Redmi 7A review: an entry-level smartphone with large battery capacity and cheap price

Redmi 7A: highlights

Here are the main highlights of the Redmi 7A.

● 5.45-inch HD+ display

● Snapdragon 439 chipset

● 2GB + 16GB / 3GB + 32GB

● Android 9.0 Pie based MIUI

● 13MP back camera

●  5MP front camera

● Face Unlock

● 4000mAh battery

Redmi 7A: specs

First, let's take a quick look at the main specs of the Redmi 7A.

Redmi 7A: hardware and software

The Redmi 7A runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 chipset, which is a low mid-tier 64-bit ARM LTE system using a 12 nanometer design promising the support of speedy downloads and uploads, graphics and photos and more — and all on a power-saving base.

The CPU uses the Qualcomm Adreno 505 GPU for gaming and Qualcomm Aqstic audio technology for sound.

As one would expect with such a low price tag, the Redmi 7A doesn't come with much RAM: you get a choice of 2GB and 3GB of RAM, which can be paired with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. With that, you can expand the storage with up to 256GB on a micro SD card.

On the software-side, the Redmi 7A runs on the Android 9.0 Pie based MIUI. Connectivity options on the Redmi 7A include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth v4.20 and and Micro-USB. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack onboard as well, which means more savings as you won't need to purchase additional adapters, accessories or pricey wireless earbuds.

Redmi 7A: design and display

The Redmi 7A comes with a nice 5.45-inch HD+ display (1440 x 720 pixels) featuring an aspect ratio of 18:9. The one thing that is instantly eye-catching in the phone's design is that it doesn't come with a notch, a fancy cut-out or a motorized mechanism to house the front cam. Instead, it sits right there in plain sight on a rather thick upper panel. Yep, the Redmi 7A does not follow the trend of restructuring its looks to make more room for more display. Instead, the phone comes with sizeable bezels, a forehead and a chin – which can be refreshing for some and disappointing for others.

As for us, we consider this a reasonable approach to take considering the phone's price — and if you are looking for the full-screen display, you will find plenty of options among Xiaomi's other devices.

It looks like the Redmi 7A will come in blue and black shades for the back panel. The phone is said to measure 5.7 x 2.7 x 0.38 inches and weigh just 150 grams.

Redmi 7A: cameras and Face Unlock

We wouldn't expect prime camera performance on a phone in this price range but the Redmi 7A still manages to do quite well for itself in the camera department. The phone comes with a 13MP sensor on the back complemented by a single LED flash for a better performance in poor lighting. There are AI algorithms onboard as well to improve final images. On the front, the phone is said to come with a 5MP selfie snapper with AI beauty enhancements and a background bokeh effect. AI Face Unlock is also promised to be onboard — an impressive feature to have for the price.

Redmi 7A: 4000mAh battery

The Redmi 7A gets a 4000mAh battery, which, according to Xiaomi, is 33% larger than the one on the Redmi 6A. The company has also mentioned that the phone will be shipped with a 10W in-box charger compared to the 5W charger paired with the previous model. The battery should easily give you enough juice for several days — especially taking into account the smaller screen and power-efficient processor.

Redmi 7A: the verdict

We are definitely looking forward to learning more about the phone but we surely like what we are seeing so far. Time and time again, Xiaomi manage to pack in very decent functionality and solid design into a very budget-friendly package. The exact price for the Redmi 7A has been officially announced on May 28^th, which starts from 549 yuan (about $80).