Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime vs Redmi 3S Prime, Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Redmi 3S: What's New and Different

Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, and Redmi 4 Prime smartphones at an event in China on Friday. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 series of smartphones is the successor to the hot-selling Xiaomi Redmi 3S line, which was launched in India in August at very competitive prices. We take a look at what's new and different with Xiaomi's newly announced Redmi 4 series.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Xiaomi Redmi 3S
The Xiaomi Redmi 3S, priced at Rs. 6,999, sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display and powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor clocked at 1.1GHz. The smartphone sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with PDAF (phase detection autofocus), f/2.0 aperture, HDR mode, 1080p video recording, and LED flash.

The newly launched Xiaomi Redmi 4 smartphones sport a metal unibody design, 2.5D curved glass displays, hybrid dual-SIM slots, and fingerprint sensors on the rear panel. The devices run MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and are available in Gold, Grey, and Silver colour variants.

(Also see: Redmi 4 Prime vs Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus vs Moto E3 Power vs Galaxy On5 Pro)

The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is similar to the Redmi 3S as far as the specs are concerned with a slight tweak here and there. The Redmi 4 sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display, and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC clocked at 1.4GHz with the Adreno 505 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The Redmi 4 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture, 5-lens system, PDAF, and dual-LED flash. The front features a 5-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture.

(Also see: Xiaomi Redmi 4 vs Xiaomi Redmi 3S full specifications compared)

Battery capacity on the Redmi 4 and Redmi 3S are the same at 4100mAh. The Redmi 4, however, is on the heavier side at 156 grams compared to the Redmi 3S which weighs at 144 grams.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime vs Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime
The Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime, priced at Rs. 8,999, features a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) powered by 1.1GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with 3GB of RAM. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime packs a 13-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Redmi 4 Prime, on the other hand, has been upgraded to a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display, and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC clocked at 2.0 Ghz and coupled with Adreno 506 GPU and 3GB of RAM. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime bears 32GB of inbuilt storage, which is also expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The camera modules are similar to the Redmi 4.

(Also see: Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime vs Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime full specifications compared)

Battery capacity on the Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime and Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime are the same at 4100mAh. The Redmi 4 Prime weighs at 156 grams, while the Redmi 3S Prime weighs at 144 grams.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 summary
The new Xiaomi Redmi 4 and Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime smartphones do not come with major upgrades to the design language and specs when compared to their Redmi 3S counterparts. With the pricing almost similar as well, Xiaomi has just managed to make the new devices a little faster while maintaining the overall look and feel of the Redmi 3 series, a nod to the adage that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Redmi 4 and Redmi 4 Prime are priced at CNY 699 (roughly Rs. 6,900) and CNY 899 (roughly Rs. 8,900) respectively, byt we have to await confirmation of price in India and release date in the country.