Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

Are you looking for a handsome-looking smartphone with a large screen? Then the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus may be for you. Available in many colours, with a screen without significant bezels, a sturdy battery, a powerful processor, and a light-sensitive camera with selfie flash, it seems the ideal candidate to be your next mobile.

Circular screen, rounded glass

We made it quite difficult for ourselves in the introduction as we listed the main plus points of the Redmi 5 Plus. It starts with a 5.99-inch display. Due to its 18:9 ratio, it is nice and long, ideal for watching videos or scrolling thru pages. The screen's edges are rounded, giving it a premium feel. As if the all-metal body did not already provide that. The screen is protected by round 2.5D glass, making it look neatly finished and comfortable in your hand. Despite the screen being large, the edges are pretty small. There are bars above and below the screen, but they are minimal. This makes the Redmi 5 Plus feel much smaller than it is.

Powerful enough for gaming

Inside, we find a Snapdragon 625 processor from Qualcomm. This is powerful enough for gaming and ensures that the 5 Plus never feels sluggish. Not even with the MIUI interface that Xiaomi has applied. MIUI version 9 has many new features without significantly draining your battery. That battery, with a capacity of 4000 mAh, is already not very small. According to Xiaomi's specifications, you can play games for no less than 9 hours or listen to music for 165 hours on a full charge. In the meantime, don't forget to get some rest for yourself.

Main Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus specifications

• Large 5.99-inch Full HD screen with 2.5D glass
• Octa-core processor (Snapdragon 625) powerful enough for gaming
• Support for hybrid Dual SIM (shared with memory card slot)
• 12-megapixel camera with Full HD video
• 64 GB storage expandable with MicroSD card
• Pretty 5-megapixel selfie camera with front-facing LED flash
• Featured with fast 4G internet

Selfie flash

Xiaomi has placed a 12-megapixel camera on the back with extra-large pixels that allow it to take well-lit shots in the dark. Before light reaches those pixels, however, it must pass thru the f/2.2 lens, which therefore has a not very large aperture. We fear that shooting in low light is, therefore, not its most vital point. For selfies, that is not a problem. If it gets too dark, the 5-megapixel selfie camera gets help from its flash. If the result still disappoints you, perhaps the Beautify 3.0 filter can help. It polishes your selfies to an acceptable level. Do we have anything to complain about? Yes, the camera could have been better, and there are plastic elements used, but considering the price, we have to forgive him. You get a lot of value (and screen) for your money.

Pro and cons Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

• Large screen in a compact body
• Large battery with decent battery life
• Selfie camera with flash
• Available in different colours

• Camera needs sufficient light