Sharing with you my initial impressions/short review of the Redmi 2. We have a Redmi 1S in the family and are very satisfied with it hence the Redmi 2 purchase.
Looks and Build
This is a good looking phone. It is sleek. It looks more expensive than it actually is. The dimensions are comparable to an iPhone 6 and wins in width and loses only in thickness. <click here for link> This makes the new Redmi a similar experience without looking like a knockoff.
Side by side with the 1S, the 2 is like a sedan beside an AUV thus fixing the 1S's only flaw in my opinion.
The 2's build is as solid.
If I can nitpick, I would mention the matte back which is not matte enough. While it hasn't slipped off my hand yet, it feels like it wants to.
Performance
Please see the below benchmark results:
Basemark OS II <click here for link>
Overall - 534
System - 1044
Memory - 398
Graphics - 313
Web - 627
PCmark <click here for link>
Average - 3006
Web - 2994
Video - 3838
Writing - 3225
Photo Editing - 2191
Sunspider - 1654.9 <click here for link>
Kraken - 13416.3 <click here for link>
Octane - 2818 <click here for link>
Vellamo <click here for link>
Chrome - 1936
Metal - 875
Multicore - 1319
Antutu - 20579 <click here for link> <click here for link>
Geekbench - 484 <click here for link>
Quadrant - 11865 <click here for link>
3Dmark Unlimited <click here for link>
Average - 4411
Physics - 9278
Graphics - 3838
Moto E (2015) scores for comparison <click here for link>
Overall the scores are comparable to the Moto G 2014 and Moto E 2015. The G is twice as expensive while the E has a sub-HD, non-Retina display and a mediocre camera.
In actual use though MIUI is not as snappy as I would want it to be. The 1S running CM11/12 is a better experience.
I'm sure it will be the same once a compatible ROM is available for the 2. Even if that doesn't happen, I'm confident Xiaomi will improve the stock ROM performance eventually if not sooner.
Camera
I am not a camera expert and can only say the quality is quite good in my opinion.
For more detail, I will have to refer you to other reviews online.
MIUI
I did not like MIUI with the 1S and I still don't like it now. It's just not my cup of tea. But I can live with it for now, a bit like a coffee drinker forced to have tea only for the next few months. There's nothing wrong with tea. Millions love it just not me.
Summary
The 1S made me a Xiaomi fan and with the 2, they did not let me down. I don't think there is any other phone maker that offers better value. The only competition probably in this price range is the Zenfone 5. The Redmi has the better camera probably (not sure on this) and better software. There are just more Xiaomi ROM developers out there due to the install base and more common Snapdragon chipset. Also MIUI has a better history of updates even for older devices.
Overall I highly recommend the Redmi 2 to buyers in the Php 6000 price range.