14 DAY TRIAL // Chinese company Xiaomi is one of the few major handset makers that did not announce a new flagship smartphone this year. Rumor has it that Xiaomi will eventually introduce the Mi5 this year, but we don't have any information regarding the exact release of the smartphone.
Now another rumor has started to circulate in the Chinese media, which claims Xiaomi is already working to bring on the market the first smartphone equipped with a powerful deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor.
Unfortunately, no additional information on the name of the device or the rest of its specs is available for the moment, GizmoChina reports.
However, we do know that the upcoming Helio X20-powered smartphone will make its debut on the market sometime in Q1 2016.
Another piece of information that sources close to Xiaomi's business claim to have knowledge of is the fact that the upcoming device won't be a flagship smartphone.
The smartphone is likely to be introduced in China initially
Opposite to what the majority of us would think, Xiaomi plans to launch a mid-range smartphone with high-end specs, which will be priced aggressively. That's because the cost of the MediaTek Helio X20 chipset is lower in comparison with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820.
Still, MediaTek's deca-core chip costs only $30, while the RAM inside adds another $20 to the total. This means Xiaomi will pay $50 for just two components, so the final price of the upcoming smartphone remains a mystery.
Would Xiaomi be willing to lose some money for every smartphone equipped with MediaTek's Helio X20 CPU that it sells? We don't think so.
The new device is likely to be released under Redmi brand, which is why it is believed to be a mid-range smartphone with some high-end specs.
Hopefully, we will find out more about Xiaomi's 2016 product roadmap in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more on this one.