Likely Xiaomi Redmi 4A Surfaces on TENAA

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Oct 27, 2016

The leaks have been pouring in about the new OnePlus device expected to hit the market. The phone now referred to as the OnePlus 3T is an upgraded version of the OnePlus 3. Earlier today, Evan Blass posted on twitter that the new phone will even be sporting a higher price tag in addition to the upgrades.

There is however a new detail leaked by a source on Weibo. The acoount @Reviewer_Well says the OnePlus 3T will launch with a new camera, the Sony IMX398. Sounds familiar right, yes it does and that is because it is the same sensor on the recently announced OPPO R9s and R9s Plus.

The 16MP shooter has a f/1.7 aperture and dual-core autofocus. It will replace the IMX298 on the original OnePlus 3 and should come with OIS like its sibling.

Xiaomi’s President Can’t Confirm Mi MIX Production Capacity Will Increase

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Oct 27, 2016

The Mi Mix was launched this week alongside the Mi Note 2 but issues of supply are already cropping up even though the device doesn’t go on sale until next month. The reason is because of the difficulty posed by the production of its ceramic body.

The President of Xiaomi, Lin Bin, said in a press statement that they are facing difficulties in the firing process involved in the production process. In his words, if they set out to make 100 units, only about 5% of the ceramic bodies made passes quality tests. Mr. Lin Bin says there are still no solutions yet and he doesn’t think the numbers produced will increase in the next couple of months.

Part of his press statement addressed the allegation of the Mi Mix being a rip off of the Sharp Aquos Crystal. The Mi Mix, according to the president, is a lot different from the Aquos Crystal. Both phones are made from different materials, ceramic for the Mix and plastic for the Crystal. They also sport different hardware configurations and the Mix wins in the screen to body ratio: 91.3% as against the Crystal’s 82.1%. Let’s also not forget that Sharp supplied the display, so if it is not an issue for them……

ZTE Axon 7 Max Official: 6-inch Display, Dual Rear Cam, 4GB RAM & More!

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Oct 27, 2016

ZTE has officially announced the Axon 7 Max, its latest smartphone in the classy Axon line-up. The ZTE Axon 7 Max comes off the factory with quite a number of spectacular features, teaming up with its large display to give the device a unique look and fire power.

The Axon 7 Max lives up to its name, sporting a 6.0-inch 3D-capable display with 1080 pixels resolution and Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top as well as 2.5D arc glass. The device features a design with very narrow bezels at the edges and on top of that, the display accounts for about 84% of the entire screen. The device also has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor which bring some extra level of security in unlocking the device. The bio-metrics captured before unlocking the device, apart from the fingerprint itself, now include finger skin color and the heart rate signal, in order to prevent counterfeiting or cloning of the fingerprint.

Another spectacular feature on the ZTE Axon 7 Max is the dual camera set-up it packs at the rear which comprise a 13MP primary camera and another 13MP depth of field camera which outputs only black and white images. The rear camera also features laser auto-focus, f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash. At the front, the Axon 7 Max also sports a 13MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture and intelligent beauty software. Already sample images of the device has been outed and they don’t look bad at all.

The 6-inch Full HD 3D display only means the Axon 7 Max would need a solid battery and that is what ZTE did include on the device, cramming a 4,100mAh battery under the hood. The device also comes with Quick Charge 3.0 support for fast charging.

On the software plane, the ZTE Axon 7 Max runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based MiFavor UI 4.0. The device is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC clocked at 2.0GHz, complemented by a 4GB RAM. There is also 64GB of internal storage on the device which can be expanded up to 200GB via microSD. In addition, the Axon 7 Max comes with AK 4962 Codec HIFI flagship chip, with SmartPA + + BOX integrated Dolby Atmos sound chamber support which is able to provide two-way quality HIFI sound.

In terms of the price, the ZTE Axon 7 Max carries a price tag of 2,999 Yuan ($442) and reservations are already being accepted on Jingdong Mall, Lynx and ZTE mall until November 2. The device would go on sale from November 3 via offline and online channels.

