Redmi Y2 launched in India at Rs 9,999; has portrait selfie mode, AI face unlock

Handset maker Xiaomi on Thursday launched a selfie-focused budget smartphone, the Redmi Y2, in India at an event in Delhi.

The phone succeeds the Redmi Y1 and is priced starting Rs 9,999. Those want to buy the device will be available to do so on amazon.in, mi.com and Xiaomi's Mi Home retail stores in India.

The phone is available in two variants – 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, and 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The 3GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 9,999, while the beefier 4GB RAM variant costs Rs 12,999.

In addition to the Redmi Y2, Xiaomi also launched its latest operating system MIUI 10 in India.

The artificial intelligence-powered OS was unveiled in China last week, and comes with advanced photography algorithms and features such as full screen display gestures, and AI Preload, which speeds up the device.

Redmi Y2 specifications

The Redmi Y2 sports a 5.99-inch display with an HD+ resolution of 720 pixels x 1440 pixels, an aspect ratio of 18:9, and a pixel density of 269 pixels per inch. The display can achieve brightness levels of up to 450 nits.

The body has a brushed metallic finish, with a rounded back cover that gives the handset a premium look and makes it comfortable to hold. It weighs 170 grams and is 160.73 mm in height, 77.26 mm in breadth, and 8.1 mm thick.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, and runs on an Android Oreo 8.0 OS with MIUI 9.5 loaded on top. The graphics are powered by an Adreno 506 graphics processing unit.

The Redmi Y2 features a 12 mega pixel+5 mega pixel 1.25μm AI dual rear camera, which can record 1080 pixel videos at 30 frames per second.

Other features include PDAF technology, ƒ/2.2 aperture, AI portrait mode, HDR, panorama, low light enhancement and face recognition.

The highlight of the phone is its 16-megapixel front camera with an f/2.0 aperture rate and a 79.8° wide-angle lens. The front camera is assisted by a 4500k soft-toned selfie light.

The sensor packs in 4-in-1 Pixel binning technology for better image quality, along with automatic HDR, AI-powered bokeh effect and Beautify 4.0.

Keeping the phone running is an impressive 3080 mAh battery. For connectivity, the phone has a dedicated dual-SIM tray, with a separate slot for microSD card, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi Direct, GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, Infrared, Gyroscope, proximity sensor, electronic compass, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and ambient light sensor.

Coming to the Redmi Y2's appearance, Xiaomi has launched it in three colours -- grey, gold and rose gold -- all subtle and classy-looking.

As part of the launch, the phone maker is also offering Rs 500 instant discount if the device is purchased using an ICICI Bank debit or credit card, and Rs 1,800 instant cashback along with 240GB data for Airtel customers.