Available for ₹14,999, the Mi A1 is a truly remarkable product that gets all the basics right. The phone has a unibody aluminum design that gives it an upmarket look, with antenna lines tucked at the top and bottom.Under the hood, you get a 2.0GHz Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, microSD slot, and a 3080mAh battery that charges over USB-C. One of the main highlights of the phone is dual 12MP rear cameras, with a wide-angle lens augmented by a secondary telephoto lens.Then there's the fact that the Mi A1 is based on the Android One platform. Running an uncluttered software makes the device an absolute delight to use on a day-to-day basis, and gives the Mi A1 a leg up in this category.Bottom line: The Mi A1 is the best budget phone currently available in India, and that isn't likely to change for a while.One more thing: Xiaomi is guaranteeing to roll out Android 8.0 Oreo to the device before the end of the year.
Why the Xiaomi Mi A1 is the best
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The Mi A1 has all the hallmarks of a Xiaomi device: great internal hardware, premium design, and outstanding value for money. Combine that with Google software and you get the best phone in the budget segment.
The Mi A1 gets everything right: it has a 5.5-inch Full HD panel, and is powered by the Snapdragon 625 platform. It also comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage as standard, and even has a dual camera setup at the back.
Then there's the 3080mAh battery, which provides a day's worth of usage from a full charge without breaking a sweat. With the phone sold under the Android One initiative, you get the promise of quick updates and a clean user interface that's unmarred by any customizations.
The Mi A1 is the perfect budget phone.
All this for just ₹14,999 makes the Mi A1 the deal of the year, and the phone to beat in this segment. Of course, with every new launch the bar kees getting high, but it's hard to see how phones in this category can get any better.
There isn't a single drawback with the Mi A1, with the phone holding its ground against the likes of the Moto G5S Plus and the Redmi Note 4 in every single area.
The phone offers the best cameras in this segment, with the quality of the primary sensor on par with the Mi 6, a device that costs over double that of the Mi A1.
Xiaomi will be handling updates to the phone, and in the two months it has been on sale, the device has picked up two security patches. As such, the Mi A1 is guaranteed to receive updates ahead of every other phone in this segment, with Android 8.0 Oreo set to roll out before the end of the year.
Xiaomi Mi A1 review: Best of both worlds
The Redmi Note 4 is the best-selling phone in India this year, and it isn't hard to see why. The phone gets a lot of things right, including a massive 4100mAh battery that makes it the best device in this segment when it comes to battery life.You're guaranteed two days' worth of battery life from a full charge, with screen-on-time hitting the ten-hour mark consistently. Elsewhere, the phone comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD panel, Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3GB/4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB of storage, and a 13MP rear camera.Best of all, Xiaomi reduced the price of the Redmi Note 4 recently, with the 4GB variant now available for just ₹11,999. That's a no-brainer considering the hardware on offer.Bottom line: A year after its release, the Redmi Note 4 continues to be one of the best options in the budget category.One more thing: The phone has received the MIUI 9 update, bringing a host of new features.
Xiaomi's 6.44-inch Mi Max 2 is the ideal device for consuming multimedia. The 1080p panel is certainly the largest in this segment, but as we've seen with the first-gen Mi Max, there is an audience for large-screen devices with huge batteries.The ₹15,999 Mi Max 2 is catered to that audience.The 5300mAh battery ensures that the device lasts at least a day and a half even with heavy usage, and you can stream movies or browse the web with the confidence that you'll get an average screen-on-time in excess of eight hours.The internal hardware isn't all that shabby either, with the Mi Max 2 offering 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, 12MP camera, and a 5MP front camera. Powering it all is a Snapdragon 625 chipset.Bottom line: If you're looking for a phone with a massive screen and huge battery, you cannot go wrong with the Mi Max 2.One more thing: Mi Max 2 is great for multitasking thanks to MIUI's split-screen mode.
Samsung usually has no trouble selling tens of millions of underwhelming Galaxy J devices, but with the likes of Xiaomi breathing down its neck, the South Korean manufacturer raised its game considerably this year.Featuring a 5.5-inch FHD display, Exynos 7870 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, 13MP rear and front cameras, and a 2600mAh battery, the J7 Pro has it all. It even comes with Samsung Pay.The phone is the costliest on this list at ₹19,990, but should you face any issues with the phone, you can rely on Samsung's robust after-sales network across India. Samsung continues to lead the way for after-sales service, and if that is a major consideration for you then the J7 Pro is the device to get.Bottom line: The Galaxy J7 Pro is one of the most feature-rich budget devices Samsung has launched in recent years.One more thing: If you use your credit or debit card a lot at retail outlets, you'll love the convenience on offer with Samsung Pay.
Conclusion
If there's one defining trend for 2017, it's Xiaomi's dominance in the budget segment. The company has launched eight devices in the country over the course of the year, each offering a differentiated feature aimed at a particular audience.
With the Mi A1, Xiaomi is targeting those looking for a clutter-free software experience and fast updates. If you want an all-rounder with a premium aluminum design, dual rear cameras, and clean software, look no further than the Mi A1.
Available for ₹14,999, the Mi A1 is a truly remarkable product that gets all the basics right. The phone has a unibody aluminum design that gives it an upmarket look, with antenna lines tucked at the top and bottom.Under the hood, you get a 2.0GHz Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, microSD slot, and a 3080mAh battery that charges over USB-C. One of the main highlights of the phone is dual 12MP rear cameras, with a wide-angle lens augmented by a secondary telephoto lens.Then there's the fact that the Mi A1 is based on the Android One platform. Running an uncluttered software makes the device an absolute delight to use on a day-to-day basis, and gives the Mi A1 a leg up in this category.Bottom line: The Mi A1 is the best budget phone currently available in India, and that isn't likely to change for a while.One more thing: Xiaomi is guaranteeing to roll out Android 8.0 Oreo to the device before the end of the year.
