Friends+Design
- Unlike earlier entry-level Xiaomi phones, this one packs a trendy thin-bezel, tear-drop notch design
- Excellent construction and tactile feedback
- The matte finish at the back feels reassuring in the hands, and gives a good grip to the phone
- Fairly manageable weight-wise at 188g, which is commendable since it packs a large 5000 mAh battery
- Splash resistant
- Xiaomi has added a Redmi logo on the lower bezel and that feels like a bit of an overkill given there is Redmi already engraved on the back
- Face unlock is a bit slow/inconsistent at times (and there is no fingerprint sensor)
Display
- Good, vivid display - one of the better ones in the entry segment - watching movies is an enjoyable experience
- Packs Gorilla glass 5 protection, which is a huge bonus in this price segment
Software
- MIUI is a pretty refined and feature packed Android skin - some of the key add-ons include dual apps, second space, in-built call recording and the option to tweak the app icons
- It's of course not as simple and clean as stock (or stock-like) Android phones - very few custom skins are - and like other recent Xiaomi phones, does have plenty of ads (you can disable them though)
Performance
- Dependable performance backed by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 octa core processor - daily use is pretty smooth (though of course this phone is not really meant for high-end PUBG sort of gaming)
Camera
- Pretty decent camera quality (front and back) for the price bracket
- Daylight shots come out reasonably well in bright conditions - AI & HDR help in other conditions
- Thanks to Dual PD auto focus, it can focus on objects quickly
- Macro shots are good with good amount of details
- Portrait mode is decent too
- The 8-megapixel front camera is ok too - portrait for front camera uses software-based blur, and the edge detection is decent
- While the overall camera quality is decent, it's a notch behind its main competitor, the Realme C2, which packs a better dual rear camera setup
Connectivity
- Uses the modern USB-C standard, a first for this price segment
Battery
- Excellent battery life with a massive 5000mAH battery combined with a 720p display - you will comfortably get 2 days of use
- 18W fast charging support, which is again really commendable for this price point (though only a 10W charger is included in the box)
Verdict
- Redmi 8A is another excellent entry-level phone from the Xiaomi camp - it will be an especially good option if battery life is very important to you
