Chinese smartphone manufactures Xiaomi are set to release three new handsets running on Android 5.0 at the end of January, offering powerful handsets to compete with Apple’s iPhone 6+.
At the launch event for the Mi note and Mi Note Pro last week, the company were keen to encourage comparisons with Apple’s Phablet, touting the Mi Note’s larger screen size while making sure the crowd were aware of thinner, lighter design of Xiaomi’s offering, even going so far as to highlight the distinct lack of bulging lens that the iPhone 6 + has been criticized for.
The Chinese firm are eager to attract an ever growing share of the smartphone market, having filed 2,318 patents in the last year, and hopes to encourage interest with their three new sleek powerful handsets. The Mi Note measure a mere 6.95mm thick and weighs 161g, and the screen itself has slight curve to its edges, design choices which Xiaomi hopes will help cement its intentions to become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer in ten years.
The Mi Note handset has a 5.7-inch screen, uses on a Snapdragon 801 processor running at 2.5 Ghz, and 3GB of RAM. The handset is available for 2,299 CNY (roughly $370) for the version with 16Gb of inbuilt memory or at 2,799 (about $450) for the 64GB model. Both models features a 13 megapixel rear camera, with a 4 MP snapper on the front, and boast dual-sim capabilities
The Mi Note Pro is powered by a more powerful Snapdragon 810 processor and packs in 4GB of RAM with 4GB of internal storage, although both the Mi Note and the Mi Note Pro lack the ability to supplement their storage capacity with MicroSDs.
All three models feature LTE support and Xiaomi claims users will have access to a very respectable download speed of 450 Mbps. They’re set to release in China on January 27th, although there is yet no word on whether it will see a release in Western markets.