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Verdict
With the entry of more and more competitors to western markets from China, the budget smartphone race is quickly heating up. What would have been acceptable a mere year ago no longer cuts it, as manufacturers are being pushed further and further to produce value for money.
In this context, the Redmi 7A is a definite success story for Xiaomi. It has brilliant battery life, decent performance for the most part and a number of little quality-of-life adjustments which make it a general pleasure to use.
It isn’t without its quirks, the MIUI software provides many solutions in search of problems, and the lack of NFC is disappointing, as is the slow face unlock necessitated by the lack of a fingerprint scanner. The camera too is typical of the price point, and lacks dynamic range in particular.
However, even when compared with the competition, this is a handset which offers compelling value for the price, and as such should be in the sights of anyone looking for the utmost bang for their buck when buying a smartphone.
Who’s this for?
The Xiaomi Redmi 7A is specifically targeted at those for whom £100 (roughly $125/AU$180) is the absolute ceiling for a mobile phone purchase, and for that group it is undoubtedly an almost perfect fit. It would serve well too for those who value battery life above all else, and for those looking for a backup phone.
It isn’t designed to serve power users well, or those who value high-intensity mobile gaming.
Should you buy it?
If you have a limited budget and are looking for absolute bang-for-buck, you should look no further than the Xiaomi Redmi 7A.
First reviewed: September 2019