LeEco Dual 3: Helio X27 Confirmation

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Oct 27, 2016

LeEco has a new phone called the Dual 3 coming up in November. The phone is said to be the AI phone the company has been talking about and is also the same mystery phone spotted with a Mediatek Helio X27 chip.

Spy photos released on Weibo by @NeochaEDGE shows a screenshot of the phone’s information confirming the use of a Helio X27 chip clocked at 2.6GHz and a couple of pictures showing the phone in black. The chip is said to be born from an arrangement between Mediatek and LeEco, so there are chances you might not see it on any other phone.

The new chip has been custom made to offer the best performance when you use the AI technology and dual cameras bundled with the phone. The phone will have a voice assistant that can help recommend foods, locations, and provide solutions based on information gathered from the user.

The black version of the phone looks way better and will possibly be the most preferred version based on the fact that it does a good job hiding the black borders found on the screen of LeEco phones.

Huawei Enjoy 6 Official: Budget MT6750 Powered Phone With 4100mAh Battery

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Oct 27, 2016

Huawei may not be a big player in the low-end market, but the company does have a few decent options in the segment. Today, the company has added a new model in its Enjoy series, called the Huawei Enjoy 6.

The phone comes with a body that looks like metal, thanks to the choice of metallic colors, however, the back is actually made out of polycarbonate. There are a variety of color options available, including gold, gray, white, pink and blue. As for the specs, the Huawei Enjoy 6 comes with the modest MT6750 octa-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz along with 3GB RAM and 16GB of expandable (up to 128GB) storage. There’s a 5-inch 720p AMOLED display on board. At the back, the phone features 83-degree wide angle 13MP camera with f/2.0 aperture while up front there is a 5MP f/2.0 shooter. As for the software, the phone comes with Android Marshmallow based EMUI 4.1 OS.

Like the Redmi series, the Enjoy 6 boasts a very large battery. It features a 4100mAh battery which is reportedly good enough for 2.6 days of moderate usage, 2 days of heavy usage and up to 6 days with super power saving feature. You can also reverse charge using the large battery.

Other features of the phone include DIRAC sound, box integrated sound chamber, knuckle sense (if you remember, this feature has been available on Huawei’s smartphones for a while) and fingerprint ID.

The Huawei Enjoy 6 will go on sale on November 1 for 1299 Yuan ($192). Reservations have already started.

Meizu M5 Spotted on TENAA with 6GB RAM

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Oct 26, 2016

Ahead of its October 31 scheduled unveiling, the Meizu M5 has been certified by the Chinese Telecommunications Regulatory agency (TENAA). The Meizu M5 is likely to be launched on the day of the Meizu / Lynx concert in China on October 31.One notable specification listed on TENAA is that the M5 features 6GB of RAM on one of the versions. The TENAA certification data also revealed that there would be a total of three versions of the M5 each with different storage sizes. One of the versions comes with 2GB of RAM, the second with 3GB of RAM and the surprise of the pack is listed as packing a massive 6GB of RAM. The Meizu M5 is also listed as having up to five color variants namely; white, gold, green, blue and black.

According to the TENAA listing, the Meizu M5 sports a 5.2-inch IPS display with 720 pixel resolution and is powered by an Octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz which is likely the MediaTek MT6750 processor. The processor in theory doesn’t support up to a 6GB RAM, so the versions of the M5 are likely 2GB, 3GB and 4GB RAM sizes respectively.

Further, the M5 is listed with a dimension of 147.28 x 72.8 x 8.15 mm, weighing in at 138.87 g and is said to have a body made from Polycarbonate material. The Meizu M5 is also listed as having three storage sizes of 16GB, 32GB, andd 64GB. In addition, there is a 13MP rear camera on the device as well as a 5MP front-facing camera. The device is also listed as cramming a 3,000mAh and the device runs on Meizu’s custom YunOS.

Meizu Pro 6S Camera Samples Released

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Oct 26, 2016

While we were still waiting to see the actual renders of the Pro 6S, Meizu has surprised us with the release of what is said to be camera samples shot by the Pro 6S’ camera. The Meizu Pro 6S had been disclosed to use the same design as the Pro 6 with perhaps so pieces of engineering on the inside. For one, the Pro 6S has been revealed to still likely retain the Helio X25 chipset used on the Pro 6 but the device seems to have seen some bit of upgrade on the camera end and perhaps in some other hardware aspects as well.

