Redmi K60 series announced: Redmi phones finally get wireless charging

The Redmi K series has long been the phone line of choice for people who want flagship power on a budget. Some of these handsets get released outside China, either as Redmi K phones, POCO devices, or with a different brand name altogether. So they can often be a sign of things to come in global markets.

Now, Xiaomi has announced the Redmi K60 series in China, and the three phones share a number of features. The devices all offer a flat 6.67-inch 3,200 x 1,440 OLED screen, 8MP+2MP secondary rear cameras (ultrawide and macro), Bluetooth 5.3, dual stereo speakers, an IR blaster, and NFC. Otherwise, we’re looking at three very different propositions upon closer inspection.

Redmi K60 Pro: The top dog

Starting with the Pro model, you’re getting a brand-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. So those who want peak power and ray tracing support should look at this device. The Redmi K60 Pro also brings a 5,000mAh battery and 120W wired charging. The latter delivers a zero to 100% charging time of 19 minutes, according to Xiaomi.

But perhaps the biggest upgrade we see is the inclusion of wireless charging (30W) for the first time in a Redmi phone. This feature was previously restricted to Mi series phones such as the Mi 9 and later, Mi Note 10, and Mi Mix 2S and later.

Check the back of the phone and you’ll find a 50MP IMX800 main camera (1/1.49-inch, one micron pixel size, OIS) alongside the aforementioned 8MP ultrawide shooter and 2MP macro lens. Look at the front and you’ll find a 16MP shooter for selfies.

Other notable features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 6E, and MIUI 14. The phone is also available with your standard glass back as well as a Champion Performance Edition model that comes with a kevlar-style back.

Redmi K60: The one to watch?

Like the idea of the Pro device but want something more wallet-friendly? That’s where the Redmi K60 comes in. It swaps out the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset for the still speedy Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, for starters. This chipset also seems to be underclocked compared to the vanilla Plus SoC, running at 3GHz versus the standard chip’s 3.2GHz speeds.

You’re also getting a bigger battery (5,500mAh) as well as 67W wired charging instead of 120W speeds. Thankfully, 30W wireless charging is still on offer, so you don’t have to splash out on the Pro model if you want to make use of pad-based charging.

Look at the rear camera setup and you’ll see a 64MP main camera (f/1.79, 0.7 micron pixel size, OIS) alongside the budget-tier secondary shooters. Otherwise, a 16MP shooter is available up-front.

Other noteworthy Redmi K60 features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, MIUI 14, and Wi-Fi 6E. The phone is also available with a glass back or a pleather rear cover (albeit limited to the blue variant seen above).

Redmi K60E: Squarely mid-range

The Xiaomi sub-brand also had a third Redmi K60 series entry up its sleeve. The Redmi K60E makes several concessions to reach a cheaper price-point than its stablemates. For one, there’s a mid-range but still respectable Dimensity 8200 chipset in lieu of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor.

You’re also getting a 5,500mAh battery and 67W wired charging like the standard K60. But it lacks wireless charging completely, so you’ll need to plump for the standard device if you really want this feature.

Switching to photography, you’ve got a 48MP main camera (f/1.79, 0.8 micron pixel size, OIS) alongside the secondary lenses. A 20MP selfie camera is available on the front of the device. You’re also getting a side fingerprint scanner, MIUI 13, and Wi-Fi 6 on the Redmi K60E.

All in all, the K60E seems like an incremental upgrade over the Redmi K50. The older phone featured a QHD+ OLED screen, Dimensity 8100 chipset, 5,500mAh battery, and 67W wired charging.

Redmi K60 series pricing and availability

The Redmi K60 Pro starts at 3,299 yuan (~$474) for the base 8GB/128GB model, while the vanilla K60 starts at 2,499 yuan (~$359) for the 8GB/128GB option. Finally, the Redmi K60E starts at 2,199 yuan (~$316) for the 8GB/128GB variant. The K60 and K60 Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while the K60E tops out at 12GB/512GB.

This is only a Chinese release right now, but history tells us that at least one of these phones will leave China. Most recently, the Redmi K40 and K40 Gaming arrived in global markets as the POCO F3 and POCO F3 GT, while the Redmi K40S and K50 Gaming gained the POCO F4 and POCO F4 GT monikers.