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Xiaomi Redmi 6 Smartphone Review

The sixth iteration... The Redmi 6 is part of Xiaomi's very affordable smartphone series, aiming again to offer a lot of smartphone for little money. However, in the meantime, other manufacturers also offer good affordable smartphones. Our test clarifies whether the Redmi 6 is still a very good deal.
Xiaomi Redmi 6

Xiaomi Redmi – When those who like a good deal hear this name, their eyes grow large: For several years, this series has offered great, affordable smartphones that went beyond what we were used from budget smartphones in terms of their equipment. However, for a long time you also had to live with having to import the smartphones from China without them being adjusted well to the western market. But those times are over, and you can now also get Xiaomi phones in local online shops. At the same time, many other manufacturers have followed suit and also introduced smartphone models that are able to stand up quite well against the Xiaomi Redmi 6.

These include, for example the Gigaset GS100, the Wiko View Lite, and the Honor 7S. We have already tested some other variants of the Redmi 6, such as the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro and the Redmi 6A. We also want to find out in this test what the differences to the Redmi 6 are.

Compared to the predecessor, the Xiaomi Redmi 5, you can optionally get more storage and a second camera lens on the back, but there is also a weaker battery and the new model lacks the infrared sensor. 

Xiaomi Redmi 6 (Redmi Series)
Processor
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.45 inch 18:9, 1440 x 720 pixel 295 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 25 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm, Card Reader: microSD up to 256 GB, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, proximity sensor, compass
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, 2G (850/​900/​1800/​1900), 3G (B1/​B2/​B5/​B8), 4G (B1/​B2/​B3/​B4/​B5/​B7/​B8/​B20/​B38/​B40), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.3 x 147.5 x 71.5 ( = 0.33 x 5.81 x 2.81 in)
Battery
11.4 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix f/​2.2, phase comparison AF, LED flash, videos @1080p/​30fps (main camera); 5.0 MP, depth sharpness (secondary camera)
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix f/2.2
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker at the bottom edge, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, charger, USB cable, SIM tool, 24 Months Warranty, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou; SAR value: 0.55 W/​kg (head), 1.417 W/​kg (body); notification LED (single color); LTE speed: LTE Cat-7 (300 Mb/s) download / Cat-13 (150 Mb/s) upload
Weight
146 g ( = 5.15 oz / 0.32 pounds), Power Supply: 68 g ( = 2.4 oz / 0.15 pounds)
Price
150 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case – Good plastic

In a smartphone below 150 Euros (~$171), you cannot expect more than plastic as the case material, even from Xiaomi. But at least the Redmi 6 tries hard to look like metal and is nice to look at with its restrained design. With its rounded edges, the phone also feels good to hold in the hand.

According to Xiaomi, 80.5% of the front consists of the screen. There are small bezels on the sides, and the bezels are a bit larger on top and bottom to give space to the front camera and earpiece. With this, the design is at the same level as that of other budget phones. Anyone who wants more screen and does not mind a notch has to look for a slightly more expensive device such as the Redmi 6 Pro.

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 does not offer much resistance to pressure on the front and can be twisted, responding with some slight creaking. However, considering the price, the stability is decent. 

Xiaomi Redmi 6
Xiaomi Redmi 6
Xiaomi Redmi 6
Xiaomi Redmi 6
Xiaomi Redmi 6

Size Comparison

149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 9.3 mm / 0.3661 inch 174 g0.3836 lbs149.3 mm / 5.88 inch 71.7 mm / 2.82 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs149.4 mm / 5.88 inch 70.7 mm / 2.78 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 147 g0.3241 lbs147.5 mm / 5.81 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 146 g0.3219 lbs147.5 mm / 5.81 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Equipment – Ample optional storage

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 is available with either 32 or 64 GB of storage. The built-in amount of working memory also differs between both models: while the more affordable Redmi 6 brings 3 GB of RAM, the 64-GB model is equipped with 4 GB of RAM. Currently the price difference is barely 10 Euros (~$11) on the internet, so it definitely makes sense to get the slightly more expensive model. However, our test unit is the more affordable 32-GB model.

The Redmi phone is equipped with the classic 3.5-mm audio port, as well as a micro-USB port on the bottom that supports USB OTG. The microSD card reader is able to handle cards of up to 256 GB. It is very nice that it has its separate slot and you can therefore use two SIM cards and a microSD card at the same time. It is also interesting that both SIM slots are able to use LTE simultaneously if you desire this.

