It is always difficult to find a good phone under Rs 10,000. First of all, there aren’t enough options to choose from in the price range. And the options available often fall short even on the basics. Sure, you can make calls, send texts, or click photos, but the overall user experience suffers from lag, and isn’t as expected. However, the new Redmi A4 5G is a breath of fresh air in this category. Priced at just Rs 8,499 in India, this phone has the potential to really create a stir in the under Rs 10,000 segment. The smartphone gets so many things right that if someone asked me now, I would easily recommend the Redmi A4 5G. Read India Today tech review for every good and bad thing the phone has to offer.

Design and performance

As soon as I unboxed the Redmi A4 5G, I had to double-check the price tag. Less than Rs. 10,000? No way! In fact, its design is very similar to another flagship phone I tested recently. For a budget phone, the Redmi A4 5G’s design stands out, especially its circular camera module. The camera module has four spots, but before you confuse it for a quad camera setup, let me tell you that, only two of these are actually working sensors, one is for the LED flash, and the fourth Just a dummy for aesthetics.

The back panel of the phone is made of polycarbonate. It feels solid and well built – not cheap at all. The phone comes in Sparkle Purple and Starry Black variants. I received Purple for review and it looks amazing. The phone is sleek, but its larger display also means the device’s form factor is a bit larger. This is a good thing for most people, especially those who like to watch a lot of video content on their phone, but if you have small hands, it may feel a little cumbersome to hold.

Redmi A4 5G has a 6.88-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1640×720 pixels. Although it’s not a Full HD panel, the screen quality is impressive for the price. Colors are vibrant, and the 600-nit peak brightness ensures that content remains visible even outdoors, although you may need to shield the screen under direct sunlight for legibility.

What makes the display stand out is its 120Hz refresh rate, a feature rarely seen in this segment. Scrolling through social media feeds and web pages feels effortless. It almost feels like you’re using a much more expensive phone. It also has a 240Hz touch sampling rate, which makes the screen more responsive to touch input. Watching videos or playing casual games on this display is a pleasure. Plus, it’s TœV-certified for low blue light and flicker-free viewing, meaning it’s easy on the eyes — a blessing for someone like me who spends hours staring at a screen.

The display has a water drop notch, which is definitely dated but it is not distracting, as the 90 percent screen-to-body ratio of the display draws more attention which gives it a premium look. As far as security is concerned, the phone comes with IP52 rating, which means it can withstand minor splashes and dust. Although it’s not completely waterproof, it’s good to know that it can handle the occasional leak.

Performance and UI

Under the hood, the Redmi A4 5G has a Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset – which is rare in a phone priced under Rs 10,000. Many phones in this price range are based on MediaTek Helio processor. During use, I found that this phone handles everyday tasks easily. Be it browsing, using multiple apps, or streaming videos, the performance is smooth and lag-free.

I tested the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, which also supports 4GB virtual RAM. For a budget phone, it multitasks surprisingly well. Switching between apps and loading games was quick, although heavier games like Call of Duty: Mobile required lower settings for a good experience. The phone got a little warm after 10 minutes of gaming but casual games like Subway Surfers ran smoothly.

The Redmi A4 5G runs on Xiaomi’s latest custom UI, HyperOS, based on Android 14. The interface is clean and responsive with lots of customization options. Bloatware is minimal, and pre-installed apps can even be uninstalled as needed.

Xiaomi promises 2 years of OS updates and 4 years of security updates, which is reassuring for a phone in this segment. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate, which adds an extra layer of security.

camera display

The Redmi A4 5G comes with a dual-camera setup that houses a 50-megapixel primary sensor and an LED flash. In good lighting, the camera produces sharp and vibrant photos. Landscapes and close-ups are detailed, and colors, though a little oversaturated, make images attractive. Portrait shots, like the ones I took of my coworkers, turn out well with good background separation.

However, camera performance degrades in low light. There is noticeable noise in the images, although Night mode does a good job of improving clarity and maintaining detail. It’s not flagship level performance, but it’s more than enough for casual photography.

There is a 5 megapixel selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture on the front. Selfies are just fine – they lack sharpness and look a little soft compared to higher-end phones. That said, for quick snaps or video calls, it gets the job done well.

Both the front and rear cameras of the phone can shoot 1080p video at 30fps. The videos I captured were stable and good for everyday use, but they weren’t something I could rely on for professional content creation.

(itg:tech-photo)

Battery

The battery of Redmi A4 5G is one of its best features. With moderate usage – which includes social media browsing, video streaming, and some gaming – its 5,160mAh battery easily lasts a whole day. Even after heavy usage, I did not have to struggle for a charger again and again.

The phone supports 18W fast charging but comes with a 33W charger in the box. Although it’s not very fast, it’s a welcome inclusion at this price. A full charge takes just over two hours, but a quick 30-minute top-up gives you enough juice for several hours of use.

Audio and Connectivity

The Redmi A4 5G has a mono speaker, which is loud enough for casual use but lacks depth. Thankfully, it retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is becoming a rarity these days. Audio quality through wired earphones is good.

Connectivity is another strong point. The phone supports multiple 5G bands. While we were able to run Vodafone and Jio 5G networks on the device, we found that it does not support Airtel 5G network. Other connectivity features include dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0, both of which worked seamlessly during my testing.

Should you buy Redmi A4 5G?

Absolutely. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly 5G phone that doesn’t feel cheap, the Redmi A4 5G is an easy choice. Xiaomi has really set a new benchmark for what an entry-level smartphone can offer. The Redmi A4 5G is a solid performer that punches well above its weight. With its premium design, smooth display, reliable performance and long-lasting battery, it’s hard to believe that it costs less than Rs 10,000. Yes, it has its limitations – the front camera and HD+ display being the main ones – but those are little compromises compared to everything else the phone has to offer.