Recent Weibo update by a Meizu Engineer reveals some very clear images said to have been shot be the Pro 6S and to clear doubts, the Meizu Engineer could be seen to be blogging using a Meizu Pro 6S smartphone. Some might have wanted the EXIF information but since it was shared on Weibo, that is not available. The photos were also compared to some shots from an iPhone 7 and curiously the photos said to have been shot by the Pro 6S came out better. Definitely, we’ll have to put that to test before believing any bit of it.

However, the launch of the pro 6S is not far off, as Meizu has scheduled a concert for October 31 where the Chinese company is also expected to unveil the Meizu M5. The Pro 6S is now rumored to launch on November 3 and very well, that isn’t far off. We’ll wait to see how that pans out.

OnePlus 3T Said To Be Priced At Around $480, Expect Some Upgrades

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Oct 26, 2016

We have repeatedly been saying that OnePlus 3 could be upgraded with a new model soon. Now, it is the popular leakster, Evan Blass aka evleaks who revealed some vital details about the OnePlus 3T pricing. If you remember, unlike earlier rumors, recent Weibo posts made by an unknown smartphone revealed that the upgraded OnePlus smartphone could be called as the OnePlus 3T.

OnePlus 3 + ~$80 + [time] = OnePlus 3T#met3Thitarhymeacapella

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 26, 2016

Now, evleaks reveals that the OnePlus 3T could be priced $80 more than the current OnePlus 3 pricing. This puts the device close to the $480 mark, which sounds decent enough, provided there are some good upgrades. Also, the Chinese pricing could be lower, somewhere around 2999 Yuan ($442) sounds more realistic as the current gen OnePlus 3 retails for just around $369 in the domestic market.

First of all, we expect the OnePlus 3T to feature the faster Snapdragon 821 chipset. While the 6GB RAM is expected to be the same, we could see a 128GB ROM version. Another possible upgrade could be in the display department, with the company opting for better resolution LCD panels to combat the shortage faced by AMOLED panels used on the current OnePlus. However, it’s worth noting that OnePlus CEO said that the company plans to continue using AMOLED panels on its devices, so we will have to wait and see what happens.

Considering all these rumors and leaks, there is a good reason to believe that the OnePlus 3T model exists. So, it will probably be just a matter of time until the flagship is unveiled.

Xiaomi Already Working On the Xiaomi Mi 6? Company Conducts Poll!

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Oct 26, 2016

Xiaomi unveiled three new products yesterday, namely the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 flagship, the Mi Mix concept phone and the Mi VR headset. While these three are heavy products that should keep the company busy for the next few months, Xiaomi already seems to be working on the next generation model in the Mi series, the Xiaomi Mi 6.

The company, today, reportedly released a questionnaire to its fans, asking for their opinion about the possible specifications on the Xiaomi Mi 6. The company seems to be doing this in order to know consumer expectations as well as recommendations directly from its fans.

It looks like the Xiaomi Mi 6 will still be priced at 1999 Yuan ($300) and the display size will either 5.2-inches or 5.5-inches. The company has given its fans three preset smartphone specifications which they can choose.

PHONE A: Snapdragon 8xx chipset + 20MP camera + 4GB RAM + 32GB ROM + Light Metal Body

PHONE B: Snapdragon 65x chipset + Dual Cameras + OIS + 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM + Curved Glass Body

PHONE C: Snapdragon 65x + Dual Cameras + No OIS + 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM + Light Metal Body

All three are well-specced smartphones, but given that Mi 6 will probably be announced only around Feb-March 2017, will these specs be powerful enough at that time?

Which one would you choose among the above three options? Tell us below.

via

Google Launches Jamboard to Take on Microsoft’s Surface Hub

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Oct 26, 2016

Google is trying to push more people to turn to G-Suite (formerly known as Google Apps for Work). The G-Suite which consists of Gmail, Drive, Docs, Hangouts, Slides, and Sheets to name a few, are supposed to help you get work done and replace the use of their Microsoft counterparts.

