Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and CEO
Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and CEO, speaks at a launch ceremony for the Xiaomi Phone 4 in Beijing in 2014. Reuters/Jason Lee

Microsoft's latest smartphone Lumia 535 has recently been released in November, whereas the widely popular Xiaomi Redmi 1S was originally released in its home country in May. However, now, the Xiaomi device can be purchased from many global markets. Readers who are interested in the budget-friendly Xiaomi Redmi 1S or the latest Microsoft Lumia 535 should check out the comparison of the two devices below.

Display, Design And Size

The Microsoft Lumia 535 features a 5.0-inch IPS LCD display complemented by a modest screen resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. The Xiaomi Redmi 1S, on the other hand, comes with a relatively smaller 4.7-inch IPS LCD display. However, the screen resolution stands out at 720 x 1,280 pixels. Therefore, the pixel densities of Xiaomi and Microsoft handsets stand at 312 ppi and 220 ppi, respectively. Readers should note that the higher the pixel density, the higher is the clarity and sharpness of the display.

When it comes to design, the Microsoft Lumia 535 is housed in a plastic chassis, which is synonymous to virtually all the Lumia handsets. Notably, the over-the-top shiny, plastic look may not be preferred by many buyers, as the most are rooting for the metallic look. On the positive side, the phone provides good friction and extremely comfortable on the hands, thanks to the size of the device. Nonetheless, the plastic exterior gives a cheap look to the handset, according to Forbes.

Meanwhile, the wallet-friendly Redmi 1S handset houses a plastic rear. However, the rear shell is only marginally glossy, unlike the Lumia handset. Nevertheless, the housed front and back panels have the tendency to pile up fingerprints and smudges. But then, Tech2 says the plastic material used in the Xiaomi Redmi 1S phone is comparatively better looking than many other wallet-friendly smartphones available in the market.

Speaking of size, the thickness and weight of the Redmi 1S and Lumia 535 are 0.39 inches and 158 grams and 0.35 inches and 146 grams, respectively. Clearly, the latest Lumia 535 is lighter and thinner than the Xiaomi handset.

Hardware, Software And Memory

The Xiaomi handset is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400) Cortex-A7 processor, clocked at 1.6 GHz. The Microsoft device, on the other hand, is powered by a relatively inferior quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 200) Cortex-A7 processor, clocked at 1.2 GHz. Despite the difference, both handsets are backed by 1 GB of RAM. On the software side, the Xiaomi phone runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS with MIUI 5 on top of it, while the Microsoft Lumia 535 runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1.

As far as memory goes, both budget-friendly smartphones are equipped with 8 GB of internal storage. Plus, both phones support microSD card. But then, the expansion limits of Xiaomi and Microsoft handsets stand at 32 GB and 128 GB, respectively.

Camera And Battery

While the Redmi 1S houses a good 8 MP primary camera with LED flash, the Lumia 535 sports a 5 MP unit with LED flash. In addition, the Lumia handset features a surprisingly good 5 MP snapper as the secondary unit for selfies, while the Xiaomi device houses a 1.6 MP shooter. Moreover, the camera unit of Redmi 1S supports face/smile detection and HDR, while the Lumia 535 doesn't. Moving on to the battery configuration, the Redmi 1S smartphone is backed by a Li-ion 2,000 mAh battery, whereas the Lumia 535 comes with a Li-Ion 1,905 mAh battery unit.

Misc

1. Speaking of colour, the Lumia 535 comes in orange, green, white, black, gray and blue, whereas the Redmi 1S offers black, Chinese red, metallic gray/ blue, green and yellow shells.

2. While the Xiaomi device comes with dual-SIM support, the Lumia 535 doesn't. In addition, both devices come equipped with the standard Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB port support. However, none of them support 4G LTE.

Price

The Microsoft Lumia 535 can be purchased for U.S.$169.99 via Expansys, which roughly translates to AU$201. The Xiaomi Redmi 1S, on the other hand, is priced at US$154.99 that roughly translates to as low as AU$183.

Also Read

1. Walmart's Cyber Monday 2014 Deals And Evening Edition Deals On Samsung's 4K HDTV, PS4, Moto E, Various Apple Devices And More - [Read]

2. Apple iOS 9 Release Date Update: New Concept Video Shows 15 Killer iOS 9 Features - [Read]

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Powered By Octa-Core Exynos Processor Features ISOCELL Camera Instead Of Sony Sensor - [Read]