Microsoft Lumia 535 vs Xiaomi Redmi 1S: Comparison of the mid-range budget smartphones

Microsoft Lumia 535, the first non-Nokia branded Lumia smartphone had been discussed in great deal even before its official launch, by virtue of its exclusive Microsoft branding and because the device was expected to cater to smartphone buyers on shoestring budgets.

However, Lumia 535 has come under intense competition from already existing similarange smartphones in terms of offering value for money and decent technical specifications.

One such competitor is the Xiaomi Redmi 1S which also offers affordability and hardware specifications that seemingly complement the price tag of the device.

Let's take a look at how the Lumia 535 and Xiaomi Redmi 1S stack up against each other.

Microsoft Lumia 535 VS Xiaomi Redmi 1S

Display

Microsoft's Lumia 535 has a 5in display with resolution of 540 x 960 and pixel density of 220 ppi. The smartphones' touchscreen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

On the other hand, Xiaomi's Redmi 1S incorporates a comparatively smaller 4.7in LCD Capacitive touchscreen having a resolution of 720 x 1280 and pixel density of 312 ppi. The touchscreen is protected by the AGC Dragontrail glass.

Both smartphones boast multitouch support and 16 million colours.

Both Lumia 535 and Redmi 1S provide a decent display, but the Redmi 1S has a slight edge over the Lumia 535 with its better pixel density that provides sharper images, in comparison to the Lumia 535's screen.

Hardware

Microsoft Lumia 535 is driven by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 SoC clocked at 1.2GHz and supported by 1GB RAM on board.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S boasts of a 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, with an identical 1GB RAM on board.

Both the devices have an identical Cortex-A7 chipset.

From the above, it is evident that the Redmi 1S will offer better performance, speed and support high-end gaming, when compared to the Lumia 535.

In terms of connectivity, both the handsets offer 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity options, which makes the battle even.

Memory

Both the Microsoft Lumia 535 and Xiaomi Redmi 1S feature 8GB internal storage as standard, but differ in offering expansion.

Redmi 1S allows expansion of its internal storage up to 32GB with the help of microSD cards, whereas internal storage within Lumia 535 can be expanded up to 128GB via MicroSD card, so it is clear who the storage space winner is here.

Camera

The Microsoft Lumia 535 features a 5MP autofocus rear camera that comes with LED flash and supports geo-tagging of images. The camera supports shooting 480p videos at 30 frames per second (fps). The handset also features an identical 5MP front camera.

However, the Redmi 1S incorporates a superior 8MP rear camera that has LED flash and supports geo-tagging. Users can shoot 1080p videos at 30 frames per second (fps). With a mid-range rear camera, Redmi 1S features a paltry 1.6MP front camera that should suffice for basic video calling, more than anything else.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S pips the Lumia 535 with its 8MP rear camera, but the former's 5MP front camera should prove a hit with the selfie generation.

Battery

The Redmi 1S offers a slightly better 2000 mAh Li-Ion battery, in comparison to the Lumia 535's 1905 mAh Li-Ion battery offering.

If you are looking at a smartphone offering an above-average battery backup time and talktime, choose the Redmi 1S over Lumia 535.

Software

Lumia 535 runs Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 operating platform (Also read how Windows Phone 8.1 performed in November 2014), out of the box, and incorporates Lumia Denim. Buyers of Lumia 535 should also get to observe Nokia-specific native applications viz MixRadio and Here Maps (both online and offline).

In contrast, Xiaomi's Redmi 1S is driven by Google's now-legacy Android 4.3 Jelly bean operating system with the MIUI 5 user-interface on top. Availability of Android 5.0 is not known at this point of time.

The winner in this category should be Windows Phone 8.1 considering the OS's recent roll out and the Lumia Denim update, both of which should offer comparatively newer features, ease of use and intuitiveness.

Release date and price

Both the Lumia 535 and Redmi 1S have been released and are available for purchase in several countries.

Lumia 535 has been officially launched in India where the device is priced at £95 (INR 9,199). The smartphone has also hit European shores, and is available for purchase in France for a price of €109.

Lumia 535 is confirmed to have a sub £100 price-tag in the UK as well. Microsoft Great Britain has listed the budget smartphone on its portal, which means that an official launch in the country is imminent.

Xiaomi's Redmi 1S has a price tag of £70 ($116).

Both the smartphones seemingly draw level with respect to offering affordability, but the Redmi 1S offers greater value for money, in comparison to Lumia 535, with its superior hardware aspects. However, Microsoft's reliability factor and Nokia roots can work in Lumia 535's favour.