It appears that Google is not only competing with Microsoft in the software-for-work department but also in the hardware-for-work section. Google recently unveiled a 55” digital whiteboard called Jamboard to take on Microsoft’s Surface Hub.

The Jamboard is designed to help your team collaborate on ideas. The 55” pressure sensitive display has a 4K resolution, a HD camera and speakers for video conferencing with Hangouts (you see why they didn’t scrap Hangouts after releasing Duo?). The display also comes with 2 digital styluses for writing just like the S-Pen, and a microfiber eraser.

Jamboard ties in with G-Suite apps and has its own android and iOS app. So if there is a Jamboard session going on, you can invite people to join once they have the app installed on their device. Participants get a real-time feed of the session and can add images, sketches and texts, though there are limitations if you use a phone.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXwV5SlKLAE[/embedyt]

Jamboard is a beautifully designed display that you’ll be tempted to buy. It comes in ~~Bleeding~~ Red, ~~Really Really~~ Blue, and ~~Slippery~~ Silver colours and has a stand with wheels letting you move it from place to place. It also has some few tricks like handwriting-to-text which converts your scribbles into typed text and even helps straighten lines, shapes, and symbols. And when the meeting is over, you can switch to the built-in Chromecast for some Netflix or hook up a gaming console via its HDMI port.

ATL Unveils New Battery: Supports 40W Quick Charge & Charges Full in 34 Minutes

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Oct 26, 2016

ATL (Amperex Technology Limited) doesn’t ring a bell amongst most people but mention that they are the company that made the battery in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7……wait for it….the battery in Note 7 models sold in China that did not explode.

The Chinese company has unveiled a new battery that supports 40W quick charge and can be charged from 0 to 100% in just 34 minutes. The new battery will be available in 3 sizes. The 3000mAh capacity can be charged up to 80% in 17 minutes and fully charged in 34 minutes according to lab tests but due to safety concerns, it has been modified to take 25 minutes to get to 80% and about 40 to 50 minutes to fully charge when it becomes commercially available.

Xiaomi Mi MIX Screen and Camera Details Revealed

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Oct 26, 2016

News of Xiaomi’s launch event held yesterday has been flooding the internet and the device getting the most coverage is not even the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 but the Mi MIX ”concept” phone.

The Mi MIX is popular not because of its design; Sharp is sort of the pioneer in that aspect. But because it was unexpected. Totally unexpected. Nobody had heard of it not until yesterday. It’s production process must have been really top secret and I won’t be surprised if all those who worked on the project were asked to take an oath of secrecy. And now that it has been unveiled, the internet is gushing over it.

Fitted with a 6.4” display that feels like you are holding a 5.5” device in your hand due to the non-existent bezels on three of its sides, a snapdragon 821 processor, 6GB of RAM, either 128GB or 256GB of storage and an affordable price that starts at $516, what’s there not to love about the phone?

During the launch, quite a number of important details were skipped such as the supplier for the display and the cameras. Those details have however been revealed now. The 6.4” display is made by……Sharp. Yes, it is a Sharp display which means, Xiaomi not only got inspired by the Sharp Aquos Crystal but also got them to provide the display, although the Mi MIX looks better than the Aquos Crystal.

360 N4S with Snapdragon 625 SoC, 64GB Storage Official

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Oct 26, 2016

Just fresh out of the N4A launch, 360 Mobile has once again launched another smartphone today in its expansive N4 series, this time around the Snapdragon-powered version of the 360 N4S. The company also used the event to disclose that it had achieved cumulative sales of up to 2 million units on Jingdong.

The 360 N4S was first released in July this year with an Helio X20 chipset firing things up but the latest version is coming with a Snapdragon 625 chip. This forms the main difference between this version and the previous one as well as an upgrade in the storage from 32GB to 64GB in this new version. Other than these, they both are similar on other specs.

The appearance doesn’t change either, sporting the same metal body with well chamfered, rounded edges for easier grip. The device also features a fingerprint sensor which an be use for fingerprint payment, to unlock the device, as well as to open the camera.

