AN entry-level dual-camera smartphone that allows you to capture good quality photos with bokeh effect, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 is selling for less than Bt6,000.

The price is low because Redmi 6 does not use a flagship processor from Qualcomm but is instead powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor running at 2.0 GHz. It comes with 4 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The internal storage is expandable with a microSD by up to 256 GB with an expansion slot provided separately from two micro SIM slots.

The Redmi 6 looks sleek with a curvy design and a thicker centre that measures 8.3mm. Its back cover is made of polycarbonate that looks and feels like metal.

The smartphone comes with 5.45-inch 18:9 Full Screen display with 1440×720 pixels resolution.

The Redmi 6 may not be very fast but during the test I didn’t find it particularly slow. The touchscreen and menus were quite responsive and the speed was adequate.

The Internet connection speed was also fast. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network and used the Ookla Speedtest app to test connection speed. I got the download speed of 43.8 Mbps and upload speed of 29.1 Mbps.

The rear camera of the Redmi 6 uses dual camera system with f/2.2 aperture lens. The main camera has 12-megapixel resolution and the secondary camera has 5-megapixel resolution. The data from the secondary camera is used for creating bokeh effect.

The bokeh effect is provided automatically in Portrait mode. During the test, I was able to take beautiful portrait shots with a blurred background easily.

The auto mode with AI is called Photo and it allowed me to capture beautiful shots in most lighting environments.

Its front camera has Beautify and Portrait modes for those must-have selfies.

Despite its low price, the Redmi 6 comes with good security, boasting an AI-powered face unlock technology and fingerprint reader on its back. During the test, the AI face unlock allowed me to unlock the phone fast. The fingerprint unlock was also responsive.

The Redmi 6 has a large battery of 3,000 mAh that can survive a day of use on one charge.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 is available in dark grey, gold, blue and black for Bt5,790. There is also a cheaper version with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage for Bt4,790. They are available at Shopee.com and leading IT stores.

Key Specs

Networks: GSM, WCDMA, LTE

OS: Android 8.1.0

Processor: MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor

Memory: 4GB

Storage: 64GB, expandable with microSD by up to 256GB

Display: 5.45-inch 18:9 Full Screen display with 1440×720 pixels

Cameras: 12MP + 5MP AI rear dual cameras with f/2.2 lens; 5 MP front camera

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2

Location: GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou

Sensors: Fingerprint sensor, Vibration motor, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Electronic compass, Accelerometer

Battery: 3,000 mAh

Dimensions: 147.5×71.5×8.3mm

Weight: 146g