Top: 3.5-mm headphone jack, microphone
Top: 3.5-mm headphone jack, microphone
Bottom: microUSB 2.0, microphone
Bottom: microUSB 2.0, microphone
Left: SIM slot + microSD slot, SIM slot
Left: SIM slot + microSD slot, SIM slot
Right: Standby button, volume rocker
Right: Standby button, volume rocker

Software – Xiaomi phone with MIUI

On our test unit, MIUI 10 is preinstalled. Xiaomi's user interface is based on Android 8.1, but brings some changes in the user navigation and menu structure. At the time of our testing, the security patches are from Oct 1, 2018, so they are fairly current. There is still supposed to be an update to Android 9, but this will not be before the middle of next year, when the next Android version should already be on the market.

Many tools offering better management of the smartphone are preinstalled, such as a file manager or a cleaner app. There are hardly any ads, but only Facebook and several Microsoft apps. 

Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software
Xiaomi Redmi 6 software

Communication and GPS – Redmi 6 without 5-GHz access

The Redmi 6 enables LTE speeds up to 300 Mb/s with ten LTE frequencies being supported. All the important frequencies for the European market are included, and Band 4 which is important for the US and Canada is also supported. However, if you plan on some travel across continents, you should still check whether the Redmi 6 can access the LTE net in your host country. The reception is decent, and most of the time we had at least half the LTE reception strength indoors in the well-established German D2 net.

In terms of WLAN, unfortunately the Redmi 6 only supports the 802.11 b/g/n standards. The WLAN speed while sending is good in comparison with its price class, but while receiving it is only enough for last place, with the distance to the Honor 7S being small though. Those who want much faster transfer rates should look for the Gigaset GS100 or the Redmi 6 Pro, the latter of which even offers access to the less occupied and therefore often faster 5-GHz net, which remains inaccessible to the basic Redmi 6.

There are some significant wait times during page rendering near the router, but the full signal strength is available. At a distance of 10 meters (~33 ft) and through three walls, three quarters of the reception are still available and pages are rendered at a similar speed.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
119 MBit/s +114%
Gigaset GS100
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 8 GB eMMC Flash
99.6 MBit/s +79%
Honor 7S
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
59.9 MBit/s +8%
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
PowerVR GE8320, Helio A22 MT6762M, 32 GB eMMC Flash
55.7 (52min - 59max) MBit/s 0%
Xiaomi Redmi 6
PowerVR GE8320, Helio P22 MT6762, 32 GB eMMC Flash
55.5 (47min - 59max) MBit/s
Wiko View Lite
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
9.4 MBit/s -83%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +505%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
117 MBit/s +88%
Gigaset GS100
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 8 GB eMMC Flash
97.9 MBit/s +58%
Xiaomi Redmi 6
PowerVR GE8320, Helio P22 MT6762, 32 GB eMMC Flash
62.1 (30min - 62max) MBit/s
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
PowerVR GE8320, Helio A22 MT6762M, 32 GB eMMC Flash
59.6 (56min - 61max) MBit/s -4%
Honor 7S
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
58.2 MBit/s -6%
Wiko View Lite
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5.9 MBit/s -90%
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Redmi 6; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø59.9 (30-62)
Xiaomi Redmi 6; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø55.8 (47-59)
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors

The GPS module in the Redmi 6, which also supports A-GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou, surprises us: First, it is able to locate us on the top floor of a brick building without any problems, and outdoors the location can even be determined with an accuracy of up to 2 meters (~6.6 ft). 

Second, it does a very good job in our practice navigation test where we go on a bike tour with our test unit, also taking the Garmin Edge 520 professional navigation device. While the Redmi 6 likes to record some short cuts and its recordings do not exactly match our riding route, it is still able to place us on the right side of the street we rode, and is also able to master our bridge crossing quite well. Our path at the following junction area is also recorded well, so overall you can rely on the Redmi 6 for navigation on the road.

GPS Garmin Edge 520 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – small forest
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – small forest
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – bridge
GPS Xiaomi Redmi 6 – overview
GPS Xiaomi Redmi 6 – overview
GPS Xiaomi Redmi 6 – small forest
GPS Xiaomi Redmi 6 – small forest
GPS Xiaomi Redmi 6 – bridge
GPS Xiaomi Redmi 6 – bridge

Telephone Functions and Voice Quality – VoLTE is supported

Xiaomi has adjusted the Telephone app, betting on the keypad being used more, while Google's standard app emphasizes the favorites and call lists. But in the end, both apps offer similar functions. VoLTE is supported, as long as the provider offers it.

During voice calls, the Redmi 6 strikes a fairly good figure. Our conversation partner sounds clear in the earpiece and there are hardly any noises. Our own voice is also transferred fairly clearly. During hands-free operation, our conversation partner could have been slightly louder, but our own voice is again transferred well, no matter whether we talk with a loud or low voice.

