Xiaomi Redmi Y2, Motorola Moto G6/G6 Play: Upcoming budget phones to look out for

The budget smartphone segment is one of the hottest and happening segments in the Indian smartphone industry. Brands such as Xiaomi and Samsung have been dominating the segment with mass-market models that cater to everyone with the right mix of features. Now, the segment will see three new models from Xiaomi and Motorola making an entry to intensify the competition. Yes, Xiaomi is expected to unveil the successor to Redmi Y1 and Motorola will launch its new G6 series for the Indian market.

First up is the Xiaomi handset. Xiaomi’s social media teaser suggests that the device will be the successor to the Redmi Y1, which was launched last October with a special emphasis on selfie cameras. The new model is expected to be called the Redmi Y2 and could end up essentially be a rebranded Redmi S2 — a budget smartphone that was recently unveiled in China. The Redmi S2 comprises a Snapdragon 625 chipset paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The smartphone sports a 5.99-inch LCD IPS display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The camera department is where it matters for the Redmi S2 — there’s a 16MP front camera assisted by AI trickeries that Xiaomi claims can improve low light photography. The rear has a 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup. The Redmi S2 is kept alive by a 3080mAh battery. It will be interesting to see how Xiaomi prices it for our market, considering the budget segment is already dominated by its own Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 devices.

Moving over to Motorola’s stables, the G6 and G6 Play models will be made available for the Indian market pretty soon, according to the company’s confirmation on social media. The G6 and G6 Play were unveiled in the US market a month ago as budget midrange devices. The G6 is the superior of the two with a big 18:9 display and a glass rear panel. The ‘standard’ G6 is built around a Snapdragon 450 chipset coupled with 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage. It sports a 5.7-inch 18:9 full HD+ display with narrow bezels all around. The front lip also houses the fingerprint sensor which also supports all the Moto gestures featured on the previous generation devices. There’s a 12MP (f/1.8 aperture) + 5MP dual rear camera that can record 1080p videos at 60fps, and an 8MP front camera for dealing with selfies. Motorola will also be offering a Face Unlock feature on this model as well. The G6 is kept alive by a 3000mAh battery, which comes with support for Motorola’s 15W TurboPower charger through a USB Type-C port.

The G6 Play will be aimed for the entry-level budget segment considering its specifications — it sports a Snapdragon 427 chipset coupled to 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of storage. With a 5.7-inch 720p display, it loses the fingerprint sensor to the rear and the Gorilla Glass panel for a polymer glass panel. There’s a 13MP camera sensor for the rear and an 8MP front camera with flash for selfies. The G6 Play is powered by a 4000mAh battery with micro USB 10W rapid charger.

Expect the Motorola to price the new G series phone competitively — we expect the G6 Play to go in a duel with the Redmi Y2 whereas the G6 could take the battle to the Redmi Note 5.

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