Xiaomi entered into Indian Market this july making a huge blow with Mi3.
That is until now. Yesterday Micromax launched its Yu Yureka phablet. It is a direct competitor to the RedMi Note, a budget phablet that won some high praise from us earlier.
So how does the Yureka compare to the RedMi Note? I will do a thorough comparison between the two when I will get a unit of Yureka -- it is yet to come in the market -- but for now let's compare how they stack against each other on paper
Design and build quality
I feel this is the biggest difference that is going to be between these two phablets. The RedMi Note truly justifies its phablet tag, and not in a good way. It is rather heavy at 199 grams and quite thick at 9.5mm. In comparison, the Yureka is lighter at 155 grams and is relatively thin at 8.8mm. This difference in size and weight is significant and noticeable while using the devices. The Yureka feels and fits better in hands compared to the RedMi Note.
Both phablets use plastic bodies. But while the RedMi Note uses glossy plastic, the Yureka uses plastic in matte finish. The Yureka is better here. Both devices are built very well but the RedMi Note feels more durable and has somewhat better finishing.
While I have used the Eureka only briefly - for less than an hour, actually, my friend got it in sale.. but i missed.. - overall I feel it has a better design, largely because of the way Micromax has been able to keep the weight down. Though in terms of build quality both devices are more or less same.
Screen
Both the RedMi Note and the Yureka have 5.5-inch screens. And they both have the same 720p resolution. While I will have more to say about the screen of Yureka later but on the basis of first impression we feel that the RedMi Note screen is better. Both screens are equally sharp and are decently bright. But I felt that my friend's yureka had a bluish screen. (Don't know why) :( . But still it was ok.
Hardware and performance
For hardware we are going to compare the 4G version of the RedMi Note with the Yureka because the 3G version, which is powered by a MediaTek processor, is no longer available in India due to an order by Delhi High Court and we don't know when it may again go on sale.
On paper, the Yureka definitely packs in a better processor compared to the one in the RedMi Note 4G. Compared to the RedMi Note's Snapdragon 400 running at 1.6GHz, the Yureka has Snapdragon 615 running at 1.5GHz. The Snapdragon 400 is a quad-core processor while the Snapdragon 615 has eight cores. While we don't expect the eight cores to be faster than the four cores in real-world usage on the basis of core count, the Snapdragon 615 is a new processor and packs in much improved cores.
Both phones have 2GB memory. But the Yureka has more internal storage - 16GB compared to 8GB in the Note.
The Yureka has a smaller battery - 2500mAh compared to 3200mAh in the Note - and we expect it to have somewhat inferior battery life, considering it also has a faster processor.
Both phones support 4G.
Camera
Both the Xiaomi RedMi Note and the Yureka have 13-megapixel rear cameras. And both have 5-megapixel front cameras. But megapixels don't mean anything. It is entirely possible that the Yureka may offer even better performance, but it seems unlikely. In fact, even if the Yureka can match the RedMi Note performance, we would consider it a win for the Micromax phone. For now, I will give an edge to the Note here. But we will have more to say about the camera performance of the two devices once we have used Yureka for a few days.
Software
This is one more major difference between these two phablets. The Yureka is powered by CyanogenMod 1 operating system based on Android KitKat, while the RedMi Note is powered by MiUI 5, an operating system based on the Android Jelly Bean. Both operating systems are feature-rich and immensely customisable. But the CyanogenMod is closer to the stock user interface and looks really slick and modern. The MiUI is, however, more colourful. From whatever experience we have of both operating systems, I feel MiUI on Xiaomi phones feels more polished compared to the CyanogenMod on the Yureka. Xiaomi is using MiUI for several years now and the company has a fair idea of it. But CyanogenMod on a Micromax phone is something new for the Indian company. And for now it does reflect in how the operating system works on the Yureka phone.
Sum of it all
As I noted in our review, the RedMi Note is really good. And we have a feeling that the Yureka may challenge it but won't deliver a knockout blow to it. In fact, overall the Note may remain the best phablet to buy for less than Rs 10,000. At the same time, the Yureka also costs Rs 1,000 less than the RedMi Note. The difference is not huge but we think it may be enough to make the Micromax device a better value for money device. Also, the 16GB internal storage is very tempting at this price and is something that will definitely give an advantage to the Yureka in the market.
But after all, MMX is indian. #proudtobeindian. I personally recommend YU Yureka and purchasing it on 22 Jan. HOPE GOOD.
For more queries and feedbacks, email me @ chiraglokhanderd19@gmail.com
Thank you. Keep reading.
