Xiaomi Redmi Y1 with 16MP front camera is now official for ₹8,999

The Redmi Y1 offers an outstanding selfie camera, and the rest of the hardware isn't all that bad either.

For Xiaomi, the Redmi series is the moneymaker. The manufacturer has focused its attention on the budget segment over the last twelve months, rolling out one hit after another in the Redmi Note 4, Redmi 4A, and the Redmi 4. The Redmi Note 4 turned out to be the best-selling phone in the country this year, followed by the Redmi 4 and the Redmi 4A.

With its latest handset, Xiaomi is looking to keep that momentum going. The Redmi Y1 offers the same great value for money as its siblings, but the defining characteristic of the phone is a 16MP front camera with LED flash. The camera is touted to be one of the best in this segment, and Xiaomi is confident enough in the phone's abilities that it is branching out the device into its own sub-brand in the Redmi series.

As for the naming convention, Xiaomi says the "Y" in Redmi Y denotes youth, with the phone aimed at a younger audience. The Redmi Y1 is identical to the Redmi Note 5A in a lot of areas, including the design. The phone certainly looks much more upmarket when seen next to the Redmi 4A and the Redmi 4, and is closer to the Redmi Note 4 in terms of the design aesthetic.

The device has a 5.5-inch 720p display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 435 chipset. Specs include 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB storage, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (you're limited to 2.4GHz), IR blaster, and a 3080mAh battery. There's also a dedicated slot for a microSD card along with two SIM card slots, so if you're using two SIM cards and an SD card, you no longer have to choose.

• Xiaomi Redmi Y1 specs
• Xiaomi Redmi Y1 preview

The 16MP front camera on the Redmi Y1 comes with a "LED Selfie" light, which according to Xiaomi mimics natural lighting conditions in low-light scenarios to deliver great selfies.

The Redmi Y1 also has a lot going for it on the software front. The phone is the first to run the global version of MIUI 9 out of the box, and Xiaomi has rolled out a ton of new features.

The Redmi Y1 will be going up for sale starting November 8 for ₹8,999 for the 32GB variant, and ₹10,999 for the model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage. Both devices will be exclusively sold online on Amazon, and Xiaomi will also offer them at Reliance Digital stores across the country.

What do you guys think of the device?