The ‘premiumization” of the budget smartphone segment led to the 
Redmi A4 5G primary camera daylight and low-light camera samples (tap images to expand)
The 5-megapixel selfies offer passable quality in daylight with decent edge detection and visible noise. Portrait mode photos captured with the primary camera appear sharp but with blown-out backgrounds, which was also a problem with the selfie camera.
Redmi A4 5G selfie camera sample (tap image to expand)
Low-light photos from both cameras are not usable as they lack texture and detail, appearing mostly flat. The phone maxes out at 1080p (30 fps) when recording video. It does not pack in much detail or resolution with visible noise and is also quite shaky when panning.
Battery life is average for your entry-level smartphone, managing 19 hours and 32 minutes in our video loop test. In day-to-day usage, the phone lasted a whole day and a bit more because I was mainly limited to casual use given its gaming and camera capabilities. The device took about 2 hours to charge using the 33W charger provided in the box, which is capped at 18W.
Redmi A4 5G Verdict
Xiaomi has proved its point that it is possible to deliver a 5G smartphone under Rs. 9,000. However, the big condition here is 5G connectivity, because it only supports Jio’s standalone network. If you are an Airtel subscriber, then you can forget about the phone’s USP as it will only connect to 4G networks offered by the operator.
A power user who runs numerous apps, multitasks, and demands a quality camera and exceptional battery life may not find the Redmi A4 5G exciting. The phone mainly caters to a first-time smartphone user who’s needs are limited to calling and basic social media usage.
Keeping this in mind, Xiaomi’s Redmi A4 5G does things a bit differently by packing all the essentials into an attractive form factor. It seems like an attractive phone if you are on a tight budget and cannot spend over Rs. 9,000. Alternatively, Motorola also offers its Moto G35 5G (Review) at an additional Rs. 2,000, which offers better hardware and a bit more power.
