The popular budget smartphone manufacturer, Redmi has brought its new budget smartphone, the Redmi A3. The A3 is the successor of the Redmi A2 which was launched last year. The A2 performed quite well in the Nepali market in the budget category. Now the successor has come up with a new and refreshed design and a few major changes.
The Redmi A series for the price range has been quite popular over the years. Redmi generally provides two variants in the A series, a normal option and a (+) option like the Redmi A and the Redmi A1+ and the Redmi A2 and the Redmi A2+. In both options, the difference is the availability of the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The (+) option here gets the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
The A3 on the other hand has got a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and other major upgrades.
Let us see what the smartphone offers in terms of specs.
Specifications of Redmi A3
| Dimensions | 168.3mm x 76.3mm x 8.32mm |
| Weight | 199g (Midnight Black and Lake Blue) | 193g (Olive Green) |
| Display type | IPS LCD |
| Display size | 6.7-inch |
| Resolution | 1,650 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz |
| Glass Protection | Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G36 |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.6 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8320 |
| OS | Android 13 (Go edition), MIUI |
| RAM | 3GB | 4GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 128GB |
| Rear camera | 8MP main camera 0.08 auxiliary lens |
| Selfie camera | 5MP |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Network | 4G |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Audio | Mono speaker 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Sensors | Accelerometer | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor | Ambient light sensor | Proximity sensor |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 10W wired |
| Colours | Midnight Black | Lake Blue | Olive Green |
| Price (expected) | Rs 12,500 (3/64GB) Rs 14,500 (4/128GB) Rs 16,500 (6/128GB) |
Design
The Redmi A3 has a new and refreshed design from its predecessors the Redmi A1 and the A2 which shared the same design. The A3 now has a large centrally located rounded camera module in black colour. The camera module has the main camera in the centre followed by the auxiliary lens and the flash on the side. The back of the smartphone is made up of plastic with a glossy finish for the Midnight Black and the Lake Blue colour options whereas the Olive Green colour option gets a bit fancier with the eco-friendly vega leather back. The frame is also made up of plastic with rounded edges and a shiny finish.
On the front, the smartphone has a water-drop notch for the selfie camera. The bezels are decent for the price range. It uses an IPS LCD panel with a screen size of 6.7-inch. It has a resolution of 1,650 x 720 pixels with a pixel density of about 268 ppi. It has a 90Hz refresh rate with a screen-to-body ratio of about 83 per cent.
The front of the Redmi A3 is protected with the help of Gorilla Glass 3 for accidental drops and scratches. The overall screen performance and viewing are nice in the price range.
Performance and Storage
The Redmi A3 under the hood packs the MediaTek Helio G36 chipset, giving it decent performance for everyday tasks. Its octa-core CPU combines both power and efficiency, with four cores running at 2.2 GHz and four at 1.6 GHz. Graphics are handled by the PowerVR GE8320 GPU, offering smooth visuals for casual gaming and media consumption. It runs on Android 13 (Go edition) with MIUI, and it provides a user-friendly experience optimized for lower-end devices.
The smartphone has three RAM options 3GB, 4GB and 6GB. The 3GB RAM is paired with a 64GB storage option whereas the 4GB and 6GB options are paired with 128GB of storage. It also has a dedicated MicroSD card slot that supports up to 1TB of external storage. The 6GB RAM option also gets a virtual RAM feature to add 6GB more RAM using the internal storage.
Camera
As for the camera, the Redmi A3 borrows the same setup as its predecessors. The rear camera includes an 8MP main camera which is supported by an 0.08 MP auxiliary lens. The camera output is decent for the price range. It can record 1080p videos at 30fps. As for selfies, it has a 5MP selfie camera which also clicks decent photos and videos. Being a budget-friendly option, the camera specs can be justified.
Battery and Others
The Redmi A3 has a 5,000 mAh battery, providing long-lasting power for all-day usage. Charging is steady with its 10W wired charging capability. It has Wi-Fi supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connections with compatible devices. With 4G network support and dual SIM capability, staying connected is hassle-free. Audio is delivered through its mono speaker or 3.5mm headphone jack. It is equipped with essential sensors like an accelerometer, ambient light, and proximity sensors, along with a convenient side-mounted fingerprint sensor for secure unlocking.
It is available in Midnight Black, Lake Blue, and Olive Green colour options.
Features
The features of the Redmi A3 are as follows:
- Eco-friendly vegan leather back
- Large 6.7-inch display
- Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- MediaTek Helio G36 chipset
- 8MP main camera
- 5MP selfie camera
- 5000 mAh battery
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Side-Mounted fingerprint sensor
- Midnight Black, Lake Blue, and Olive Green colour options
The Redmi A3 is expected to cost Rs 12,500 for the 3/64GB option, Rs 14,500 for the 4/128GB option and Rs 16,500 for the 6/128GB option in Nepal.
Verdict
The Redmi A series has become very popular in its price segment. Other smartphones in the same price segment from other companies do not provide the number of specs and features Redmi has provided. However, there can be a few major improvements in the Redmi A4 in the charging department with support for at least 15W and a camera department with a depth sensor instead of an Auxiliary sensor. Other than that, the Redmi A3 can continue its dominance in the budget market with the A series.
