Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has just launched its latest smartphone lineup, the Xiaomi Redmi K20-series. There are two phones, the premium Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro and the Redmi K20. The Xiaomi Redmi K20 price in India starts at Rs 21,999, while the more expensive Redmi K20 Pro starts at Rs 27,999. Both the devices will go on sale starting from July 22 at 12:00PM on Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Store.
The company is planning to take on its rivals in the market with its K20 series of devices. Talking about both the devices, the Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro features the top of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. On the other hand, the Redmi K20 features the latest Snapdragon 730 SoC out of the box. Xiaomi is aiming at its primary rivals in the market including the likes of OnePlus, Realme, Oppo, Vivo, Samsung, and more. We have already reviewed the Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro and loved the overall package. We also have the Redmi K20 with Snapdragon 730 SoC. Here are my first impressions of the Xiaomi Redmi K20.
Xiaomi Redmi K20 Design
This is the first thing that users will notice when they take the device out of the box. The front side of the smartphone is similar to what we have seen in some of the new smartphones. Talking about the display, there are no notches, punch holes or any other kind of distraction. Moving to the back of the smartphone, one is almost convinced that the smartphone is premium with ‘top-notch’ materials and construction. The device will be available in three different finishes including Carbon Black, Glacier Blue, and the Flame Red.
The impressive curved glass design on the back with reflective texture is enough to convince us that the company has put some amount of effort into crafting the smartphone. Xiaomi revealed during the Redmi K20 Series launch that it is calling this as the “Aura Prime” design. Given all the gradient designs in the last year or so, I can easily say that this has turned out to be one of the top three for me. Xiaomi has also added a metal frame on the sides while ensuring that the curved glass merges in the frame effortlessly.
Specifications
Talking about the features, the Xiaomi Redmi K20 features a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi has added Corning Gorilla Glass 5 in front of the device to protect it against any damage. The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 730 SoC with 6GB RAM and 64GB / 128GB internal storage. It is worth noting that the device does not come with a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Xiaomi Redmi K20 features a triple rear camera setup along with a 20-megapixel pop-up selfie camera. The primary camera setup features a 48-megapixel sensor with f/1.8 aperture with an 8-megapixel sensor with a telephoto lens. The last camera on the triple camera setup features a 13-megapixel resolution with an ultra-wide-angle lens. Xiaomi has also added a dedicated Dual-LED flash unit on the back of the device for better images during the night. In terms of security and authentication, the device features an under-display fingerprint scanner along with face unlock with the help of the front camera. The device is powered by a 4,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging technology.
MIUI 10 and the Poco launcher
Similar to most Xiaomi smartphones in the market, the Xiaomi Redmi K20 sports Android 9 Pie-based MIUI 10 operating system. The operating system comes with a custom skin and a number of Xiaomi specific optimizations. However, a closer inspection will indicate that this smartphone also comes with an app drawer. Things got interesting when I realized that the app drawer in question is none other than the Poco Launcher.
Considering Xiaomi Redmi is separate from Poco, this makes Xiaomi Redmi K20 the first Xiaomi device with Poco Launcher. In fact, both the Redmi K20 and the Redmi K20 Pro come with the Poco launcher. Xiaomi also claims that MIUI 10 on the K20 lineup will not come with in-system advertisements. I could not confirm that in my limited about of time with the Xiaomi Redmi K20. However, I intend to check the claims from the company in the detailed review.
Xiami Redmi K20 First Impressions
The Redmi K20 left me quite impressed in the limited time that I spent with the smartphone. Xiaomi has done a great job with the design of the smartphone while making sure that it packs the latest hardware. As mentioned above, it is the first smartphone in India to launch with the Snapdragon 730 SoC. There was no lag, hang, or jitter during my time with the smartphone. The overall hardware package is an impressive and much-needed bump in power to combat the competition. However, I will reserve the verdict about its performance for the complete review.
