Is Xiaomi Redmi 5A Truly 'Desh Ka Smartphone'?

We talk about Xiaomi’s most affordable smartphone in India — the Redmi 5A — on this week’s episode as reviews editor Jamshed Avari and games editor Rishi Alwani join host Pranay Parab. We begin by talking about the look and feel of the Redmi 5A, since the team got to use the phone for a short while before the podcast was recorded. We talk about whether the phone feels like a budget device or if the build quality is quite good for the price. Next, we mention the Redmi 5A's India launch price and Xiaomi's attractive introductory offer. 

We speculate about the reasons behind this offer and whether it'll be extended beyond the offer period. We compare this offer to some "effective price" deals offered by other manufacturers and talk about how Xiaomi has done a good job with its marketing of the Redmi 5A. At the same time, there are bunch of things we wish the company had done better, and can still improve on. Jamshed and Rishi take turns to talk about these things. 

Availability of the Redmi 5A is going to be a big concern for potential buyers. While it will be available both online and offline, we talk about what Xiaomi can do to make sure that people who want to buy this phone aren't forced to wait. Then we talk about Xiaomi's phone lineup in India and whether it's getting a bit too confusing for people to buy. Finally, we talk about the target audience for the Redmi 5A and whether you should consider buying it.

That's all for this week's episode of Orbital, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just hit the play button below.