[Update: 16GB variant announced for ₹4,799] Xiaomi Redmi Go aims to capture India’s entry-level smartphone market with a ₹4,499 price tag

Update 1 (5/27/19 @ 10:55 AM IST): New variant with 16GB storage announced for ₹4,799.

Xiaomi has taken the position of the leading smartphone brand in India and has risen to this success with devices which offer high value for money, including the glorious Redmi Note Series. While the momentum of Xiaomi’s success in India is driven by the mid-range segment, the company has stretched out its wings farther and captured the sub-10k category with the Redmi Y and the Redmi A series as well as the affordable flagship segment with its power-packed POCO F1. Now, Xiaomi is looking to take the sub-5k (sub-$100) segment with its new entry-level device, the Xiaomi Redmi Go.

Redmi Go is a smartphone for the masses in India ready to start their first smartphone journey. It is priced at only ₹4,499 ($65) and with this, Xiaomi intends to attract the consumers typically looking to buy a smart feature phone. Redmi Go runs the lightweight version of Android – Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) – which is designed for smartphones with low processing power. The lightweight operating system puts up a smooth performance even with the low-powered hardware.

The 5-inch HD display on the front with a pixel density of 296ppi ensures that users do not feel left out while consuming video content from video apps like YouTube Go, which is part of the bundle of apps optimized for Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition). Xiaomi is still sticking to the 16:9 aspect ratio but users picking their first smartphone are highly unlikely to be bothered by this.

The Redmi Go uses a Snapdragon 425 chipset and only 1GB of RAM. But despite limited resources, the device offers a smooth experience, thanks to the Go Edition of Android. You get only 8GB of storage onboard storage but it can be expanded using a dedicated microSD to up to 128GB.

For photography, the Redmi Go comes with an 8MP camera on the back with as many as 11 camera effects and a score of color filters. On the front, there’s a 5MP camera for selfies with an AI beautification mode. Both cameras support Full HD video recording and auto HDR features.

To complement the decent performance is a 3,000mAh battery which can be expected to endure at least two days. Xiaomi is claiming a good enough standby time of 10 days and saying that the battery can last up to 4.5 hours of HD video calling.

The Redmi Go will be available in India in blue and black colors starting March 22 and can be bought online via Flipkart and Mi.com as well as offline from Mi Home retail stores. Among the introductory offers, those who buy the Redmi Go will be able to reap cashbacks worth Rs 2,200 while recharging their Jio numbers.

At the price of ₹4,499 ($65), the Redmi Go dishes out a package to woo many of those looking for fresh exposure to the smartphone experience without digging a hole in their pockets. At this price, the Redmi Go certainly feels like a compelling option for those who were initially planning to buy the JioPhone 2 and should find a lot of consumers in not only tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India, but also introduce the rural users to the Redmi and Xiaomi brand name.

Xiaomi Redmi Go gets a 16GB variant

A new variant of the Redmi Go with a larger, 16GB inbuilt storage has been released by Xiaomi. It will be available online via Mi.com and Flipkart as well as offline through Xiaomi’s authorized retail stores for a price of ₹4,799. The RAM remains unchanged at 1GB.

Meanwhile, there’s no word on the Android Pie (Go) update for the Redmi Go yet.

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