Cameras – The Redmi 6 with a decent dual camera system

Picture taken with front camera
Picture taken with front camera

In terms of the cameras, little has changed compared to the Xiaomi Redmi 5, and there is still a 12-Megapixel lens on the back. But there is one essential difference, since the main camera is now supported by a second camera lens with 5 Megapixels that handles the calculation of the depth sharpness in portrait mode. So this is the most affordable variant of a dual camera system that unfortunately also brings the least benefits. In higher-quality smartphones you can use an optical zoom, take wide-angle or telephoto pictures, or increase the image quality at night via the dual-camera system. While all that is not available in the Xiaomi Redmi 6, at least the main camera takes fairly acceptable pictures with many details and decent colors in normal light conditions. But of course the camera remains within the limits of its price-class, and higher-quality lenses capture considerably more detail and are also significantly more light-sensitive. However, considering its affordable price, the Redmi 6 takes decent pictures. In weak light, the brightness is only mediocre, but the image sharpness is also suitable here.

Videos can be recorded at a maximum of 1080p and 30 FPS. The exposure reacts smoothly and correctly to changing light conditions, but we noticed very strong graininess in weak light. 

As in its predecessor, the front camera has a resolution of 5 Megapixels. Selfies are fairly acceptable, but easily become muddy in the detail. The edges of objects also look fuzzy.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

The main camera also must prove itself under controlled light conditions in our test lab. The color reproduction is slightly too dark here, and the contrast could have been higher. The image sharpness is okay, but not outstanding.

Picture taken of test chart
Picture taken of test chart
Test chart detail
Test chart detail
ColorChecker: The target color is displayed in the bottom half of each field.
ColorChecker: The target color is displayed in the bottom half of each field.

Accessories and Warranty – The smartphone has no warranty for now

The insides of the box look quite spartan, which is not unusual for an affordable smartphone. There are a quick charger, a USB cable, and a SIM tool to open the tray, and that is it. Xiaomi's website does not offer any particular accessories for the smartphone either.

The warranty is still a big question mark for Xiaomi devices, but those who purchase from EU vendors have the right to a two-year warranty from the vendor. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation – Redmi phone with a good touchscreen

The touchscreen has a good, sliding-friendly surface and responds very fast, even at the edges of the screen. 

The menu navigation of the operating system happens via symbols on the touchscreen, there are no dedicated keys or touch areas on the device. The only hardware buttons are on the right side of the smartphone, allowing you to wake up the device from standby or turn it off, or adjust the volume. The buttons can be found easily by touch and offer a very clear pressure point.

On the back of the Xiaomi Redmi 6 is a fingerprint sensor that can also be found easily by touch, responding very quickly and precisely. You can store several fingerprints, so that you can also use your other hand or offer access to other people.

Keyboard, landscape
Keyboard, landscape
Keyboard, portrait
Keyboard, portrait

Display – Fairly dark display in the Xiaomi Redmi 6

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

In terms of its dimensions and resolution, the display corresponds to that of the Xiaomi Redmi 6A, but the brightness distribution is slightly better in the Redmi 6. On the other hand, the Redmi 6 barely produces an average brightness of 361.4 cd/m², and its sibling models as well as the other comparison devices are significantly brighter. The resolution of the Redmi 6 is at the level of its price-class.

360
cd/m²
350
cd/m²
352
cd/m²
365
cd/m²
373
cd/m²
356
cd/m²
368
cd/m²
370
cd/m²
359
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 373 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 361.4 cd/m² Minimum: 1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 373 cd/m²
Contrast: 704:1 (Black: 0.53 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.22 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.321
Xiaomi Redmi 6
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
LCD IPS, 2280x1080, 5.84
Honor 7S
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Gigaset GS100
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Wiko View Lite
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Screen
22%
6%
11%
-27%
7%
Brightness middle
373
404
8%
554
49%
422
13%
442
18%
524
40%
Brightness
361
400
11%
538
49%
417
16%
446
24%
499
38%
Brightness Distribution
94
82
-13%
91
-3%
96
2%
86
-9%
89
-5%
Black Level *
0.53
0.26
51%
0.61
-15%
0.58
-9%
0.35
34%
0.6
-13%
Contrast
704
1554
121%
908
29%
728
3%
1263
79%
873
24%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.22
4.28
-1%
4.86
-15%
3.29
22%
8.03
-90%
4.75
-13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.14
9.97
2%
8.46
17%
6.91
32%
15.81
-56%
8.45
17%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.3
3.5
-6%
5.3
-61%
3.1
6%
10.4
-215%
4.3
-30%
Gamma
2.321 95%
2.213 99%
2.281 96%
2.219 99%
2.02 109%
2.248 98%
CCT
6862 95%
6899 94%
7770 84%
6873 95%
10070 65%
7261 90%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17903 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

We did not notice any PWM flickering in the Redmi 6. At 0.53 cd/m², the black value is barely at the class level, but since the brightness is also less than that of the other devices, the contrast ratio is rather mediocre at only 704:1. Colors look slightly pale, but the Redmi 6 also offers several color profiles and an option to manually adjust the white balance.

