design with the Redmi Note 4 like smooth curved edges and antenna lines running on top and bottom of the back panel. The Redmi S2 however, has dual antenna bands running along the curvature and the fingerprint sensor is placed at a slightly lower position than what we have seen on the Redmi Note 5. The phone has dual rear cameras arranged in vertical alignment on the top left corner similar to the Redmi Note 5 Pro.
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Vs Redmi Note 5: Software
While few OEMs announced their budget phones with Android Oreo this year, Xiaomi brought the Redmi Note 5 with the nearly two-year-old Android Nougat OS, much to the disappointment of its user-base. Xiaomi promised to roll out Android 8.1 Oreo for the Redmi Note 5 soon, however, the software update hasn’t emerged yet.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 came with MIUI 9 based Android Nougat OS
Thankfully, the Redmi S2 will come preloaded with the latest MIUI 9.5 custom ROM based on Android Oreo OS. While Redmi Note 5 users are still stuck with the slightly old features, the Redmi S2 is expected to offer some of Android Oreo’s prime features like Picture-in-Picture mode, Autofill for Chrome, Notification dots etc along with improvements bundled with MIUI custom ROM.
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Vs Redmi Note 5: Battery
Xiaomi seems to have significantly downgraded the battery capacity on the Redmi S2 compared to the Note 5. The Redmi Note 5 pegs in a 4000mAh battery that comfortably provides more than a day’s worth of juice with multitasking, streaming content etc. The Redmi S2 meanwhile has a smaller battery capacity of 3080mAh which we believe will likely manage to offer just under a day’s worth of usage on a single charge.