Xiaomi has launched Redmi 3s, an upgraded version of Redmi 3, in China. The budget smartphone comes in two variants – 2GB and 3GB RAM and comes at a price of CNY 699 and CNY 899, respectively. The device will go on sale on the company’s online store, Mi.com.
The device packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor clocked at 1.1 GHz with 505 GPU. The dual-SIM handset has a hybrid SIM slot. This is a budget phone that also has a fingerprint scanner at the back. The primary camera is a 13MP shooter, while the front has a 5MP camera. Speaking of the battery, then it’s a 4100mAh.
The metal exterior gives it a premium feel. With this device, the company is hoping for a bit of a turnaround because the budget phones market hasn’t been treating them well because of stiff competition from national and international rivals like Vivo Oppo and LeEco.
An estimate by IHS Technology pegged the number of handsets sold by the company at 14.8 million globally in the first quarter of 2016, a reduction from the 17.5 million smartphones sold in the same period the year before. Lack of stock was certainly a contributing factor. The same report mentions that electronics giants like Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, ZTE, and LeEco are driving the Chinese smartphone market toward the point of saturation.
The company has diversified its product range lately with Android TV and a smart rice cooker, but the budget phones remain the ‘Apple’ of their eye. There has been no word about the international launch of Redmi, but it is expected to take place by the end of this year.
Have a look at the specs sheet below:
| Display | 5-inch HD IPS display |
| Resolution | 720×1280 pixels |
| Weight | 144 grams |
| Processor | 1.1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 |
| OS | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| RAM | 2GB/3GB |
| Internal storage | 16GB/32GB (expandable up to 128GB) |
| Primary camera | 13MP LED flash |
| Secondary camera | 5MP |
| Battery | 4100 mAh |