In our tests with the CalMAN software and the spectral photometer, we evaluate the default color settings. The Redmi 6 fares fairly well for its price-class, and only the green and blue tones deviate too much from the reference color space. There is no blue tint, which is also positive.

CalMAN Color Accuracy
CalMAN Color Accuracy
CalMAN Color Space
CalMAN Color Space
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19 ms rise
↘ 11 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 36 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

There are significant brightness shifts in the viewing angles when looking at the display from the side, but the contents still remain recognizable.

Outdoors, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 has a hard time due to the low brightness, so you should only use it in the shade on bright days. The brightness sensor reacts well and fairly quickly to changing light conditions.

Outdoor use – brightness sensor
Outdoor use – brightness sensor
Outdoor use – maximum brightness
Outdoor use – maximum brightness
Outdoor use – medium brightness
Outdoor use – medium brightness
Outdoor use – minimum brightness
Outdoor use – minimum brightness
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance – Decent amount of power for a budget phone

The Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 is really a mid-range SoC and quite an advertisement for such an affordable smartphone. In fact, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 again is much faster than all the comparison devices, if you exclude the more expensive Redmi 6 Pro. The same also goes for the PowerVR GE8320 graphics solution, which does its work quickly.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
824 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
825 Points 0%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
880 Points +7%
Honor 7S
644 Points -22%
Gigaset GS100
579 Points -30%
Wiko View Lite
653 Points -21%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (749 - 824, n=10)
777 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (934 - 9574, n=91, last 2 years)
5228 Points +534%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
3660 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
2471 Points -32%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
4369 Points +19%
Honor 7S
1748 Points -52%
Gigaset GS100
1418 Points -61%
Wiko View Lite
1846 Points -50%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3300 - 3660, n=10)
3497 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=91, last 2 years)
14045 Points +284%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
2799 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
1699 Points -39%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
3644 Points +30%
Honor 7S
1172 Points -58%
Wiko View Lite
1301 Points -54%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (2166 - 3015, n=8)
2675 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=72, last 2 years)
10872 Points +288%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
6200 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
6194 Points 0%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
5716 Points -8%
Honor 7S
Points -100%
Wiko View Lite
4310 Points -30%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (4404 - 7465, n=18)
5847 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +143%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
4801 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
Points -100%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
4828 Points +1%
Honor 7S
2467 Points -49%
Gigaset GS100
2630 Points -45%
Wiko View Lite
3068 Points -36%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3805 - 5380, n=21)
4696 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +126%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
9835 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
7671 Points -22%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
13847 Points +41%
Honor 7S
4203 Points -57%
Gigaset GS100
3395 Points -65%
Wiko View Lite
4185 Points -57%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (9835 - 13960, n=20)
11460 Points +17%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
9536 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
6785 Points -29%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
13369 Points +40%
Honor 7S
4346 Points -54%
Gigaset GS100
2878 Points -70%
Wiko View Lite
3582 Points -62%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (9536 - 13491, n=20)
11373 Points +19%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
11048 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
14128 Points +28%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
15870 Points +44%
Honor 7S
8269 Points -25%
Gigaset GS100
9159 Points -17%
Wiko View Lite
10197 Points -8%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (9080 - 15891, n=20)
12110 Points +10%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
589 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
456 Points -23%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
867 Points +47%
Honor 7S
152 Points -74%
Gigaset GS100
127 Points -78%
Wiko View Lite
151 Points -74%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (428 - 830, n=23)
633 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=50, last 2 years)
3766 Points +539%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
523 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
403 Points -23%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
743 Points +42%
Honor 7S
125 Points -76%
Gigaset GS100
104 Points -80%
Wiko View Lite
125 Points -76%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (370 - 750, n=23)
572 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=50, last 2 years)
4186 Points +700%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
1050 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
840 Points -20%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
2098 Points +100%
Honor 7S
620 Points -41%
Gigaset GS100
532 Points -49%
Wiko View Lite
574 Points -45%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (854 - 1185, n=23)
1026 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=50, last 2 years)
3082 Points +194%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
699 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
494 Points -29%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
885 Points +27%
Honor 7S
194 Points -72%
Gigaset GS100
159 Points -77%
Wiko View Lite
195 Points -72%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (513 - 873, n=23)
770 Points +10%
Average of class Smartphone (704 - 23024, n=114, last 2 years)
9351 Points +1238%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
647 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
445 Points -31%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
784 Points +21%
Honor 7S
162 Points -75%
Gigaset GS100
131 Points -80%
Wiko View Lite
163 Points -75%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (452 - 823, n=23)
719 Points +11%
Average of class Smartphone (607 - 45492, n=113, last 2 years)
16352 Points +2427%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
971 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
807 Points -17%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
2023 Points +108%
Honor 7S
629 Points -35%
Gigaset GS100
611 Points -37%
Wiko View Lite
636 Points -35%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (900 - 1195, n=23)
1032 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone (1075 - 8749, n=113, last 2 years)
4426 Points +356%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
366 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
