Xiaomi excludes the IR blaster from Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A

The Redmi series has always been a money spinner for Xiaomi, especially in a budget-sensitive country such as India. Xiaomi had announced the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5A in India around March this year and it looks to soon bring the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A to the Indian markets as well. However, both the devices will miss one important feature. There will be no IR blaster in the Redmi 6 or Redmi 6A.[caption id="attachment_4529811" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Redmi 6A. Image: GizmoChina[/caption]As per a report by GizmoChina, a hands-on photo posted by IThome of the Redmi 6 showed that the IR blaster was missing. Xiaomi's official Chinese website has also not included IR blaster in the official specifications list of both the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A.An IR blaster on your device can turn your smartphone into a universal remote for controlling electronic gadgets such as AC's, TVs and more. The IR blaster was one of Xiaomi's trademark features in its budget smartphone range and it's not clear if Xiaomi is completely discontinuing the feature or if it is just not available on both these particular devices.In any case, if you are a big fan of the IR remote feature in Xiaomi devices, you might want to steer clear of the Redmi 6 and 6A when it arrives in the Indian markets.The Redmi 6 features a 5.45-inch HD+ display in an 18:9 aspect ratio. Interestingly, Xiaomi has ditched Qualcomm and has instead decided to go with a MediaTek Helio P22 chip. Storage options include a 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and a 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage option. In China, the phone retails for CNY 799 (around Rs 8,000) and CNY 999 (around Rs 10,000) for the 3 GB and 4 GB option respectively.The cheaper Redmi 6A is virtually identical to the Redmi 6, however, on the inside, it has an Helio A22 instead of an Helio P22 chipset. Also, the camera goes from a dual camera to a 13 MP single camera on the rear. The front remains a 5 MP unit. This phone retails for CNY 599 (around Rs 6,000).There is no word yet, on when they may arrive in India.