Display and Processor
The display is same in both Xiaomi Redmi 2 and Redmi 1S, which is a good thing. We did like the 720p HD display of Xiaomi Redmi 1S which has been sourced from sharp technologies. “If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it”, seems to be the Xiaomi mantra here. With the smartphone world transitioning to 64 bit computing, it makes sense for Xiaomi to include 64 bit SoCs in all next generation products, especially considering the fact that the company has long launch cycles. The Xiaomi Redmi 1S is powered by 1.6 GHz Snapdragon 400 chipset, while the Redmi 2 features its 64 bit equivalent, Snapdragon 410 clocked at slightly lower frequency of 1.2 GHz, with 4G LTE supported. Both smartphones have 1 GB RAM for smooth multitasking.
Camera and Internal Storage
Xiaomi Redmi 1S has a very decent 8 MP rear shooter with large 1.4 micrometer pixels capable of full HD video recording. Redmi 2 leaves this part unchanged as well. The front camera sensor has been marginally increased from 1.6 MP to 2 MP. In Both smartphones, internal storage is 8 GB and can be further expanded to 32 GB using MicroSD card support. The storage is good enough in this price range.
Battery and Other Features
Xiaomi Redmi 1S ships with 2050 mAh battery. Redmi 2 on the other hand has a slightly bigger 2200 mAh battery. With 4G LTE supported on Redmi 2, an even larger battery would have been better. With power efficient 64 bit architecture and Android 4.4 kitkat based ROM, we expect the better backup to improve. Xiaomi Redmi 1S is presently running Android 4.3 jelly bean with MIUI 5 on top, while Redmi 2 will have Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI6 on top. Xiaomi has confirmed Android 5.0 Lollipop based ROM for all Xiaomi devices.
Key Specs
Conclusion
Xiaomi Redmi 2 improves on build quality as well. It will be available in multi color options and also occupies smaller foot print when compared to Redmi 1S. Redmi 2 improves and updates Redmi 1S and enables it to face upcoming competition in 2015. On paper, Redmi 2 seems to be a decent improvement over its predecessor, following the same principles.
