Shortly after making its China debut, Xiaomi launched the new Redmi 3S budget smartphone in India. The smartphone is the successor to the Redmi 3 launched earlier in January.
As is usually the case with Xiamoi devices, the smartphone touts an impressive set of specs and features at a very competitive price point. The Chinese manufacturer, however, has launched two variants of the smartphone – the Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime. Both devices come with a similar set of specifications, barring a few key differences.
Here’s everything you need to know about new Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime smartphones:
Design
The design aesthetics of both are very reminiscent of the Redmi 3, and both handsets flaunt a metal body giving them a premium look and feel. They even have the same dimensions at 5.48 x 2.74 x 0.33 inches as the Redmi 3. Moreover, they weigh the same at 144 grams.
Specifications and OS
Under the hood, both devices are powered by the same Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz and Adreno 505 GPU.
In terms of memory, the Redmi 3S gets 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage whereas the Redmi 3S Prime houses 3GB of RAM and offers 32GB of inbuilt storage. Both devices support up to 128GB of expandable memory via a hybrid card slot.
Both these devices feature a 5-inch HD IPS display with a 1280×720 pixels resolution and run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with Xiaomi’s custom MIUI 7.5 Android skin on top.
Camera
The Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime also get the same 13MP primary camera unit with a f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus (PDAF), HDR and LED flash. The duo also gets a similar 5MP front-facing shooter for selfies.
Connectivity and Battery
Both devices get fueled by a rather juicy 4,100 mAh non-removable battery. They also offer similar connectivity features such as dual-SIM hybrid slots, 4G, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, Glonass, and Micro USB.
Pricing and Availability
The Redmi 3S Prime, which is the higher-end variant will be available in India starting August 9, 12 p.m. onward, and gets a price tag of Rs. 8,999.
The Redmi 3S will hit Indian shelves a week later and will be available starting August 16 and costs Rs. 6,999. Both smartphones will initially be available exclusively via Mi.com and Flipkart. There are no pre-registrations open for both as at the time of writing their current listing shows coming soon.
Wrap-Up
Both devices boast more or less a similar set of specifications and get the same metal body construction. However, the Redmi 3S Prime being the high-end variant gets 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage compared to the 2GB/16GB RAM and storage on the Redmi 3S. Another key distinguishing feature between the two is that the Redmi 3S gets a fingerprint scanner, while the Redmi 3S does not.
