Xiaomi will roll out two note-worthy smartphones at the start of 2016 with the Chinese device maker looking to lure in flagship buyers and supersized phone shoppers. The Xiaomi Mi 5 and Redmi Note 3 appear all set to take on the competition with sleek design, powerful specs and undeniably affordable price tag.
Just recently revealed is the metal-clad Redmi Note 3, which Xiaomi obviously designed to give Apple's iPhone 6S Plus and Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 something to worry about. The 5.5-inch Xiaomi phablet packs a 6-core Snapdragon 605 chip that easily spins at maximum speed of 1.8GHz. The RAM support varies - it's going to be 2GB for users picking up the 16GB edition and up to 3GB for those snagging the 32GB build.
The Redmi Note 3 graphic engine is an Adreno 510 GPU that promises decent if not enhanced video playback and rich mobile gaming experience, rendered in glorious 1080p screen resolution.
On the shooting department, the Xiaomi jumbo phone impresses with its 16-megapixel rear camera that according to 9to5Google is equipped with 0.1s Phase Detection Auto Focus. This translates to top-notch image and video production.
But what likely is the biggest Redmi Note 3 selling point is the sticker price, which definitely is dirt-cheap compared to its Apple and Samsung rivals. Per 9to5Google, the 16GB model will sell for only around $150+ while the 32GB variant asking price is roughly $180. Now the figures are not even cash setbacks considering the powerful and sexy package that buyers are set to take home.
However, availability is limited at the moment to mainland Chinese buyers, which likely is the same case for the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship.
Leaked specs of the Mi 5 suggest of upscale hardware specifications, bannered by the much-anticipated Snapdragon 820. As widely insinuated in recent reports, SD 820 is the same chip that will power most of the Android flagships to come out this year and chief among them is the Samsung Galaxy S7.
RAM provision for the Mi 5 is reportedly a high of 4GB while the storage configuration starts at 16GB with a 64GB option likely to become available as well. The Mi 5 is wrapped in metal too like its Xiaomi phablet cousin while the front panel is a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 coating.
The 5.2-inch screen profile will boast of Quad HD 2560 x 1440 screen pixels, which will serve as the viewfinder for the Mi 5's 16MP main camera shooter that is fully capable of recording 4K clips like the iPhone 6S is. The rear cam is paired with an 8MP front and the whole set up is fired up by a 3600mAh battery.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 release date is expected to happen soon after the Chinese Lunar New Year or late February 2016.