268 Points -27%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
479 Points +31%
Honor 7S
104 Points -72%
Gigaset GS100
86 Points -77%
Wiko View Lite
103 Points -72%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (269 - 470, n=22)
383 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=106, last 2 years)
2738 Points +648%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
309 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
225 Points -27%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
392 Points +27%
Honor 7S
84 Points -73%
Gigaset GS100
69 Points -78%
Wiko View Lite
83 Points -73%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (222 - 405, n=22)
326 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=106, last 2 years)
2733 Points +784%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
1023 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
828 Points -19%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
2104 Points +106%
Honor 7S
573 Points -44%
Gigaset GS100
549 Points -46%
Wiko View Lite
585 Points -43%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (860 - 1175, n=22)
1022 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=106, last 2 years)
3156 Points +209%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
435 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
305 Points -30%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
535 Points +23%
Honor 7S
Points -100%
Gigaset GS100
93 Points -79%
Wiko View Lite
121 Points -72%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (426 - 536, n=22)
482 Points +11%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 20131, n=183, last 2 years)
6705 Points +1441%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
376 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
260 Points -31%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
442 Points +18%
Honor 7S
Points -100%
Gigaset GS100
75 Points -80%
Wiko View Lite
98 Points -74%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (368 - 467, n=22)
418 Points +11%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 33376, n=182, last 2 years)
9675 Points +2473%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
955 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
763 Points -20%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
1999 Points +109%
Honor 7S
Points -100%
Gigaset GS100
611 Points -36%
Wiko View Lite
642 Points -33%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (912 - 1188, n=22)
1036 Points +8%
Average of class Smartphone (938 - 8480, n=182, last 2 years)
4216 Points +341%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
26 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
19 fps -27%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
21 fps -19%
Honor 7S
10 fps -62%
Gigaset GS100
8.2 fps -68%
Wiko View Lite
9.6 fps -63%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (24 - 27, n=9)
26 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=183, last 2 years)
84.6 fps +225%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
19 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
13 fps -32%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
23 fps +21%
Honor 7S
6.1 fps -68%
Gigaset GS100
5 fps -74%
Wiko View Lite
6 fps -68%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (17 - 20, n=9)
19 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=183, last 2 years)
247 fps +1200%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
17 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
12 fps -29%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
9.4 fps -45%
Honor 7S
5.7 fps -66%
Gigaset GS100
4.4 fps -74%
Wiko View Lite
5.4 fps -68%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (15 - 17, n=9)
16.6 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=185, last 2 years)
72.2 fps +325%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
9.4 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
6.3 fps -33%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
9.9 fps +5%
Honor 7S
2.8 fps -70%
Wiko View Lite
2.7 fps -71%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (9.1 - 10, n=9)
9.67 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=185, last 2 years)
140.6 fps +1396%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
11 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
7.5 fps -32%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
6.1 fps -45%
Honor 7S
3.6 fps -67%
Gigaset GS100
2.8 fps -75%
Wiko View Lite
3.4 fps -69%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (10 - 11, n=9)
10.6 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=185, last 2 years)
60.9 fps +454%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
4.6 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
4 fps -13%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
6.5 fps +41%
Honor 7S
1.6 fps -65%
Gigaset GS100
1.3 fps -72%
Wiko View Lite
1.6 fps -65%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3.7 - 6.2, n=9)
5.61 fps +22%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=185, last 2 years)
99 fps +2052%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
4.8 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
3.2 fps -33%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
3.6 fps -25%
Honor 7S
1.7 fps -65%
Wiko View Lite
1.5 fps -69%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3.8 - 5.1, n=9)
4.37 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=185, last 2 years)
43.4 fps +804%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
2.1 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
1.9 fps -10%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
3.5 fps +67%
Honor 7S
0.91 fps -57%
Wiko View Lite
0.89 fps -58%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (2.1 - 2.9, n=9)
2.69 fps +28%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=185, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +2752%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
6.8 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
4.3 fps -37%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (6.4 - 7.6, n=21)
6.9 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=227, last 2 years)
43.9 fps +546%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
3.5 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
2.3 (4.3min) fps -34%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3.5 - 4.7, n=21)
3.81 fps +9%
Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 229, n=227, last 2 years)
64 fps +1729%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
4.3 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
2.7 fps -37%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (4.1 - 4.8, n=21)
4.35 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 119, n=227, last 2 years)
32.7 fps +660%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
1.4 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
0.85 fps -39%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (1.3 - 1.6, n=21)
1.39 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 94, n=227, last 2 years)
25.5 fps +1721%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
75706 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
61753 Points -18%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
79099 Points +4%
Honor 7S
39468 Points -48%
Wiko View Lite
43387 Points -43%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (71347 - 88242, n=9)
76135 Points +1%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 6
57169 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
51633 Points -10%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
68348 Points +20%
Gigaset GS100
30702 Points -46%
Wiko View Lite
34225 Points -40%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (52433 - 57309, n=7)
54829 Points -4%

