They stand virtually shoulder to shoulder in specification. And although they both come in at under Rs 10,000, these two phones appear to be aimed at two very different users.
It’s been four months since I wrote about how it makes little sense for most people to spend over 10K for a good smartphone today. And I believe this holds more true today than ever. In the ensuing months, dozens of phones have been launched in this price band, which is seemingly the magic number at which the most exciting slugfests are happening in the smartphone arena.
Compared to crafting an uber-high-end phone packed to the gills with gigabytes, megahertz, pixels and every manner of exotic material and then pricing it at a level equivalent to a body part, I believe the larger challenge lies in creating devices that are ever higher in quality while being limited by price. And manufacturers are rising (sinking, even) to the challenge of shoehorning great specifications and features into ever-lower price ranges.
Two of the most intriguing products that crossed our desks recently are the ‘sub-10K flagships’ from two brands that are at it tooth and nail to claim dominance in this lucrative price band: Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 4G and (Micromax’s) Yu Yureka. Standing virtually shoulder to shoulder both in form factor and choice of innards, there are subtle differences that swing each of these devices in two very different usage directions. First, a comparison of the two phones’ key features.
Let’s looks at how these specifications deliver across popular usage scenarios.
Photography
Overall, we found the image quality of the Yureka’s camera higher than the Note 4G. Also it’s got a more intuitive camera interface with swipe-to-change controls that make quick work of cycling through and selecting photography modes.
Music and Movies
If music is your thing, the Yureka trumps with its 24-bit audio processing engine. Unlike the Note 4G that is based on a traditional 16-bit engine (audio quality being equivalent to CD), the Yureka is based on a higher-fidelity chip that can take the quality up to studio-level audio (if you have relevant audio music files). The Yureka also has a powerful audio control software app that lets you fine tune your listening experience.
Both do a fine job of playing back movies (even HD), but the Note 4G trumps with the ability to take up to 64GB of extended microSD storage--twice that of the Yureka.
Gaming
The Yureka packs newer-generation processing hardware: both the main processor and the graphics chip are better than the Note 4G’s, which translates into a tangibly smoother gaming experience (we played the first person shooter N.O.V.A. 3 and got happily carried away with how smooth and immersive the experience was.) The Yureka also has significantly more available internal memory compared to the Note 4G. But as we saw before, the Note 4G is able to take more expandable memory.
Battery life and general use
Here’s where the Note 4G shines--it has a 3100mAH battery versus the Yureka’s 2500mAH. And this translated: after unplugging it at 8AM and with regular to heavy use over the course of the day, it was alive and kicking until late night with 10-15 percent of battery capacity to spare. The same couldn’t be said of the Yureka; its smaller battery just about saw it through a busy work day.
Also, the Yureka is a dual SIM phone while the Note 4G is a single SIM device. Both have LTE support, but the Note 4G operates across three bands while the Yureka only has dual-band LTE support--a concern if you are likely to use the phone over 4G networks across countries.
Finally, the user interface. The Note 4G uses Xiaomi’s MIUI 5 while the Yureka is based on CyanogenMod 11. Each of these custom versions of Android 4.4 are aimed at distinctly different users: MIUI, with its undeniably iOS vibe is simple to use, user friendly and allows for extensive ‘theme-ing’ (where every part of the user interface is up for customization--from the icons to the wallpapers.) The CyanogenMod OS is similarly customizable, but is more aimed at the power user who needs extensive control over every aspect of the phone; a feature that CyanogenMod is known for. They are both solid ports of Android, and we found them running without a hitch on their respective phones. Choosing one that suits you depends on whether you’re a person who couldn’t be bothered with the more involved workings of Android, or whether you’re someone who actually wants to be.
So, Yu or Mi?
I’d personally go with the Yureka. Apart from a few specs, it outshines the Note 1S almost consistently, at a lower price. Also it is based on CyanogenMod a port of Android that I am accustomed to for its fine-toothed access to the nitty-grittys of Android’s features. On the other hand the Note 1S, though based on older hardware, has a higher capacity battery that translates comfortably into more than a full day of heavy use--invaluable if you’re an extensive user.
Bottomline: If you’re a gamer/geek/dual-SIM type of user, the Yureka will tick your checkboxes. If you’re a regular user who prefers ease of use, watches movies on the go, needs long battery life and is into casual gaming, head toward the Note 4G.
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