In terms of other hardware, the 360 N4S sports a 5.5-inch full fit In-Cell display with 1080 pixels resolution, powered by a 2.0GHz octa-ore Snapdragon 625 processor complemented by 4GB RAM. There is also 64GB internal storage on the device as against 32GB on the Helio X20 version.

Camera wise, the N4S packs a 16MP rear-facing camera with LED flash and up front, there is an 8MP selfie snapper. The smartphone also has a massive 5,000mAh built-in battery with support for Quick charge 3.0 for fast charging. The device is touted as being able to achieve full charge capacity in 150 minutes and lasts up to 3 days. The smartphone comes in three distinct color variants of gold, gray and pink. Also, there is full network support as well as dual SIM / dual standby support.

Coming to the price, the Snapdragon 625-powered 360 N4S starts at just 1299 Yuan ($192). That is just an 100 Yuan higher than the Helio X20 version with 32GB storage which is currently sold for 1199 Yuan ($177). Reservations for the device starts today by 4pm in China. The device will go on sale via 360 Mall and Jingdong on November 2 by 10am.

New Moto M ”Kung Fu” Details: Helio P15, 1999 Yuan ($295) Price?

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Oct 26, 2016

The last we heard of Lenovo’s Moto M code-named Kung-Fu was a leaked image showing it was going to feature 4GB of RAM and launch with Android Marshmallow. Other details gotten from that leak include the ROM (32GB) and the screen resolution (1920 x 1080). Today, an unknown source has revealed more photos of the device and leaked some important details.

When news of the Moto M first surfaced a few months ago, we learnt it was going to sport a Mediatek processor. The source says the processor in the phone may be recently announced Helio P15 chip. The Helio P15 is the successor to the P10, sporting the same octa-core setup but featuring a higher clocked CPU (2.2GHz) and GPU (800MHz). If this turns out to be true, Lenovo’s new device will be one of the first phones to sport the new chip.

A possible price point for the phone was disclosed too. The Moto M is expected to be priced at 1999 Yuan ($295) which is expensive. Apart from the near stock android experience Motorola phones are known for, there isn’t any special feature the Moto M is bringing to the table. Right now, a couple of Snapdragon 820 phones are even priced at less than $280.

Wondering Why Xiaomi’s Concept Phone Is Called the ‘Mix’? Here’s The Answer!

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Oct 26, 2016

Xiaomi’s surprising new addition yesterday was none other than the big bezel-less screen Xiaomi Mix / Mi Mix. This is the company’s most revolutionary smartphone yet and comes with the largest screen to body ratio on a smartphone yet — 91.3%. Yes, like you may have already seen in the hands-on images, the display takes up a majority of the phone’s front, and it looks beautiful.

However, if you have been wondering why Xiaomi decided to call it the Mi Mix, today, we have got an answer. A few hours back, Xiaomi’s Director of Product Planning, Sun Peng, threw some light on why the company’s concept smartphone is called the Mix.

He came up with this name a while back for the company’s ecosystem products, but turns out, it suits better for the company’s futuristic smartphone.

MIX is an acronym for ‘Made In Xierqi’. The company seems to be moving its office in Xierqi after two years and naming it as the MIX hints that the phone is from the future.

So, now you know, there is a logic behind the naming of Xiaomi’s most innovative product.

Huawei Mate 9 Chinese Edition Could Launch on November 9

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Oct 25, 2016

We had earlier on served you the news of Huawei setting a November 3 launch date for the upcoming Mate 9 flagship. According to the press render, the Huawei Mate 9 would be going official globally on November 3 at a ceremony slated to hold in Munich, Germany.

As is customary with Huawei, a China launch would also take place where the company will unveil the Chinese version, price as well as when the device would go on sale in China. Feelers from China indicate that the Mate 9 could be launched a week after the global launch on November 3. Already the Mate 9 Chinese notice poster has been released and it talks about a November unveiling, which could mean the device would also be unveiled in China this November.

