Xiaomi ‘s Redmi 5, successor to last year’s Redmi 4 goes on sale in India on March 20, which is tomorrow. Unlike the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro which sport a slightly bigger display coupled with better processors on board, the Redmi 5 series is the more budget friendly one. It has a starting price of Rs 7,999 in the Indian market. So how does the Redmi 5 compare to the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro? We explain below.

Redmi 5: Specifications, Features and Price in India

Redmi 5 might be a budget smartphone with a starting price of Rs 7,999, but that does not mean the specifications are poor. Xiaomi has stuck with the metal unibody design similar to the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Just like the higher-end Redmi Note 5 series, Redmi 5 also comes with a bigger 5.7-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. However, the display resolution is still HD+, which is 1440 x 720 pixels. The older Redmi 4 phone also came with a HD resolution display. The 18:9 aspect ratio means that Redmi 5 has thinner bezels on the side coupled with in-display buttons, unlike last year’s Redmi 4, which had a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.For those who want a Xiaomi phone under Rs 8000 with the newer display, Redmi 5 is one such option in the market. Redmi 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, which is an octa-core one with 14nm FinFET technology design. Xiaomi is claiming superior performance and battery life on this. Whether Redmi 5 delivers on these is something we will have to wait and see after we test out the device.

Redmi 5 will come in three variants, unlike the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro which have been introduced in only two versions. It will have 2GB+16GB, 3GB+32GB or 4GB+64GB RAM and storage combinations and prices for the three variants are Rs 7,999, Rs 8,999 and Rs 10,999 respectively. The microSD slot support is 128GB, but Xiaomi has gone for a hybrid dual-SIM slot with the Redmi 5 series.

Battery on the Redmi 5 is 3300 mAh with Xiaomi claiming a day’s worth of usage on this. However, the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro sport bigger 4000 mAh batteries, so it remains to be seen if the Redmi 5 performs just as well or not. Coming to the camera, Redmi 5 has 12MP rear camera and 5MP front camera with selfie LED flash.

Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro review: Faster performance coupled with better cameras

In terms of OS, Redmi 5 is on Android Nougat 7.1.2 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 9 on top. The Redmi 5 series continues with a micro-USB port for charging. The company is also including a free plastic cover for the phone in the box. The USP with the Redmi 5 is the price and the improved display. However, for those who want faster performance or a dual-rear camera, Redmi Note 5 series is the one to consider.

Redmi Note 5: Specifications, Features and Price in India

Redmi Note 5 comes with a slightly bigger 5.99-inch FHD+ display (2160×1080 pixels in resolution). Redmi Note 5 looks very different from the front compared to the previous Redmi Note 4. This is because Redmi Note 5 also has an 18:9 aspect ratio display with thin bezels on the side, and in-screen buttons similar to Redmi 5.

Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 review: At Rs 9,999, the new budget smartphone to beat

However, Redmi Note 5 continues with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor as last year’s Redmi Note 4 smartphone. The phone comes in two variants only this time: 3GB RAM+32GB and 4GB RAM+64GB storage. The microSD card slot support is 128GB. The rear camera on the Redmi Note 5 is  12MP and an improvement over last year’s, though low-light performance is not that exceptional as we noted in our review. The front camera remains 5MP, but there is a Selfie LED light.

Battery on Redmi Note 5 is 4,000 mAh battery. The phone runs MIUI 9.2 with Android Nougat 7.1.2. Xiaomi has not confirmed when it will roll out an Android Oreo update for the newer smartphone. Redmi Note 5’s price in India is Rs 9,999 for 3GB RAM base variant and Rs 11,999 for 4GB RAM version. Redmi Note 5 is for those who can pay more and expect a little extra from their smartphone when it comes to performance. Redmi Note 5 goes on sale on March 21 on Mi.com and Flipkart at 12pm.

Redmi Note 5 Pro: Specifications, Features and Price in India

Redmi Note 5 Pro is the most expensive in the list of Redmi phones that the company has ever launched in India. It also comes with an improved processor and dual-rear camera feature that has become popular in the smartphone world. This is also the first Redmi phone to come with a 6GB RAM option.

Redmi Note 5 Pro also comes with a new dual rear camera. Xiaomi has used a 12MP+5MP camera setup though both are RGB sensors. The front camera is 20MP with LED flash. The smartphone supports bokeh/Portrait mode on both the front and rear camera. The company has also rolled out Face Recognition feature to unlock the Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, the phone also comes with a fingerprint scanner at the back.

On the battery front, Redmi Note 5 Pro continues with the same 4000 mAh one see on the regular Redmi Note 4. There is no fast-charging or Type-C port on the Pro variant either. The OS on the Redmi Note 5 Pro is MIUI 9 with Android Nougat 7.1.2. Redmi Note 5 Pro is on sale on Flipkart and Mi.com and next sale takes place on March 21 at 12 pm. The phone has also been made available in offline stores. This smartphone is meant for those with a budget of under Rs 15,000, and want all the latest features that Xiaomi has to offer.