Legend

 
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Xiaomi Redmi 6A Mediatek Helio A22 MT6762M, PowerVR GE8320, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 7S Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Gigaset GS100 Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Wiko View Lite Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash

The browser performance is also quite fast in the Redmi 6 if you consider similar-priced devices, but the Redmi 6A performs at a fairly similar level.

More demanding HTML-5 pages such as Google's Interland run quite smoothly and only stutter occasionally.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years)
104.3 Points +359%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro (Chrome 68)
25.79 Points +13%
Xiaomi Redmi 6A (Chrome 70)
23.55 Points +4%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (22.7 - 24.6, n=5)
23.3 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 (Chrome 70)
22.74 Points
Wiko View Lite (Chrome 67)
17.63 Points -22%
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
17.54 Points -23%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
13.38 Points -41%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 89112, n=214, last 2 years)
33357 Points +684%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro (Chrome 68)
4808 Points +13%
Xiaomi Redmi 6A (Chrome 70)
4332 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 (Chrome 70)
4257 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3312 - 4508, n=9)
4166 Points -2%
Wiko View Lite (Chrome 67)
3202 Points -25%
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
3132 Points -26%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
2093 Points -51%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
17852 ms * -65%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
15962 ms * -47%
Wiko View Lite (Chrome 67)
15713 ms * -45%
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (10846 - 12799, n=9)
11753 ms * -8%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 (Chrome 70)
10846 ms *
Xiaomi Redmi 6A (Chrome 70)
10740 ms * +1%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro (Chrome 68)
9880 ms * +9%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years)
1595 ms * +85%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro (Chrome 68)
109 Points +20%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 (Chrome 70)
91 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 ()
91 Points 0%
Xiaomi Redmi 6A (Chrome 70)
88 Points -3%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
52 Points -43%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years)
133.1 Points +359%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro (Chrome 68)
38 Points +31%
Xiaomi Redmi 6A (Chrome 70)
30 Points +3%
Xiaomi Redmi 6 (Chrome 70)
29 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (26 - 30, n=7)
28.6 Points -1%

* ... smaller is better

Our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference microSD card achieves quite fast transfer rates in the Xiaomi Redmi 6. The system also operates fast when accessing internal storage. Particularly compared to the Gigaset GS100 which is very slow in this regard, we can see significant differences in the access speeds.

Xiaomi Redmi 6Xiaomi Redmi 6AXiaomi Redmi 6 ProHonor 7SGigaset GS100Wiko View LiteAverage 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
3%
34%
-26%
-51%
-33%
-20%
572%
Sequential Read 256KB
287
277.5
-3%
278.7
-3%
237.6
-17%
97.2
-66%
253.2
-12%
Sequential Write 256KB
118.4
131.7
11%
212.9
80%
67.1
-43%
24
-80%
44.45
-62%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
-15%
Random Read 4KB
52.5
33.94
-35%
66.9
27%
39.69
-24%
17.6
-66%
27.35
-48%
Random Write 4KB
36.3
52.2
44%
72.6
100%
13.24
-64%
6.2
-83%
11.05
-70%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
-38%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
82.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
82.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
80.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-3%
79.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
80.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-13%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
64.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
65.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
62.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-3%
61.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
61 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
61.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-18%

Games – Smartphone for non-demanding gamers

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 is basically suited for gaming if you are content with 30 FPS and do not run any other demanding tasks in the background. In "Arena of Valor," we achieved a fairly constant 30 FPS regardless of the selected quality level. In "Shadow Fight 3," the frame rate can even rise above 50 FPS, but we cannot achieve a constant 60 FPS. There are also some noticeable stutters in the menus.

