This is for my mom. She is been using Redmi 4 2+16 variant for the last 5yrs. At the time of buying, we thought base variant would do. Didn't expect she would use so much that phone keeps popping up a message saying "not enough storage". After years of convincing, few months ago she started using 1 sim + memory card (till then she was using two sims), but still that's not enough as we couldn't change the storage location for some apps. She hardly has about half a dozen apps (at best less than 10 apps) other than the pre-installed ones. Other than not enough storage, it's laggy lately. I don't know if factory reset would fix that. Anyway, I have been asking her if she needs a new one for quite some time now. And now have started looking.
Prices have gone up a lot, it cost us 7k back then. It's current model (in it's line) Redmi 10 costs 10.5k. Poco C31 @ 8.5k seems decent enough for the use case. By the way, her use cases are pretty much generic.
4GB + 64GB seems like a standard variant. Obviously we would get less than 50GB of that. I don't know if I should go for higher storage variant. I am kind’a leaning towards dedicated memory slot models than hybrid and avoid going for 128GB/256GB variants.
1. Budget?
Trying to spend no more than what her use case demands. If her use case doesn't demand spending more, I don't want to spend more. It doesn't say the budget clearly. Minding the price of Redmi 10 and Poco C31, 8.5 to 10.5k are the range. So it's more like the pricing/her use case determines the budget. If wanna go for FHD display, have to spend 3k more.
2. Display type and size?
Redmi 4's 5" screen itself was big. Now all models I see are much bigger than that.
I don't know how the screen would look with the same HD resolution in a bigger screen. My guess is it would be little softer than the current one.
Few years ago FHD display models were selling under 10k. Redmi Note 11 with the same CPU (as Redmi 10), comes with FHD and that costs about 13k. Of course, it offers more than FHD for the extra 3k. At this point I am just wrestling with the idea.
3. Dual sim?
Definite yes to Dual sim. I guess all the smartphones nowadays comes with dual sim, right? Preferring 2 sim + memory slot models and not Hyrbid ones.
Using BSNL, Airtel and Jio. Dual 4G Volte. I don't know if I should bother with 5G phones. 5G launch is just around the corner and phone upgrade is not gonna happen every few years. So if I can/should go for 5G, than the phones should have good amount of bands supported.
4. Preferred choice of brand?
So far 4 smart phones in our family and 3 being Redmi (1s, 4 and Note 7 Pro) and HTC explorer. I don't see HTC in the market. So given the budget I guess I wanna stick with Redmi/POCO, the brands we are already used with. May be okay with Samsung and Motorola. Samsung for it's display and image quality from what I hear and Motorola for it's near stock android (though I don't know much about stock android). Big NO to Realme, Oppo, Vivo, solely because I don’t know much about them.
5. What camera option you want (flash, front facing camera)?
Not too keen on this section. As best as possible, I am sure all smartphones comes with some camera modules, that's enough I guess.
6. Preferred operating system? (Android, iOS,Stock Android etc).
iOS is out of the question. Android or Stock android.
7. Preferred connectivity options (Dual 4G,802.11AC/5Ghz(not 5g mobile network) wifi).
I guess all latest phones comes with 5G wifi, so yeah whatever the latest tech we can get in this budget.
BTW, heard Redmi note 11 has issues with Wifi connectivity. Not just that, Poco and Redmi phones which has refresh rates tend to be jittery even when scrolling (so I hear in reviews). If so please steer me off if I am heading that way or any such models with bugs in things we likely to use.
8. Primary use of handset (multimedia, camera, internet, gaming etc.)?
9. Any specific mobile phones in consideration?
Poco C31 - As it's the cheapest I could find (with all the above filters ON). G35 should be better than Redmi 4's CPU. At least that's what I assume after checking Antutu score of Redmi 4 (varying from 13k - 20k) vs 34k of G35. The biggest bummer I see is that it doesn't have IR blaster. She is been using IR blaster a lot, especially in the recent years. Prefer to have that, but don't want this to be a deal breaker.
Redmi 10 - Given the current pricing scenario, it's decent enough spec wise. Again no IR blaster.
Back of the head I am thinking; why not go for a small upgrade like FHD display. But then so much confusion and choices,
For FHD, gotta shell out 3k more than Redmi 10. Redmi note 11 has same CPU as Redmi 10, and review suggests performance wise it's no upgrade from Redmi note 10. Redmi Note 10S and Poco M4 Pro cost the same but higher memory and better performance as well, but they are not power efficient as SD680 of Redmi Note 11. Heck even 5G comes in that budget, Poco M4 5G.
10. Any other info that you want to share
Not buying right away. Don't know much about mobile phone market. Just want to have enough time before purchase to know about the market, models, pricing, features.
May be around independence day offer or around big billion days. There may be some models get launched between now and those offer days, don't know if I can expect Redmi 10 equivalent from Poco. I will be better prepared if I start now and can pull the trigger once I see the offers and not miss it. So the reason for starting this thread now instead of a week or two before purchase.
Back then reason for picking Redmi 4 vs 4a was full metal body. I guess today not many or no phones in this price range comes with full metal body, right? If there is any let me know.
Single speaker vs dual speaker, how big would be difference. Is it big enough to be a deal breaker?
