A metal body, a larger battery, and the fingerprint sensor separate the Note 3 from the Note 2, as nearly all the other specifications are the same.
Advertisement
Xiaomi’s flagship tablet, meanwhile, is said to be thinner and lighter this time around.
For those unfamiliar with Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker is known for its direct-to-market approach for selling its products which allows it to price its devices cheaper. Under the hood, both Redmi Note iterations also feature the same octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor.
Mi Pad 2 has an 8 MP camera on the back and a 5 MP shooter on the front.
Speaking of which, the new smartphone comes in at just 8.65mm at its thickest point and weight about 4g more than its predecessor. The 5.5-inch FHD display supports reading mode in which the display will switch to an ambient level optimized for reading by reducing the bluelight.
On the display, Redmi Note 3 sports a 5.5 inch Full HD touchscreen with Sunlight Display technology which is good for outdoor and indoor viewing.
The smartphone will come in Silver, Gold, and Dark Grey.
In addition to an Android-based MIUI 7 version, Xiaomi will also make a Windows 10 edition of the Mi Pad 2 available in late December.
The 16 GB Mi Pad 2 is priced at $157 while the 64 GB model costs $204. It is also 38g lighter. It packs an Intel Atom X5-Z8500 processor at 2.2 GHz mated with 2 GB of RAM, while packing either 16 or 64 GB storage with microSD support up to 128 GB. The pricing of the device starts from 999 RMB and will retail in both 32GB and 64GB variants. But while the original Mi Pad had a colorful plastic casing that was reminiscent of an iPhone 5C, the new Mi Pad 2 has an all-metal construction that’s much more similar to the iPad mini.
The Mi Pad will be available in two colours – dark grey and champagne gold. Given that Xiaomi sold 60 million devices last year, and it is aiming to reach 80 million this year, its entry into mobile payments could be hugely significant. Wait for it… the Mi Air Purifier 2.
Advertisement
The device is priced at 699 yuan (RM450). Release dates in other countries are still unknown but a CNET report noted that it will be available in China this Friday, November 27.
