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Nov 12, 2016

Roll On: What is Redmi 1S and Redmi 2S? (a review)


Do notice that Redmi 1S might still be available somewhere but even so it was so outdated. Xiaomi has come out with newer version which cost a bit more but totally worth it.

I love my smartphone. When I want to get myself a smartphone, I've always know what I want from it and of course the tight budget I could spend on one. When I found out about Redmi 1S, I knew I hit jackpot. It does much of what I want and only cost me RM300!

This episode was hilarious!

You see, being a student, we always quite creative on trying to find that one affordable and good smartphone. We start to learn about other not so mainstream brand especially Lenovo which always with the cheapest smartphone. Guess what, mine is cheaper. At some point it was better.

Xiaomi wasn't that much known since at that time (around 2 to 3 years back), there wasn't any official local Xiaomi dealer and you can only get it from third party peeps. The most trustworthy one is Lazada. I got mine, online, from Directd. I got only the smartphone and charger. It was so not Malaysian that the charger were using those two flat pins instead of the three cylinder pins that Malaysia have. I need to buy my own adapter for heaven sake! 

But before that, get this, this friend of mine got two smartphones. One time, my drinking water was spilling out and I didn't notice it until my bag got drenched and by then my Redmi 1S was soaked. It died. So she lend me her other smartphone which she just recently bought upon my recommendation, the Redmi 2S. I was using Redmi 2S for almost two months before my Redmi 1S suddenly revive itself.

Yes, Redmi 1S, cheap and apparently could revive from death.

So Red in Mandarin is Hong, hence the other name Hongmi 1S.

Redmi 1S uses Jelly Bean and I can't get any updates. There are some ways to get like KitKat if i'm not mistaken but I don't dare to do it really. Plus, the RAM would still be 1GB so I'm playing it safe. I don't really get affected not having advanced android version as well. Internal memory was only at 8GB but come on, I don't understand why people need so much space. I don't keep videos though but almost a hundred Boomerang videos. Pictures, well, more. Apart from having a habit to download pictures that I like from 9GAG and Facebook, I was also being a Supernatural fan; I keep lots of pictures. But hey, I still have another 2GB. I also have 100++ songs before I downloaded three album into my handphone but that was on my external memory. If you don't have enough space, just slot in bigger memory card.

How the Gallery looks like. Quite Supernatural isn't it.

No matter how many stuff I have on my Redmi 1S, it does not lag. Some of my friend claimed that their smartphone was lagging and it improved when the deleted their pictures or so. I think it were Sony, Lenovo and Samsung model. I don't understand why since it wasn't like the pictures was on their RAM or anything.I am SO not saying those brands were bad, it was just some of their cheaper and not so good model. I WOULD LOVE SAMSUNG EDGE, LOVE ME SOME EDGE.

In comparison, Redmi 2S uses KitKat. It have two versions which one have the same RAM and internal memory as Redmi 2S while the other version have 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory. I've used the 2GB RAM version.

1GB or 2GB RAM? 

2GB was so good it felt like I am Superman. Of course it is since it has more RAM hence cost more. But, the thing is, like any other smartphone, there are some of the can't-be-uninstall-stuffs-that-the-developer-put-but-we-never-need which leads to the lagging that I've experienced with Redmi 1S. After got it rooted, I can remove some of the things and even change some of the application to a better ones and it really does improve a lot. It was initially done to cope the heating issue the Redmi 1S have. It heat up easily and most of the opinions includes to have the it rooted first in order to improve the problem. You can simply Google it. It doesn't heat up nowadays and working fairly smooth. Below were the applications I currently have on my Redmi 1S.

I could scroll Instagram forever smoothly and I don't think it has ever crashed

I do use Chrome before but it was too much so I change it to Browser.

There are two other application: Youtube (38.5MB) and Yoga Fitness (14MB)

The most annoying thing is that Google was awesome but I can't use Chrome since it always crashed. Apart from having 1GB RAM only, it was also due to Redmi 1S can't get a stable connection with 3G network. The best I can get is H+. My apologies if the terminologies are wrong but you got what I mean. But I think the biggest culprit was the 1GB RAM since even when Redmi 2S on H+ connection, it still can surf Chrome smoothly. Redmi 2S always got 3G connection. 

It turned out that even though Redmi 1S supposedly support 3G network, it can't like hold it firmly. I only got 3G connection once for literally few seconds in the middle on nowhere. Malaysia didn't have the best internet coverage service so maybe at better places it could actually work. I studied in Kuala Lumpur and still never got 3G connection on Redmi 1S. I use Umobile (because I'm cheap and I live in places that got good Umobile coverage) and even when I literally besides the billboard saying Umobile3G connection blahblahblah I still can't get 3G connection.

My browser application named Browser. Browser still crashed though. Pfft.

Some tips, applications like Youtube, Instagram and Twitter are stable. It might be due to their developers awesome work. If I want to do any search, I'll try these fellas first and only then resorted for Browser.


