Safaricom recently announced 5G Wi-Fi for homes and businesses in the country. The telco set up their 5G network across multiple areas and in order for interested customers to access the 5G network, they need 5G ready smartphones. There are a couple of 5G ready smartphones in the market, Xiaomi being one of them.
Xiaomi is a leading smartphone brand and is well known for offering flagship grade phones at affordable prices. True to their word, Xiaomi is currently the only brand offering the cheapest 5G ready phone in the market.
If you are thinking of jumping on to the Safaricom 5G bandwagon with a Xiaomi device, here’s a list of tested 5G ready Xiaomi phones in the market.
1. Redmi 10 5G
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G is a classy looking budget phone that provides 5G connectivity and excellent battery life at an incredibly low price.
The Redmi Note 10 5G is a surprisingly stylish device, with a pleasing matte finish and an industrial-looking camera module that makes it seem far more expensive than it is. Comes with a FHD+ 90Hz LCD display, a 5,000mAh battery and a 50MP main sensor.
Under the hood, you get the MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chipset providing adequate day-to-day running experience. The Redmi Note 5G is the cheapest 5G handset in the market coming in at Ksh 24,000.
Pros
- Classy design
- Excellent battery life
- 5G connectivity at a low price
Cons
- No ultra-wide lens
- Washed out 90Hz LCD
- Underwhelming performance
Get the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G from here.
2. Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G
The Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G is another budget 5G offering from the brand. A follow up to last year’s Poco M3 Pro 5G, it’s got a huge 5,000mAh battery which promises to see you through the day.
The phone also comes with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a camera with a 50Mp wide and an 8Mp ultrawide sensor, up to 6GB of memory, and up to 128GB of storage, and all for a very low price – starting at Ksh 25,000.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Fetching, pocket-friendly design
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
- 5G support
Cons
- Middling cameras
- Doesn’t handle high end games well
Get the Poco M4 Pro 5G from here.
3. Xiaomi Poco X3 GT 5G
Released last year, the Poco X3 GT 5G is meant to deliver speed on the budget. It’s a intriguing offer with a 120Hz LCD screen, speedy Dimensity 1100 5G chip, a trio of cameras, and a large 5,000mAh battery with flagship-grade 67W fast charging.
The GT model has a lot in common with the Poco X3 Pro – an attractive IP53-rated design, a 120Hz LCD screen, some powerful hardware platform, a triple camera on the back, and a large battery. The Poco X3 Pro comes it around Ksh 35,000 for the base 6+128GB model.
Pros
- Good battery life + fast charging
- Great performance
- Dual 5G
Cons
- No wireless charging
- Unreliable fingerprint scanner
- Average screen quality
Get the Poco X3 GT 5G from here.
4. Redmi NOTE 11 Pro+ 5G
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ won’t leave you as breathless as saying its name will :-), but it’s a fine phone for the price. It’s very quick to charge, and has a screen, processor and battery life that get you your money’s worth. The phone comes with a couple of flagship level specs such as the 120W fast charging, which we’ve seen in the Xiaomi 12 Pro and the Mi 11T Pro.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ has a big FHD+ 6.67-inch screen, three rear cameras led by a 108MP monster, and MIUI software laid over Android 12.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ goes for around Ksh 46,000
Pros
- Sharp design
- Capable main camera
- Superfast 120W charging
- Headphone jack
Cons
- Disappointing ultrawide and macro lenses
- Older Android 11
Get the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ rom here.
5. Xiaomi 11T 5G
The Xiaomi 11T 5G is one of the first phones to land in the country without the classic ‘Mi’ branding. It was released alongside its slightly pricier and fancier sibling , the Xiaomi 11T Pro.
The phone is remarkably similar to the Xiaomi Mi 11, albeit with a few tweaks including faster-charging speeds, a refreshed design and a slightly different camera set-up.
The Xiaomi 11T boasts a 6.67inch, flat, 120Hz FHD+, AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus screen. Under the hood you get the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-Ultra chipset. The handset goes for around Ksh 50,000 for the 8+256GB variant.
Pros
- Vibrant 120Hz display
- Long battery life
- Impressive main camera lens
Cons
- Boring design
- No wireless charging
Get the Xiaomi 11T 5G from here.
Now, it should be noted that the above devices are not the only 5G ready Xiaomi devices. These are the devices that we’ve tested with Safaricom’s 5G network. Here’s a list of all the Xiaomi phones that support 5G.
