Redmi K50i Review: The K-series Grows Up

The Redmi K-series was quite the hit back when the K20 Pro launched in 2019, and for good reason. A top-shelf 800-series chipset, a snazzy shimmering gradient design on the rear and a pop-up camera for selfies, all for an impressively low Rs. 27,999 (or high, by Redmi standards, as some opined). With the K50i, the K-series is making a comeback in a segment that now has the OnePlus Nord series, phones from POCO and IQOO, or the much hyped Nothing phone for that matter. Is the K50i going to carry the K20 Pro’s legacy forward?

They certainly look very different, with the K50i eschewing the radical all-glass gradient design for a tamer, almost samey design that, aside from the color-shifting rear panel, looks barely distinguishable from phones from competing brands. The plastic rear and frame impart an air of durability, if at the expense of a more premium in-hand feel. At 200g and 8.87mm thickness, it’s a handful – but the curved edges help with the grip, and the side-mounted fingerprint scanner is just perfectly placed to unlock the device as you pull it out of your pocket. An IP53 certification for dust and water resistance is a bonus, and the infrared blaster and the headphone jack round out the ‘complete, if not exciting’ design package. 

Now, instead of outfitting the K50i with an AMOLED panel, Redmi has opted for a 6.6-inch, fullHD+ fringe-field switching (FFS) LCD that one-ups normal LCD panels by offering better viewing angles and better visuals while drawing lesser power. Make no mistake about it – this is no AMOLED panel, either in terms of brightness or deep inky blacks. But the K50i redeems itself somewhat with a Gorilla Glass 5-protected panel that refreshes at 144Hz, which is a bit of a rarity at this price point. It's an adequate display overall, nothing spectacular given how spoilt we’ve gotten with the competition. Decent haptics for the price segment, and Dolby Vision playback is a bonus, too. 

Undeniably, the main attraction is the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chip that powers the K50i, a chip that’s been seen on far pricier offerings such as the OnePlus 10R or the Realme GT Neo 3. Coupled with the 6GB or 8GB of memory and up to 256GB of faster UFS 3.1 storage, the phone flies through graphically demanding games like COD Mobile and Genshin Impact at high settings, and the odd time the phone runs mildly warm, Xiaomi’s Liquid Cool 2.0 tech keeps the high temperatures reined in really well. This is a phone you’ll want to pick up for gaming performance, and in that sense, inherits the extreme ‘specs for the money’ legacy of the K20 Pro. The phone boots into MIUI 13 based on Android 12, which gives it the ability to uninstall most of the pre-installed core apps and third-party bloatware with none of the spammy notifications that are so often found in this segment. 

Battery life is on the great side too, with the 5080mAh battery seeing most folks through a day worth of use, roughly around six hours of screen-on time. The good thing is that the included 67W power brick tops the massive battery up from empty in just under an hour (or about 50% in 30 minutes). 

With three cameras on the rear – a 64MP Samsung GW1, an 8MP ultrawide (120-degree) and another 2MP macro – I wasn’t expecting much from the K50i, particularly given its extreme performance marketing. The main GW1 sensor takes attractive photos with good levels of detail, albeit with an oversaturated look to them. Exposure metering was on point, as was dynamic range and details in the shadows. The ultrawide predictably was a little soft around the edges, and differed in color temperature from the primary. The macro is slow to focus and is a bit of a hit-or-miss even in good lighting. Low-light photos are usable, particularly with night mode enabled. 

As a follow-up to the K20 Pro, the K50i is a phone that’s there to a do a job without drawing too much attention to itself, almost like a mature, refined version of its predecessor; a K20 Pro that grew up and shed its flashy youthful exterior for some actual life goals – delivering high-end specs and quick charging at a price point that will appeal to the masses. It’s let down only on the choice of panel, a factor that may give the Mi 11i Hypercharge or the Poco F4 a window of opportunity against the Redmi behemoth. 

Redmi K50i

Pros: Excellent performance with a snappy 144Hz refresh rate, decent battery life and quick charging, 3.5mm headphone jack, IP rating, decent primary camera

Cons: Average photos, LCD panel suffers from low brightness, samey design

Rating: 8/10

Price: Rs. 25,999 (6GB/128GB), Rs. 28,999 (8GB/256GB), available in Phantom Blue, Quick Silver and Stealth Black