With the help of "Temple Run 2," we can evaluate the quality of the position sensor and touchscreen for controlling games. Both respond to inputs with only minimal delays.

Shadow Fight 3
Shadow Fight 3
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Redmi 6 PowerVR GE8320, Helio P22 MT6762, 32 GB eMMC Flash; min; 1.25.1.2: Ø31.2 (23-32)
Motorola One Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash; min; 1.25.1.2: Ø31.2 (28-32)
OnePlus 6T Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash; min; 1.25.1.2: Ø60 (58-60)
Xiaomi Redmi 6 PowerVR GE8320, Helio P22 MT6762, 32 GB eMMC Flash; high HD; 1.25.1.2: Ø30.7 (25-32)
Motorola One Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash; high HD; 1.25.1.2: Ø30.7 (30-31)
OnePlus 6T Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash; high HD; 1.25.1.2: Ø60 (56-60)
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Redmi 6 PowerVR GE8320, Helio P22 MT6762, 32 GB eMMC Flash; minimal; 1.14.2: Ø57.2 (45-61)
Motorola One Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash; minimal; 1.14.2: Ø57.2 (52-60)
OnePlus 6T Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash; minimal; 1.14.2: Ø60 (59-61)
Xiaomi Redmi 6 PowerVR GE8320, Helio P22 MT6762, 32 GB eMMC Flash; high; 1.14.2: Ø56.6 (45-61)
Motorola One Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash; high; 1.14.2: Ø53.5 (42-59)
OnePlus 6T Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash; high; 1.14.2: Ø59.9 (59-61)

Emissions – Little warming, no throttling

Temperature

GFX Bench battery test
GFX Bench battery test

At no time do the surface temperatures of the Xiaomi Redmi 6 rise to a critical range. At a maximum of 33.8 °C (~93 °F), you hardly notice the warming even after prolonged loads. 

Thus, it is not surprising that the performance can be maintained under longer loads without any problems, and you do not need to be concerned about any throttling in the Xiaomi Redmi 6.

Max. Load
 32.9 °C
91 F
30.5 °C
87 F
30.5 °C
87 F
 
 32.3 °C
90 F
30.5 °C
87 F
31.1 °C
88 F
 
 32.3 °C
90 F
30.8 °C
87 F
30.5 °C
87 F
 
Maximum: 32.9 °C = 91 F
Average: 31.3 °C = 88 F
31.2 °C
88 F
31.9 °C
89 F
33 °C
91 F
31.2 °C
88 F
31.6 °C
89 F
33.8 °C
93 F
30.9 °C
88 F
31.5 °C
89 F
33 °C
91 F
Maximum: 33.8 °C = 93 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  41.5 °C = 107 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 32.9 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.8 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.4 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map, front
Heat map, front
Heat map, back
Heat map, back

Speaker

Speaker test Pink Noise
Speaker test Pink Noise

Our comparison with the Redmi 6A shows that both sound curves are almost identical, so we can assume that the two smartphones have the same audio system. This means that the speaker is not particularly loud but is sufficient for a small room. The sound is not rich and deep mids can hardly be heard. However, you can still listen to some music from time to time and voices are reproduced passably, since the sound profile is fairly linear. But after prolonged listening you do notice the overemphasized highs at high volumes which are uncomfortable to the ear.

Using headphones or speakers does not pose any problems connecting them to the 3.5-mm audio port which delivers a good sound. The same goes for a Bluetooth connection.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.946.72536.543.23137.236.94037.637.65031.733.66323.824.28024.423.910023.623.112519.921.616023.325.820018.430.225018.238.531515.845.340014.653.450015.557.66301362.180012.365.1100012.166.7125011.965.6160010.767.9200010.767.6250010.566.7315010.366.7400010.766.3500010.565.1630010.565800010.662.61000010.661.41250010.553.11600010.643.1SPL61.424.177.6N14.50.639.4median 12.1median 61.4median 58.5Delta5.314.619.136.945.536.544.937.239.137.641.231.73523.823.724.425.123.625.119.922.723.32418.430.718.238.215.845.114.653.415.557.21361.512.364.712.166.111.965.810.768.210.768.110.566.610.366.810.767.210.565.510.56510.663.210.662.510.553.710.641.461.552.561.424.177.814.68.214.50.639.8median 12.1median 61.5median 37.9median 12.3median 58.85.313.823.511.819hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Redmi 6Xiaomi Redmi 6A
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Xiaomi Redmi 6 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Xiaomi Redmi 6A audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 66% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 80% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life – Mediocre Runtimes of the Xiaomi smartphone

