Redmi Y2 launched in India for a price starting at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM model. Here’s a comparison with Moto G6 and Redmi Note 5
Xiaomi has yet again targeted the budget segment bringing another affordable selfie-centric smartphone, called the Redmi Y2. Just seven months after the launch of the Redmi Y1, Xiaomi has introduced its successor with a few key upgrades. But given the price of Rs 9,999, the Redmi Y2 will cause some confusion for customers, especially since Xiaomi has the Redmi Note 5 for the same starting price.
Redmi Y2 features an 18:9 form factor and dual-rear cameras; the latter is not a feature on Redmi Note 5. Then there’s Moto G6, which is the closest challenger to the Redmi Note 5, and the Redmi Y2 considering the kind of features it packs for the phone. Moto G6 is more expensive though with a starting price of Rs 13,999. So which is the ideal choice? We compare the Redmi Y2 with the Moto G6 and Redmi Note 5.
Xiaomi Redmi Y2 vs Moto G6 vs Redmi Note 5: Price in India
First let us take a look at the different prices of the phones. Redmi Y2 is priced in India starting at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model, while the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant comes for a price of Rs 12,999. The handset will be made available on Amazon India, mi.com and Mi Home stores from June 12.
Coming to the Redmi Note 5, the 3GB RAM/32GB storage version carries similar price as the Redmi Y2 at Rs 9,999. Meanwhile, the 4GB RAM/64GB storage model comes for a cost of Rs 11,999, which is lower than the new phone. The new Moto G6, on the other hand, comes for a price of Rs 13,999 for the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model and it goes up to Rs 15,999 for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage version. In terms of pricing, Moto G6 is the most expensive on the list, but also sports a unique design with the 3D glass look, which we will discuss below.
The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 is priced in India starting at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model and goes up to Rs 12,999 for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant
Redmi Y2 vs Moto G6 vs Redmi Note 5: Design, Display
Redmi Y2 now comes with a tall 18:9 form factor with a plastic build brushed with a metallic finish. The antenna lines run along curvature. Redmi Y2 comes in three colour options- Dark Grey, Rose Gold and Gold. From the front, the Redmi Y2 and Redmi Note 5 are very similar. Even the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Redmi Y2 looks similar from the front, though there are slight variations on the back.
Moto G6 flaunts a reflective 3D contoured glass body with rounded corners and compact form factor, which makes it stand out. The rounded corners allow the device to sit comfortably in a user’s hands. The Moto G6 house a USB Type-C port, instead of a Micro-USB port found on the Redmi Y2 or the Redmi Note 5, which is another plus. Further, the new Moto smartphone also embraces 18:9 display format.
Redmi Note 5 also boasts the 18:9 form factor with a metal unibody design. Redmi Note 5 comes with narrow bezels and tapered edges on the sides for better grip. This also has a rear fingerprint scanner like the other Redmi Y2 phone.
The Moto G6 flaunts a reflective 3D contoured glass body with rounded corners and compact form factor
As for the display, the Redmi Y2 features a 5.99-inch HD+ (1440 x 720 pixel resolution) display with 18:9 aspect ratio resulting in a pixel density of 269ppi. It has a 450 nits maximum brightness and comes with full-screen gestures. Redmi Note 5 also sports a 5.99-inch 18:9 display but unlike the Redmi Y2, it has a full HD+ screen havig 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 403ppi. The display offers bright colours with deep contrast and sharp texts.
Moto G6 meanwhile features a 5.7-inch full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixel resolution) Max Vision IPS display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The display offers decent colour and good viewing angles. Redmi Y2’s display resolution at 720p is one big negative. In terms of design, Moto G6 is the most elegant of the lot.
Redmi Y2 vs Moto G6 vs Redmi Note 5: Camera, Software
The selfie-focused Redmi Y2 gets a 16MP Super Pixel sensor that comes with AI Beautify 4.0 technology and LED selfie-light support for better capture in low light. The front camera has a f/2.0 aperture and offer portrait mode and facial unlock. At the back, there is a dual camera setup stacked vertically. The Redmi Y2 carries a 12MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. The dual cameras employ AI for depth effect on the photos.
The Xiaomi Redmi Y2 features a 16MP AI front-facing camera
As for the Moto G6, it bears a 16MP sensor with beautification technology and group selfie mode. The smartphone carries similar dual rear camera arrangement like the Redmi Y2 on the rear side, with a 12MP primary sensor and 5MP secondary sensor. The dual cameras come with f/1.8 aperture and feature Portrait mode, and a spot colour mode. The cameras on the Moto G6 offer vivid colours with good detail as we noted in our review. Among the three phones, Moto G6’s camera tends to have an edge.
Meanwhile, Redmi Note 5 carries a single camera module at the back having a 12MP sensor. The rear camera comes with a large pixel size of 1.25um pixels and f/2.2 aperture. The primary camera on the Redmi Note 5 deliver pictures with good colour accuracy and details in well-lit conditions. While the Moto G6 and Redmi Y2 comes with a 16MP front-facing camera, the Redmi Note 5 has a smaller 5MP selfie-camera and comes with f/2.0 aperture.
In terms of software, the Redmi Y2 runs MIUI 9.5 based on Android Oreo 8.1 OS. The device will get Xiaomi’s latest custom ROM, MIUI 10 beta version in mid-June. The Moto G6 also runs Android Oreo right out-of-the-box but it comes with near stock build offering clean UI. The phone comes with a few bloatware that cannot be uninstalled.
Redmi Note 5 still runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat with MIUI 9 on top. Given that many budget smartphones this year came with Android Oreo on-board, it is a bit disappointing for the Redmi Note 5 to still runs on a nearly two-year-old Android OS.
Redmi Y2 vs Moto G6 vs Redmi Note 5: Hardware and battery
Both the Redmi Y2 and Redmi Note 5 smartphones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 processor. The processor is fabricated on a 14nm finFET process and clocks at 2.0GHz. Moto G6 meanwhile packs a less powerful Snapdragon 450 processor paired with Adreno 506 GPU for graphics rendition. The octa-core processor is clocked at 1.8GHz.
A good aspect of the Redmi Y2 is that it comes with a dedicated microSD slot (can insert two Nano SIM and a microSD card) which is missing on the other two handsets.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 packs a huge 4000mAh battery
In terms of battery capacity, the Redmi Note 5 takes an edge over the Redmi Y2 and the Moto G6. The phone packs a huge 4000mAh battery that comfortably offers more than a day’s worth of usage. In contrast, the Redmi Y2 packs a 3080mAh battery which is claimed to provide “full-day” battery life. We will have to fully test this out, to see whether this claim holds up. Moto G6 carries an industry standard 3000mAh battery and bundle a 15W TurboPower charge for fast charging. Motorola has been bundling fast-charging on its Moto G phones for quite some time now. The lack of fast-charging on the Redmi phones is another miss.