The Micromax Yu Yureka smartphone is attracting a lot of interest in India where it’s just about to release. The phone has plenty to offer for its price, and many will be comparing it to the massively popular Xiaomi Redmi 1S. However, the Redmi 2 was recently made official and is about to hit availability in China followed by other regions at a later date. Therefore we thought we’d look at the Micromax Yu Yureka vs. Xiaomi Redmi 2, with the consideration of whether to buy the Yureka now or wait for the new Redmi phone.

We’ll delve into the prices of these phones first, as this will play an important factor. The Micromax Yureka price is confirmed at Rs. 8,999, which will probably be a little more expensive than the Redmi 2, but not by too much. The Redmi 2 price for India is unknown at this stage but we do know that it’s priced for China (Hongmi 2) at CNY 699. As a rough guide that’s equivalent to around Rs. 7,100, although of course the price could vary by region and may be a little more than that when it arrives for India. Now we’ll check out the key specs.

Processor
The Micromax Yu Yureka is powered by a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with 4 cores at 1.5GHz and 4 at 1GHz, and it has an Adreno 405 GPU. The Redmi 2 has a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 64-bit quad-core processor with Adreno 306 graphics.

Display
They vary in size quite notably here as the Yureka has a 5.5-inch IPS display with 1280 x 720 resolution and 267 ppi. The Redmi 2 has a 4.7-inch IPS display with resolution of 1280 x 720 resulting in 312 ppi.

RAM and Storage
The Yu Yureka has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 32GB. The Redmi 2 has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, also expandable to 32GB.

Camera set-up
The Yureka has a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video capture, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Redmi 2 has an 8-megapixel rear camera, also with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video recording. It has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Battery
The Yureka has a removable 2500 mAh battery while the Redmi 2 has a removable 2200 mAh battery.

Connectivity
Both phones support 3G, 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and microUSB 2.0.

Operating System
The Micromax phone runs CyanogenMod 11 OS based on Android 4.4 KitKat. This will be a draw for many potential buyers who enjoy a customizable experience, and it will also receive OTA monthly updates. On the other hand the Redmi 2 is Android 4.4 KitKat-based with the new MIUI 6 version.

Dimensions and Weight
The Micromax Yu Yureka measures 154.8mm x 78mm x 8.8mm but its weight is so far unspecified. The Redmi 2 measures 134mm x 67.2mm x 9.4mm and it weighs in at 133g.

The specs of the Micromax Yureka are pretty hard to argue with when looking through the above. It’s competitively priced and offers an octa-core processor, larger display, more RAM and storage, a better camera set-up and more. As its price is not likely to be significantly higher than that of the Redmi 2 when it arrives for India, the Yureka is a great choice.

The Redmi 2 is also a decent enough phone though, and although its specs aren’t as impressive it might suit those who prefer a more compact handset. Buyers will also want to consider their preference of design, build quality and after-sales service. On balance we’d say why wait for the Redmi 2 when we don’t yet know when it will launch for India, when the Yu Yureka will be available in just a few more days.

It would be good to hear your opinions on this. Do the superior specs of the Micromax Yu Yureka make this the obvious choice for you? Maybe you would prefer the smaller Xiaomi Redmi 2 and are willing to wait?