Xiaomi’s first product of 2016 will not be the much-anticipated Mi 5, but instead the Chinese company has announced the Redmi 3, a huge refresh of its successful budget smartphone.
In virtually every way, the Redmi 3 is a significant upgrade from the Redmi 2. For starters, Xiaomi has fitted the budget device with a full metal body and a unique “lattice design made up of 4166 stars woven together to reflect a gorgeous arrangement of diamonds”, giving it a look unlike other smartphones in the market.
(Image: MIUI Forums)
Internally, the Redmi 3 packs a lot of hardware as well. There’s a larger 5-inch 720p display, an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable internal storage (supports up to 128GB microSD cards), and a high-density 4,100mAh battery.
Xiaomi’s also upgraded the Redmi 3’s camera, packing a 13MP f/2.0 rear camera with phase detect auto focus that locks focus in just 0.1 seconds, and a 5MP f/2.2 front camera with Xiaomi’s beautification enhancement software.
This 144g, 8.5mm thin smartphone also features a hybrid dual-SIM construction, where the first SIM card slot is a micro SIM, while the second SIM (nano SIM only) slot doubles up as a microSD card slot. Finally, the Redmi 3 – which runs on MIUI 7 out of the box – will also support 5V/2A fast charging.
The Xiaomi Redmi 3 will be available in three colours (Grey, Silver and Gold), and will support all three carriers in China. It will go on sale starting tomorow (12 January) in China only for 699 Yuan (about RM470). At the moment, Xiaomi did not mention if it will be sold in its international markets.
