Redmi 5 Plus – Key Highlights

Released in December 2017, the Redmi 5 Plus was a milestone device that brought 18:9 full-screen display to the budget market for the first time . Known as the "affordable full-screen phone," it balanced a large display, massive battery, and reliable performance at an accessible price point.

📱 Display: The First Redmi with Full Screen

The Redmi 5 Plus was a pioneer in bringing modern screen design to budget phones :

• 5.99-inch Full HD+ display (2160 × 1080 resolution, 403 PPI) — sharp and detailed

• 18:9 aspect ratio — wider view for reading, browsing, and gaming

• 450 nits brightness with Sunlight mode — usable outdoors

• 84% NTSC color gamut — vibrant colors for the price

• 2.5D curved glass with Corning Gorilla Glass protection

• Features: Night display, Reading mode, Color temperature adjustment

Note: This was Redmi's first phone to ditch the traditional 16:9 screen. The waterdrop notch wasn't a thing yet — this phone kept a standard top bezel with symmetrical design .

🚀 Performance: The Legendary "God Processor"

The Redmi 5 Plus features the legendary Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 — a chip famous for its balance of performance and power efficiency .

What this means for you (at the time):

• Daily apps (social media, browsing, YouTube, messaging) — smooth and snappy

• Gaming — Honor of Kings ran at a stable 30fps; PUBG was playable on low settings

• MIUI 9 optimization — system-level performance tuning kept things responsive

Benchmarks (for reference):

• AnTuTu 6: ~63,000 points

• GeekBench 4: ~870 (single-core) / ~4,316 (multi-core) 

Real talk for 2025/2026: The Snapdragon 625 was a "god processor" in 2017, but today it's very dated. Expect slow performance with modern apps and heavy websites. Light use only.

🔋 Battery Life: The Absolute Star

The Redmi 5 Plus packs a 4,000mAh battery — one of the largest in its class at the time .

Lab-tested endurance (Xiaomi data) :

Real-world experience: Light to moderate users could easily get two full days on a single charge. The Snapdragon 625's 14nm efficiency made this phone a battery champion .

Charging: Supports 5V/2A (10W) charging via Micro-USB. A full charge takes about 2 hours (127 minutes in testing) . QC 2.0 fast charging is supported, but only a standard charger was included .

📸 Camera: Decent in Daylight

Rear Camera:

• 12MP main sensor (f/2.2 aperture, 1.25μm large pixels)

• PDAF phase detection autofocus

• Dual-tone LED flash 

• Features: HDR mode, Panorama, Face recognition

Front Camera:

• 5MP sensor (f/2.2 aperture)

• Selfie light (soft-light flash) — for better low-light selfies 

• Smart Beautify 3.0 — AI-powered beautification

Real talk (based on 2017 reviews):

• Daylight: Good detail, accurate colors, fast shutter speed — exceeded expectations for a budget phone

• Low-light: Struggled significantly — grainy images, loss of detail, white balance issues 

• Verdict: Fine for everyday snapshots and social media. Don't buy this for photography.

"In daylight, the camera performs well beyond its price point. In low light, don't expect miracles." — ITHome review 

🛠️ Features You'll Actually Use

Software: Ships with MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat — long out of support. No security updates .

🎨 Build & Design

• All-metal body (with plastic top/bottom strips) — premium feel for the price 

• Mid-frame slightly curved for better grip

• Symmetrical design — no notch, clean look

• Colors: Gold, Rose Gold, Black, Light Blue 

• Dimensions: 158.5 × 75.45 × 8.05mm

• Weight: 180g — solid but not heavy

• Corning Gorilla Glass front protection

• Four-corner buffer design — reduces screen cracking risk from drops 

Design note: The chin (bottom bezel) is quite thick — you could fit a home button there. The top bezel is symmetrical with the earpiece and sensors .

📊 Quick Spec Summary

🎯 Bottom Line: Who Is This For?

The Redmi 5 Plus is a great choice for:

• Budget-conscious buyers in 2017-2019 — It was the best value full-screen phone of its era

• Seniors (today) — Big screen, simple to use, long battery life

• Backup phone users — Cheap, durable, gets the basics right

• IR blaster fans — Still works as a universal remote

• Collectors — First Redmi "Plus" phone, a piece of Xiaomi history

Skip it if (in 2025/2026):

• You need daily driver performance — Snapdragon 625 is very dated

• You care about software updates — No security patches

• You need good photos — Camera struggles in low light

• You want USB-C — Micro-USB feels ancient now

• You use NFC for payments — Not supported

• You play modern games — Will lag and stutter

💬 How It Compares (Then vs. Now)

In 2017, the Redmi 5 Plus was revolutionary because:

• It brought 18:9 full-screen design to the ~$150 price point — previously only available on flagships

• The Snapdragon 625 + 4,000mAh battery combo was unbeatable for endurance

• It had an IR blaster (rare even then) and a selfie light — thoughtful extras

In 2025/2026, it shows its age:

• The Snapdragon 625 — once called a "god processor" — is now slower than the lowest-end modern chips

• Micro-USB instead of USB-C — a real annoyance today

• No software updates — security risks for daily use

• Low-light camera — far behind even cheap modern phones

📈 Verdict

The Redmi 5 Plus was a legendary budget phone that democratized full-screen displays:

✅ Did well (for its time): 18:9 full-screen display, massive 4,000mAh battery, legendary Snapdragon 625 efficiency, headphone jack, IR blaster, dedicated SD slot, solid build

❌ Shows its age (today): Micro-USB, 10W slow charging, dated processor (SD625), poor low-light camera, Android 7.1 (no updates), thick bezels, no NFC

Final thought: The Redmi 5 Plus is a piece of smartphone history — it was the phone that brought "full screen" to everyone. As a daily driver in 2025/2026, it's not recommended. But as a backup phone, a gift for a senior who just needs calls and simple apps, or a collector's item? It still has charm. Just know what you're getting — a reliable, basic phone that lasts forever on a charge, but won't win any speed awards.

For modern buyers: Consider newer budget phones like the Redmi 13C or 14C — they offer USB-C, modern processors, and current Android versions for not much more money.