You’ve probably heard of Xiaomi before, they’re the folks behind the MIUI custom ROM of Android and not only that, they’re the company that recently scored Hugo Barra as their latest hire. More than just the MIUI ROM however, Xiaomi has been selling quality Android handsets in China for some time and now, they’re back with the much-anticipated MI3 smartphone.
Unsurprisingly, the MI3 is no slouch in the specs department:
- 5-inch Full HD IPS Display
- Quad-Core Snapdragon 800 at 2.2 Ghz or Tegra 4 at 1.8 Ghz (for China Mobile, only)
- 2GB of RAM
- 16/64GB of Storage
- 13MP rear-facing camera from Sony, with dual-LED flash
- 2MP front-facing camera
- 3,050 mAh
- Dual-Band WiFI, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC etc
In the specs department, things look pretty nice. It’s a strange choice for Xiaomi to use different chips here but, we’re assuming this is down to the frequencies that China Unicom, China Telecom et al are using. There’s no telling which version of the device will be up for sale around the globe but, our money is on the Snapdragon 800. As with previous devices from Xiaomi, premium components have been used throughout, which should, hopefully deliver a premium experience. Xiaomi have been doing this long enough now to make sure that they don’t miss the mark.
There’s a Cirrus Logic CS42L73 DAC chip inside the MI3, to ensure crystal-clear sound quality no matter what you’re listening to or watching. The display is being produced by LG and Sharp and features “ultra-sensitivity” which allows you to use the display even with wet hands and gloves. The camera features an f/2.2 Sapphire lens and as usual, the device will be available in a myriad of different colors.
While Hugo Barra might have moved to the company to get their global expansion rolling, the MI3 almost has nothing to do with the man who used to work for Google. However, this time next year we could be seeing more of his influence. Speaking of availability, the device will obviously be available across China, for CN¥1,999 (US$330) for 16GB and then CN¥2,499 ($410) for the 64GB version. While US availability is pretty much a no-go, there should be importers looking to sell you a device or two.