Power Consumption

Although the Redmi 6 offers more performance, it uses only slightly more power than the Redmi 6A. Overall, the smartphone also appears fairly energy efficient, if you compare it with similarly priced devices. For example, the Honor 7S consumes more than twice the power in some scenarios.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.09 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.6 / 1.3 / 2.1 Watt
Load midlight 3 / 4.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Xiaomi Redmi 6
3000 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
3000 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
4000 mAh
Honor 7S
3020 mAh
Gigaset GS100
3000 mAh
Wiko View Lite
3000 mAh
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-2%
-68%
-128%
-57%
-65%
-4%
-43%
Idle Minimum *
0.6
0.7
-17%
1.3
-117%
2.5
-317%
1.3
-117%
1.2
-100%
0.669 ?(0.48 - 1, n=14)
-12%
Idle Average *
1.3
1.2
8%
2.1
-62%
3
-131%
2.1
-62%
2
-54%
1.577 ?(1 - 2.4, n=14)
-21%
Idle Maximum *
2.1
2
5%
3.7
-76%
3.8
-81%
2.9
-38%
3.2
-52%
1.851 ?(1.43 - 2.9, n=14)
12%
Load Average *
3
3.4
-13%
4.5
-50%
5.4
-80%
4.4
-47%
5.2
-73%
2.91 ?(1.94 - 4, n=14)
3%
Load Maximum *
4.4
4
9%
6
-36%
5.7
-30%
5.3
-20%
6.4
-45%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

On the other hand, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 unfortunately is unable to convince completely in terms of its battery life: First, the battery is slightly smaller than that of the Xiaomi Redmi 5, and second, the power management also seems to be less optimal than in the Honor 7S for example, which can last longer in the WLAN test despite a higher consumption. But 11:35 hours for our test unit is really not a bad value, and similarly priced smartphones with similar-sized batteries such as the Gigaset GS100 and the Wiko View Lite offer less battery life. However, considering the low power consumption, there would have been room for more.

Unfortunately, the included charger offers only 5 watts of power, making fast charging impossible. With this, it can take just over 2 hours to completely recharge the battery.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
23h 45min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 35min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
12h 32min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 58min
Xiaomi Redmi 6
3000 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
3000 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
4000 mAh
Honor 7S
3020 mAh
Gigaset GS100
3000 mAh
Wiko View Lite
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
9%
33%
21%
-23%
-8%
Reader / Idle
1425
1765
24%
H.264
752
1214
61%
WiFi v1.3
695
761
9%
868
25%
840
21%
532
-23%
638
-8%
Load
238
293
23%

Pros

+ a lot of storage for its price
+ fast processor
+ good price-performance ratio
+ decent cameras
+ accurate touchscreen
+ hardly any warming
+ dedicated microSD slot

Cons

- dark screen with low contrast
- no 5-Ghz WLAN
- case is not very stable
- vendor warranty only, no manufacturer warranty

Verdict – Xiaomi can still do it

Testing the Xiaomi Redmi 6. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
Testing the Xiaomi Redmi 6. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

You might think that at this point, other manufacturers might know just as well as Xiaomi how to bring affordable smartphones to the market. However, the Chinese manufacturer can show again and again that it can still do more: The Redmi 6 offers more performance at the same price as many other competitors, and the battery life is also on a good level. At the same time, the Redmi phone offers a very solid performance in many categories which makes it into a reliable companion: a decent case, a relatively reliable GPS, a relatively large amount of storage, a decent touchscreen, and hardly any warming.

Although the distance to other affordable smartphones might have shrunk, it is still clearly noticeable. The Xiaomi Redmi 6 is once again a very powerful budget phone.

It would have been nice, if we could have used the 5-GHz band in the WLAN and if the display would have been slightly brighter. Some purists would also have been happy with a pure Android, rather than Xiaomi's MIUI which is quite restrictive in some regards. On the other hand, entry-level users are protected by many security measures. As a consolation, you also get goodies such as a dedicated microSD slot. Overall, the Redmi 6 proves again why Xiaomi has achieved a good reputation for its good price-performance ratio.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 - 11/28/2018 v6(old)
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
74%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
39 / 60 → 64%
Weight
93%
Battery
94%
Display
84%
Games Performance
21 / 63 → 33%
Application Performance
49 / 70 → 70%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
61 / 91 → 67%
Camera
67%
Average
71%
82%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Florian Schmitt, 2018-11-30 (Update: 2019-02-26)