Huawei usually holds its events in China on Fridays but after the November 3 global launch, the following week Friday falls on November 11 which is already tied up with events. Because of this, the most likely date that a conference could be held to release the Mate 9 in China is said to be November 9 and co-incidentally, this corresponds with the Mate 9!

The Huawei Mate 9 is expected to come in two version, the topmost being a Pro version with a curved display. Both versions of the Mate 9 is said to feature a 64-bit HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor, 5.9-inch display, dual Leica cameras similar to the Huawei P9’s but with f/2.0 and 20MP sensor, iris recognition, as well as 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM versions. The device is also expected in three storage versions of 64GB, 128GB and the top most with 256GB which would only be available on the 6GB RAM version.

The Huawei Mate 9 is also expected to set a new high for mobile phones with its rumored price tag siad to be around $1,300 ( about 8800 Yuan). We are not sure though, if Huawei is willing to pitch its neck on such a huge risk especially as it targets newer markets in Europe and US.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2’s Flexible OLED is from LG, Not Samsung

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Oct 25, 2016

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 was finally launched yesterday after a long wait spanning more than a year an now its time to look out for the spectacular features the Mi Note 2 was touted to come with. One of such features is the flexible OLED display that the device uses.

Long before the launch date of the Mi Note 2 was revealed, some set of renders of a flexible display were leaked online. It was thought that the display was actually the Mi Note 2 until it was revealed that the device would feature a flexible OLED display panel that bends in all directions. While we cannot feel the flexibility because the panel is under the glass display, the device indeed came with a flexible display. It was also rumored that the flagship’s display will be supplied by either Samsung or LG. LG was later on tipped to be the supplier of the flexible OLED.

That rumor seem to have gotten a confirmation that indeed the Mi Note 2’s flexible display was manufactured and supplied by LG and not Samsung. Although Xiaomi was mute about the details about who supplied the OLED like it did with the Redmi Pro, well-known industry analyst Sun Changxu has stated that in fact, the flexible OLED display is from LG.

The analyst also hinted that the production rate of the flexible OLED is not very high, so we might expected some shortage in supply for the device especially where the demand becomes very high as expected.

Xiaomi Mix Monthly Production Limited Due To Its Ceramic Body

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Oct 25, 2016

Xiaomi yesterday unveiled not one but three innovative devices, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, Xiaomi Mix, and VR glass. Of the three, the Xiaomi Mix came in as a spectacular device that stood out among the pack with its 6.4-inch display which accounted for up to 91.3% of the entire screen. Quite surprisingly, the Xiaomi Mix was referred to as a Concept phone despite the fact that the phone would actually go on sale on November 4.

Now the idea of a concept phone had all along being that of a creative machine not yet ready for production but Xiaomi seems to have redefined that. It has now emerged that the reason why the Mix was referred to as a concept phone is because production is actually limited by the Ceramic body it features. This was made bare by Kevin Wang, Director of research in China for IHS electronics via a Weibo post.

The Xiaomi Mix uses a 3D ceramic body which is similar to the Mi 5 Pro edition and it could be recalled that the ceramic body slows down production. In this regard, Xiaomi might not likely be producing more than 10,000 units of the device monthly. With the beauty on offer, it is certain production wouldn’t meet the demand that would crop up when the device goes on sale starting November 4. So if you’re interested in this concept phone that is actually going to be sold, get ready for the sales’ opening.

Along the specs line, the Xiaomi Mix features a Snapdragon 821 chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage options. The device also comes with a 6.4-inch display along with other features such as SAP assisted GPS, HD audio processor (192 KHz / 24 bit) and a large 4400mAh battery. At the back, there will be a 16MP sensor.

Further, the exclusive 6GB + 128GB edition gets 18K gold plated rings around the camera and the fingerprint sensor. There’s a 299 Yuan gift included in the box — a premium leather cover. As for the price, the Xiaomi Mix 6GB RAM +128GB ROM will retail at 3499 Yuan ( around $516), while the 6GB RAM + 256GB ROM version would start at 3999 Yuan (approx. $590). The Xiaomi Mix 3499 Yuan edition will go on sale on November 4. Reservations for the sale have already started!

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Now Up For Pre-order on OPPOMART!

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