At the grand opening of its latest Authorised Mi Store in IOI City Mall, Putrajaya, Xiaomi just launched yet another budget-friendly smartphone on our shores: the Xiaomi Redmi 5A. Retailing at only RM399, those who are looking for an affordable phone have another option now.

As it is meant to be an entry-level smartphone, the Redmi 5A’s list of hardware are decidedly on the lower-end side of things, but it certainly offers good value for money nonetheless. In comparison to its predecessor, the Redmi 5A features pretty similar hardware too.

Both The Redmi 5A and 4A feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processors paired with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and 5-inch 720p IPS displays. In fact, the Redmi 4A actually has a bigger 3,120mAh battery; the 5A comes with a slightly smaller 3,000mAh battery.

So what differentiates the two smartphones? Their cameras. While both phones come with 13MP rear and 5MP front-facing cameras, the Redmi 5A’s rear camera has phase detection autofocus. The 5A’s selfie camera also features bigger f/2.0 aperture in comparison to the 4A’s f/2.2 aperture.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A will be available for purchase in Malaysia exclusively on Lazada from 12 December onwards. Priced at only RM399, the Redmi 5A is actually more affordable than its predecessor – the 4A used to go for RM449 at launch.