I got the Redmi 1S in early 2014 as a backup phone, in case my flashing of CyanogenMod accidentally brick my Samsung Galaxy S2.
At that time it was just Internet and SMS. After 5 years of steady service, it is time to retire it. Steady advancement in the mobile arena and the size of my WhatsApp database made the Redmi obsolete. Even though it is working fine as a 2FA and hotspot. When my OnePlus One screen cracked, I have no choice but to use a Samsung J7 Prime.
Trying to get ahead of the failure curve, I have decided to get a more powerful phone to standby or replace my current OnePlus 3T. My budget was a sub S$500 phone. To me, it does not make any sense to pay more than that, as the difference in performance is very small.
I settled on the Essential PH-1 after dropping Oppo Find X and Vivo Nex S. I missed out an earlier sale and there were no new units during Black Friday or Cyber Monday. While I was browsing through some sites, I chanced upon the XiaoMi MIX 2S. Nearly zero bezels, camera on the chin, 6-inch screen, 845 SOC, NFC and it came in nicely at S$490.
So now I am rocking the MIX 2S and the 3T, in that order.