Rohan Malhotra
Xiaomi unveiled three new updates to its product line during its Beijing product launch event today. The first to see a refresh was the much-hyped Xiaomi Redmi phablet. Second and third on the list were the Xiaomi Mi Pad series and Xiaomi’s relatively recent Mi Air Purifier.
After much speculation and what appears to be a name change, the new Redmi phablet is now titled the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. Xiaomi seems to have skipped a generation with its latest Redmi Note, releasing the phone only 3 months following the unveiling of the Redmi note 2.
Leaks leading up to the release have proven to be on the mark. The latest Redmi phablet sports a 1080p screen at 5.5 inches, a full aluminium unibody, a 4000mAh battery, a fingerprint scanner and an infrared blaster.
Xiaomi will offer the unit in two variations: a 16GB version for RMB 899 (USD 140) and a larger capacity 32GB version for 1099 RMB.
Powering the unit will be the 64bit Helio X10 system on a chip. Xiaomi also included support for a dual 4G sim setup.
This is the first Xiaomi phone to feature a fingerprint scanner and some commentators are suggesting that this is evidence of Xiaomi’s commitment to its nascent online payment system.
Coming what appears to be only a matter of months after the release of its predecessor the Xiaomi Redmi note 2, the announcement has left fans of Xiaomi confused, with some suggesting that Xiaomi is increasingly behaving like its more mainstream competition.
User sere83 over on the English-language Chinese gadget review site GizChina remarked, “Flooding the market with sub par devices, [sic] literally don’t understand how everyone is still really into Xiaomi. Ever since MIUI V6 they have gone significantly downhill.”
In a seemingly ordinary update to its tablet line, Xiaomi has unveiled the all-new, fully metal Xiaomi Mi Pad 2. Predictably coming in thinner, lighter, and with increased battery capacity over its predecessor, the new tablet also notably features an Intel Atom X5-Z8500 processor.
Turns out those rumors that have been circulating for many months now were true and Xiaomi will cooperate with Microsoft to offer Windows 10 on its tablet line starting in December. Xiaomi will offer its new tablet in two variations – a 16GB option for 999 RMB and a pricier 64GB Windows 10-compatible option for RMB 1299.
(All images courtesy of the English MIUI forums)
With contributions from Toni Tang.