Xiaomi Redmi A1 launched in three colours with stock Android 12

Xiaomi has announced the Redmi A1, an unusual smartphone in the company's roster. For one, the device is the first in Xiaomi's 'Redmi A' series, as its name implies. Additionally, the Redmi A1 runs Android 12, not MIUI 13. Incidentally, leaks suggested that Xiaomi would pre-install Android 12 (Go edition), a cutdown OS for budget smartphones.

However, Xiaomi's marketing materials refer to the Redmi A1 as featuring 'a clean Android experience with Android 12'. As such, it seems that the Redmi A1 is closer to the Xiaomi 'Mi A' series, which the company left to wither after 2019 with the Mi A3. As for the Redmi A1, Xiaomi equips it with the MediaTek Helio A22, LPDDR4X RAM and a 6.52-inch display that operates at 1,600 x 720 pixels, 120 Hz and up to 400 nits.

Elsewhere, the Redmi A1 has an 8 MP rear-facing camera, an auxiliary rear-facing camera and a 5 MP front-facing camera. For reference, the device measures 76.75 x 164.9 x 9.09 mm and weighs 192 g. The Redmi A1 features two nano SIM card slots and a microSD card slot that supports up to 512 GB cards, too. The Redmi A1 is only available with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of expandable storage.

At launch, Xiaomi will sell the smartphone for INR 6,499 (~US$81), although it will eventually rise to INR 8,999 (~US$113) after a short pre-sale period. Xiaomi will sell the Redmi A1 in Black, Light Blue and Light Green colour options.

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