14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Xiaomi has taken the wraps off its ultimate mid-range Android phablet, the Redmi Note 3. The smartphone will soon be available for purchase in China only.
Customers will be able to choose between three color options: dark grey, gold and silver. As for prices, Xiaomi announced that the 16GB model will sell for 900 yuan ($140), while the 32GB version should cost 1,099 yuan ($170) outright.
Most of the specs leaked in the last couple of days seem to be accurate, so even though the Redmi Note 3 is classified as mid-range, it comes with some serious power under its chassis.
For example, the smartphone comes equipped with a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek 6795 Helio X10 processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of storage.
The only downside is the fact that Xiaomi did not add microSD card slot, so you won't be able to expand internal memory.
A step up from the previous models
One thing that will appeal to customers is the metal body the Redmi Note 3 features, unlike the previous models that were fully made of plastic.
At the back, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 packs a 13-megapixel photo snapper with phase detection autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording. There's also a fingerprint scanner right below the camera and LED flash, on the back side.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 drains energy from a high-capacity 4,000 mAh battery and runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with MIUI 7 on top.
It also offers dual-SIM and 4G LTE support. Keep in mind that while LTE connectivity will work on either of the SIM slots, you won't be able to use LTE at the same time on both SIM cards.
Other highlights of the phone include 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and features Corning Gorilla Glass coating, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, and IR blaster.
