Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 5 hands-on review

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Introduction

The Redmi Turbo 5 is one of Xiaomi's mid-range smartphones, which just got launched in India after its debut in China earlier this year.

Aside from being the same as the Chinese version, the Redmi Turbo 5 is also familiar for other reasons. It's very nearly the same phone as the Poco X8 Pro, which we reviewed a couple of months ago. Aside from the branding, the only real difference here is that the Redmi model has a bigger battery.

Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 5 specs at a glance:

• Body: 157.5x75.2x8.2mm, 204g; Glass front, aluminum frame; IP68/IP69K dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.59" AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR Vivid, 3500 nits (peak), 1268x2756px resolution, 19.56:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4 nm).
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.1 (except on 128GB).
• OS/Software: Android 16, up to 4 major Android upgrades, HyperOS 3.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Front camera: 20 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/4".
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
• Battery: 7540mAh; 100W wired, 100W PPS, PD3.0, 27W reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4/6.0, aptX HD, LHDC 5, Auracast, ASHA, MIHC; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

For those who haven't been following along with these devices and need a refresher, the Poco X8 Pro, and now the Redmi Turbo 5, are based on the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra chipset. You also get a 6.59-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a dual-camera system on the back, 8 or 12GB of memory, and, in the case of the Redmi Turbo 5, a 7540mAh battery with 100W fast charging and 27W reverse charging.

This category of devices may just be hit the hardest in the current market conditions. They are still required to be reasonably affordable while offering a somewhat premium feature set. Despite that, Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Turbo 5 at a very aggressive price that puts some of the competition to shame.

Unboxing

The Redmi Turbo 5 comes with the typical fully equipped Xiaomi packaging, which includes the phone, a 100W charger (in this case), a cable, and a protective case. Some of these could easily have been given the axe in the current penny-pinching market conditions, but it's good to see they continue to be provided.