After months of anticipation, Redmi has announced its new gaming smartphone, the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition. Loaded with top specifications that specifically target smartphone gamers, the new Redmi K50 Gaming Edition will take on other gaming phones in the mid-budget category. For those wanting a little extra, there is also a Redmi K50 AMG F1 Champion Edition alongside the regular variant.
The new Redmi devices have been launched in China and will be exclusive to the country for now. However, there is a very high chance that Xiaomi will bring them to India and other global markets too. Since the gaming phone segment is picking up steam, also indicated by the recent launch of the Asus ROG Phone 5s series, Xiaomi would not like to miss out on a presence in the category anywhere in the world.
The China launch of the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is thus an important indicator of what to expect from the phone as and when it is available in India. Here is a look at it and all that it brings in detail.
Redmi K50 Gaming Edition price and availability
Redmi K50 Gaming Edition has been launched in three memory variants. The base option with 8GB RAM and 128GB is priced at CNY 3,299, or about Rs 39,000, while a 12GB RAM, 128GB storage option costs CNY 3,599, roughly around Rs 42,600. The top-of-the-line option comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and is priced at CNY 3,899, or around Rs 46,000.
There are three colour options available for the phone – Black, Blue, and Silver. Then there is a special-edition variant named Redmi K50 AMG F1 Champion Edition, which comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and is priced at CNY 4,199, about Rs 49,700.
Pre-bookings for the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition have already started in China. The phone will go on open sale from February 18.
Redmi K50 Gaming Edition specifications
One look at the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition and you will know it is a gaming phone, with its angular highlights on the rear panel and on the camera module, dedicated shoulder keys and a full view display at the front. In fact, this is also the aspect in which the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition differs from the Redmi K50 AMG F1 Champion Edition, as the latter comes with many brandings symbolising the partnership.
As is the case with most gaming smartphones, Redmi has equipped the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition with top-notch specifications. It features a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ (2,400×1,080 pixels) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. The display also features a Displaymate A+ rating and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection on top.
Under the hood, the phone employs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor along with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. It runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box. Some gaming-centric features on the phone include CyberEngine ultra-wideband motor for vibrational feedback along the X-axis, pop-up shoulder key 2.0, dual Vapour Chamber (VC) cooling system and JBL speakers.
The Redmi K50 Gaming Edition comes with a triple-lens camera setup that houses a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with 120-degree field-of-view, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. There is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter housed in a punch-hole cutout at the front.
Connectivity options on the phone include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, GPS, Infrared (IR) blaster, and a USB Type-C port. The device is backed by a 4,700mAh battery that also supports 120W fast charging. Redmi claims that this enables a 0 to 100 full charge within 17 minutes. The Redmi K50 Gaming Edition measures 162.5×76.7×8.5mm and weighs 210 grams.
