News & Reviews:   Xiaomi Redmi 2

The entry-level to midrange smartphone market in Malaysia is quickly becoming crowded with quite a lot of choices for around RM600. While it isn't too difficult to find a smartphone within this price range with a phablet sized 5.5-inch display finding one that combines the best value with good build quality and attention to detail is still fairly hard. Our previous preview with the Honor 4X revealed that it could well be one of  these phones but in our full review below we make sure if the Honor 4X is really worthy of your money and attention so check it out below.

The Mi Fan Festival is starting today with various games, discounts and deals for Xiaomi or Mi Malaysia products. As stated earlier the Mi Fan Festival discounts will start from 10.00am to 10.00pm on 8 April 2015 while stocks last and the new Mi products will be put on sale at 12pm and 8pm. Discount coupons won from the Give Mi Five game can also be used except for the Redmi 2, Redmi Note 4G and Mi Pad. In addition, new deals and products are also available like the 30% PayPal discount and the Mi Headphones going for just RM319.

In conjunction with their upcoming Mi Fan Festival on 8 April 2015, Xiaomi have also announced new products including the Xiaomi Redmi 2A for RMB 599 (RM357) but as an added bonus they will also cut this price down to RMB 499 (RM298) during the Mi Fan Festival. While the Redmi 2A shares the same 4.7-inch screen and looks as the Xiaomi Redmi 2, it will use a different processor and somewhat cut-down tech specs which you can see below. Xiaomi also announced the Mi Note Pink Edition smartphone along with the Mi TV 2 55”, Mi Power Strip and Mi Smart Scale. No news on Malaysia release dates or pricing for either the Redmi 2A or the Mi Note Pink Edition yet, but we don't think it will be available for the Mi Fan Festival here in Malaysia just yet.

• Xiaomi Redmi 2A 
• 1.5GHz Leadcore L1860C processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB storage
• 4.7-inch display (1280 x 720 pixel resolution)
• 8MP rear camera, 5-element lens
• supports TD-LTE bands only
• 2200mAh battery
• RMB 599 (RMB 499 one day Mi Fan Festival offer)

• Mi Note Pink Edition
• Snapdragon 801
• 3GB RAM
• 16GB flash
• 5.7-inch Full HD display (3D curved Gorilla Glass 3 with metal frame)
• 13MP rear camera (OIS, f/2.0) + 4MP front camera (large 2-micron pixels sensor)
• supports 4G Dual SIM
• RMB 2499 (Comes with a 5000 mAh power bank)

Xiaomi recently announced that their Mi Fan Festival would be held on 8 April 2015 to celebrate the company's 5th birthday due on 6 April 2015. In conjunction with this, Mi Malaysia will be offering existing and new Mi products for 8 April 2015 at 12pm and 8pm. Mi Malaysia fans can also enjoy up to 90% discounts and may also use the the coupons won from playing Xiaomi’s Give Mi Five game for further discounts. These products will include the following:

• Xiaomi Redmi 2 (Dark Grey) - RM449
• Mi Power Bank 5000 mAh (Red) - RM40
• Mi LED Light (Available in blue or white) - RM16
• Mi Band Strap (Available in blue or yellow) - RM16
• Mi Phone Stand (Moo Cow Blue) - RM10
• Teddy Mi Bunny 25cm (Available in brown or pink) - RM34

Xiaomi Malaysia recently announced that only one device in their range of products available will be affected by the impending implementation of GST. This device would be the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4Gwhich goes to RM625. All other products like the Redmi 2, Mi Pad, Mi Band and various Mi Power Banks or Headphones will stay with the same pricing as before. This also means that the Redmi Note 4G will be available for RM589 from now till 11:59pm, 31 March 2015 so if you've been planning to buy the Redmi Note 4G, now is the time to get it. Asides from 4G LTE, the Redmi Note 4G offers tech specs that include a Snapdragon 400 processor, 5.5-inch display, 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera.

A cut-down version of the Xiaomi Redmi 2 smartphone could soon be coming to the masses as both tech specs and a picture in orange were recently leaked. The picture reveals a backside that looks a lot like the Xiaomi Redmi 2 but the tech specs reveal a different picture. While the 4.7-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution remains the same, this new budget smartphone is powered by a quad-core Lead Core LCI LC1860C processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and 4G LTE Cat 4 support. While there are no pricing details or Malaysia release dates, the lowest price Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said a phone would be released at is $64, indicating that this new smartphone could be $65 (RM241). But then again, the 13MP rear camera could indicate that this is a higher-end smartphone than the Redmi 2 with an equally higher-end price tag. Stay tuned for more developments.

Xiaomi Malaysia has officially announced the Xiaomi Redmi 2 for RM449. It will be available in Malaysia from 17 March 2015 at 12 noon via the usual Mi Malaysia site. Donovan Sung, Director of Product Management, Xiaomi Global was on hand to show off the highlights of the Redmi 2 smartphone. Notable stand out features include dual standby 4G LTE, the new 64-bit Snapdragon 401 processor, MIUI 6 and a more compact, slimmer and thinner design compared to the Redmi 1S. Check out the full tech specs for the Xiaomi Redmi 2 below:

• 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 401 processor 
• Adreno 306 graphics processor
• 1GB RAM8GB storage
• 4.7-inch display (IPS, 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, AGC Dragontrail Glass, fully laminated)
• 8MP rear camera (autofocus, LED flash, 1.4 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR) + 2MP front camera
• supports Dual SIM (4G LTE dual standby, microSIM), Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS
• features FM Radio, fast battery charging (Quick Charge 1.0), active noise cancellation with dedicated mics
• 134 x 67.2 x 9.4 mm | 133g
• 2200 mAh battery
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat + MIUI 6.0

While we've already covered the new and improved Xiaomi Redmi 2 with a review, unboxing and hands-on videos, it seems like another variation of the Redmi 2 could be coming soon. According to reports, this new Redmi 2 could be called the Xiaomi Redmi 2 Enhanced Edition and features 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage. Other tech specs like the 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor, 4.7-inch 720p display, 2200 mAh battery and 8MP rear camera are expected to remain the same though. Will we see it in Malaysia? Probably, but if it ever does come officially it will likely come as the Xiaomi Redmi 2S. Many industry watchers say that this 2GB RAM version is in response to the 2GB RAM Meizu M1 but no one knows that for sure. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, but the 1GB RAM version Redmi 2 is already available unofficially here in Malaysia for around RM448 or so.

When the Xiaomi Redmi 1S first arrived in Malaysia it really stirred up the market by delivering a 4.7-inch display smartphone with good features at very good value. The Xiaomi Redmi 2 is the continuation of that but now brings features like a 64-bit processor and dual SIM 4G LTE for around the same price. Does the Redmi 2 manage to improve on things from it's Redmi 1S predecessor? Check out our full review of the Xiaomi Redmi 2 below to find out. Updated: Includes Xiaomi Malaysia Redmi 2 smartphone. 

Taking over from the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is the Xiaomi Redmi 2 smartphone with a new 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor that supports 4G LTE connectivity. Currently available on offer from third-party sellers like SatuGadgetDotCom and DirectD for as low as RM448 the Redmi 2 has yet to officially arrive here in Malaysia. If you're interested in seeing the differences, feel free to check out our Xiaomi Redmi 1S vs Xiaomi Redmi 2 tech specs and features comparison tool or check out the video for yourself in this article.