Moving on! Most smartphone have like Home button which will leads to all other applications they have and only have those widget and chosen thingy to put on the front display. Well, there is none of that on Xiaomi smartphone. Basically, you switch it on and slides the screen and all of the application are there. The Home button will take you to the first page (idk what better way to call it, lulz). You can still have widgets and folders. At first I thought it was weird and so not cool until I learn that I can so personalize my phone better this way.

I put pictures and can like mess around with the applications arrangement

I kept some not so popularly used applications into folders

I have just changed my theme. In Xiaomi smartphone, they have their own library of themes that you can download. Some were free, some have to be paid first. Their collection was massive and they got so many different type of themes. It was simpler since you didn't need a third party to have those cool themes. Even though the themes was originally made in Mandarin, it does change to English since that is what my smartphone preference is. But, there are few things that does not change and usually it was the date part on the clock or screen lock. Since I always check my smartphone for date, it bothers me so much. Apart from that, due to 1GB RAM, I can't use heavy themes or else it will keep changing back to to system theme. I don't really care much since I always like basic kind of themes.

So many choices!

See what I meant with the date?
I need to use Titanium (my rooting application) to delete the downloaded themes which I have deleted. Urghh.

My current theme have a very cool screen lock

How about camera? Both Redmi 1S and Redmi 2S have 8mp camera while Redmi 2S have slightly better front camera (2MP VS 1.6MP). It could get decent pictures but Redmi 1S somehow have better light balance while Redmi 2S can snap quicker (lulz, what ever that suppose to mean. i think it was the ISO thingy. basically i meant to say it can still get good picture when the person have change poseor was moving, while in Redmi 1S you need to hold still for like 2 seconds). Due to the light balance issue, Redmi 2S can only snap good pictures under good light. But that also got light balance weird like one side a bit darker since shadow but wth so dark though. 

My i'm exagerrating. There is some pictures i'll show you so you could understand. or actually be bothered like me. Haha.

Since Redmi 2S is using Kitkat, it has this knob that allow it to adjust light and can tap the screen to shot. Redmi 1S can't do that. I don't remember if Redmi 2S have timer because Redmi 1S does not have one. I don't know how exactly but at some part Redmi 2S got better pictures while other part Redmi 1S got better pictures. Anywho, I liked Redmi 1S picture more. Redmi 2S totally blow me when the night picture was just dark.

Le lights

Redmi 2S: This lighting was quite the same as the picture below

Redmi 1S: This lighting was quite the same as the picture above.

Le outdoor pictures Redmi 2S

The pictures were great under good lighting. See what I meant with light balance? Look at this gorgeous girl and compare with the surrounding.

Le outdoor pictures Redmi 1S

The picture was taken from a moving car.

Very sunny day hence better picture.

Inside the famous Line Clear Nasi Kandar at Penang

There are more to tell!

So, Oppo was making this other account thingy whereby we can hide some applications so like others can't see it like the different account (user vs guest) in Windows? Guess what, Redmi 1S got that. It has the Guest mode which you can switch to it before giving your highly secret Redmi 1S to others. It hides messages, notes, pictures and incoming calls. Not only that, they have build in attribute that allow us to lock application whereby you need to know the password before using the said application. It can block calls and messages which I think most smartphone can do but I like to highlight it because my previous Samsung Galaxy Ace couldn't do that.

They also got that Drive mode but I never use it.

They used those draw pattern password

Ok. One most important thing and major drawback of Redmi 1S is that it drains the battery so quick. It even drain the battery when nothing was used and yes, i even switch off my data network/wifi connection. Just imagine how annoyed I am when in the morning I woke up my Redmi 1S died. DEAD.

The rooting I mention before was also to improve the battery performance. Initially, I need to use Greenify to get better battery lifespan. I don't use it now and for some reason the battery lifespan was still the same (meaning as if I was using Greenify which givs me good battery lifespan). Even so, if I use the internet heavily, it will quickly drawn for about an hour or so. If like during my days I got classses which I got to go online for awhile, couples of times a day (check my Whatsapp or Facebook or Google some  stuff), it could last for at least until I went back to hostel which is around 5pm.

Even though it does improve, it wasn't enough since the main issue is that I use more internet when I got for a trip or something (took picture, check Maps, order GrabTaxi/GrabCar etc etc). I do have powerbank (20k mAh now eat that!) but it was still so very annoying. Until, this Youtube fella was like, "the battery is external, just get another one". Genius! To top that off, Xiaomi actually has this charger that charge the battery externally. Now my smartphone has never got any low-battery-quick-give-me-powerbank issue.

Redmi 2S got better battery lifespan. It could last for whole day with medium use and up to two days with light use. I didn't have to root the Redmi 2S as it does not has heating issue as well. 

The external charger. My sister actually attached the USB cable to our home PC and thus has never need to share the one charger that we have. 

It has its' own RAM cleaner which can be easily accessed by holding the Home button.

Redmi 1S

Redmi 1S is bulkier and bigger than Redmi 2S.


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