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Software
- Runs MIUI 9 on top of Android Nougat
- Bloatware apps pre-installed, but some of them can be removed
The Redmi 5A uses the Xiaomi's latest MIUI 9 skin on top of Android 7.0 Nougat. Our initial experience with the phone was pretty smooth, but we have used the Redmi 4A for a long time and it tends to slow down in some functions over a period of time. Given that this one has similar hardware, you can expect the occasional slowdown after extended usage. It's better to get the 3GB RAM variant to defer lags if a user plans to use the phone for a longer time.
Furthermore, MIUI 9 impressed us with its appearance. It's neat, but it comes with some preloaded Mi apps, like Mi Store, Mi Drop, Mi Community, Mi Remote and more. Moreover, the unit we received from Xiaomi has a set of Microsoft apps, Amazon, and UC News preloaded.
Users are left with little over 8GB of storage on the phone, on the 16GB variant.
The good thing is that these apps are removable and you can get rid of unwanted bloatware to free up some space. However, some of these apps are useful for a lot of users and maybe that's the reason Xiaomi is continuing with them on all their phones.
Performance
- Runs on Snapdragon 425 SoC
- 2GB and 3GB RAM options available with 16GB and 32GB storage respectively
The Redmi 5A runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and comes in 2GB/3GB options, having 16GB and 32GB of storage respectively.
As we know, the Snapdragon 425 is a low-end chipset and there's not a lot to expect in this area. However, it can handle basic tasks like texting, calling, surfing and multimedia consumption easily. Don't expect the phone to run graphic intensive games, as it slows down a bit and there are visible frame drops.
Unsurprisingly, the 2GB variant feels smooth when you take it out of the box. It can load apps reasonably quickly, lags while switching the apps and eventually starts freezing as well over time.
You get either 16GB or 32GB storage to choose from, which is reasonable. The good part is that Xiaomi provides a dedicated SIM slot that supports up to 256GB storage, which is really impressive for a budget phone.