Prices have gone up a lot, it cost us 7k back then. It's current model (in it's line) Redmi 10 costs 10.5k. Poco C31 @ 8.5k seems decent enough for the use case. By the way, her use cases are pretty much generic.
- Good call quality (Network reception, Wifi for internet) and a good messaging app.
- Nice/decent user interface (I guess MIUI should do, but some of the reviews suggested that recent MIUIs have bugs)
- Whatsapp, Google meet like apps
- Ola, UBER, Google Map like apps
- Youtube and some OTT apps
- Browser
4GB + 64GB seems like a standard variant. Obviously we would get less than 50GB of that. I don't know if I should go for higher storage variant. I am kind’a leaning towards dedicated memory slot models than hybrid and avoid going for 128GB/256GB variants.
1. Budget?
Trying to spend no more than what her use case demands. If her use case doesn't demand spending more, I don't want to spend more. It doesn't say the budget clearly. Minding the price of Redmi 10 and Poco C31, 8.5 to 10.5k are the range. So it's more like the pricing/her use case determines the budget. If wanna go for FHD display, have to spend 3k more.
2. Display type and size?
Redmi 4's 5" screen itself was big. Now all models I see are much bigger than that.
I don't know how the screen would look with the same HD resolution in a bigger screen. My guess is it would be little softer than the current one.
Few years ago FHD display models were selling under 10k. Redmi Note 11 with the same CPU (as Redmi 10), comes with FHD and that costs about 13k. Of course, it offers more than FHD for the extra 3k. At this point I am just wrestling with the idea.
3. Dual sim?
Definite yes to Dual sim. I guess all the smartphones nowadays comes with dual sim, right? Preferring 2 sim + memory slot models and not Hyrbid ones.
Using BSNL, Airtel and Jio. Dual 4G Volte. I don't know if I should bother with 5G phones. 5G launch is just around the corner and phone upgrade is not gonna happen every few years. So if I can/should go for 5G, than the phones should have good amount of bands supported.
4. Preferred choice of brand?
So far 4 smart phones in our family and 3 being Redmi (1s, 4 and Note 7 Pro) and HTC explorer. I don't see HTC in the market. So given the budget I guess I wanna stick with Redmi/POCO, the brands we are already used with. May be okay with Samsung and Motorola. Samsung for it's display and image quality from what I hear and Motorola for it's near stock android (though I don't know much about stock android). Big NO to Realme, Oppo, Vivo, solely because I don’t know much about them.
5. What camera option you want (flash, front facing camera)?
Not too keen on this section. As best as possible, I am sure all smartphones comes with some camera modules, that's enough I guess.
6. Preferred operating system? (Android, iOS,Stock Android etc).
iOS is out of the question. Android or Stock android.
7. Preferred connectivity options (Dual 4G,802.11AC/5Ghz(not 5g mobile network) wifi).
I guess all latest phones comes with 5G wifi, so yeah whatever the latest tech we can get in this budget.
BTW, heard Redmi note 11 has issues with Wifi connectivity. Not just that, Poco and Redmi phones which has refresh rates tend to be jittery even when scrolling (so I hear in reviews). If so please steer me off if I am heading that way or any such models with bugs in things we likely to use.
8. Primary use of handset (multimedia, camera, internet, gaming etc.)?
- Good call quality (Network reception, Wifi for internet) and a good messaging app.
- Nice/decent user interface (I guess MIUI should do, but some of the reviews suggested that recent MIUIs have bugs)
- Whatsapp, Google meet like apps
- Ola, UBER, Google Map like apps
- Youtube and some OTT apps
- Browser
9. Any specific mobile phones in consideration?
Poco C31 - As it's the cheapest I could find (with all the above filters ON). G35 should be better than Redmi 4's CPU. At least that's what I assume after checking Antutu score of Redmi 4 (varying from 13k - 20k) vs 34k of G35. The biggest bummer I see is that it doesn't have IR blaster. She is been using IR blaster a lot, especially in the recent years. Prefer to have that, but don't want this to be a deal breaker.
Redmi 10 - Given the current pricing scenario, it's decent enough spec wise. Again no IR blaster.
Back of the head I am thinking; why not go for a small upgrade like FHD display. But then so much confusion and choices,
For FHD, gotta shell out 3k more than Redmi 10. Redmi note 11 has same CPU as Redmi 10, and review suggests performance wise it's no upgrade from Redmi note 10. Redmi Note 10S and Poco M4 Pro cost the same but higher memory and better performance as well, but they are not power efficient as SD680 of Redmi Note 11. Heck even 5G comes in that budget, Poco M4 5G.
10. Any other info that you want to share
Not buying right away. Don't know much about mobile phone market. Just want to have enough time before purchase to know about the market, models, pricing, features.
May be around independence day offer or around big billion days. There may be some models get launched between now and those offer days, don't know if I can expect Redmi 10 equivalent from Poco. I will be better prepared if I start now and can pull the trigger once I see the offers and not miss it. So the reason for starting this thread now instead of a week or two before purchase.
Back then reason for picking Redmi 4 vs 4a was full metal body. I guess today not many or no phones in this price range comes with full metal body, right? If there is any let me know.
Single speaker vs dual speaker, how big would be difference. Is it big enough to be a deal breaker?
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