Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has launched in Beijing “the most epic flagship device of the year,” the Mi Note, a phablet that could potentially overshadow Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus.
Mi Note measures 6.95mm thick and weighs 161 grams. In comparison, Apple IPhone 6 Plus comes at 7.1mm thick and heavier at 172 grams.
Mi Note measures 6.95mm thick and weighs 161 grams. In comparison, Apple IPhone 6 Plus comes at 7.1mm thick and heavier at 172 grams.
The device’s Sharp/JDI-made Full HD display, which measures 5.7-inch and has a 1980 x 1080-pixel resolution at 386 ppi, provides a 95% NTSC color gamut. It is protected on both sides (front and back) by a 3D curved Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 with 3.0mm bezel, allowing users to hold the gadget comfortably.
Its negative LCD panel, which provides a 1400:1 contrast ratio, reduces short-wavelength blue light and offers an adaptive dynamic contrast ratio to minimize eye strain.
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with 2.5GHz quad-core processor, Mi Note is packed with 3GB RAM; Adreno 330 graphics card; and 16GB/64GB of internal storage. It also offers a 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Fi audio system for true sound representation.
Mi Note supports 4G dual-SIM, providing a slot for micro-SIM card and another that can accommodate a nano-SIM card. It also supports LTE connectivity and has a Sony/LG Lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 3,000 mAh coupled with Quick Charge 2.0.
The gadget’s 13-megapixel camera, which features 2nd Generation Sony IMX214 CMOS sensor, f/2.0 aperture and six-element lens, is equipped with an Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for low-light photos; Philips two five-tone flash which delivers rich natural colors; and four-megapixel front camera with large two-micron pixels.
Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun: Xiaomi is committed to developing an open ecosystem of smart home devices that can be completely controlled through your Mi phone.
Available in white and black colors, Mi Note is to be sold at 2,299 Chinese Yuan for 16GB version and 2,799 Chinese Yuan for 64GB.
Mi Note will be available in the Philippines in the second quarter of 2015.
Alongside Mi Note, the Mi Note Pro was also launched. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 with 64-bit quad-core CPU and Adreno 430 GPU.
Mi Note Pro comes with 4GB, LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB eMMC 5.0 flash storage. It also supports LTE-CAT 9 connectivity (up to 450 Mbps download speeds).
Measuring 5.7-inch, the device’s 2k display has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels at 515 ppi.
Mi Note Pro is to be sold at 3,299 Chinese Yuan.
At the launch event, Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun also talked about Internet of Things and how Xiaomi is committed to developing an open ecosystem of smart home devices that can be completely controlled through your Mi phone. Lei noted that the smart device industry has three major pain points: it’s complicated to set up a home appliance from your phone, every appliance needs its own app, and it involves heavy investment in cloud infrastructure.
To solve these pain points, Xiaomi has developed an intelligent module, which is sold at cost to manufacturing partners. The Mi Home app helps to connect all appliances under a single app, while Xiaomi has also developed a common cloud service for its smart home devices. Xiaomi has invested in 25 hardware companies in 2014 and continuously released popular products such as the Mi Band, Mi Air Purifier and Xiaoyi Smart Camera.
SPECIFICATIONS
Mi Note:
– 3D curved Gorilla Glass 3 with metal frame
– 5.7” Sharp/JDI Full HD display (95% NTSC, 1400:1 contrast ratio)
– Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz, Adreno 330, 3GB LPDDR3 RAM
– Dual 4G SIM (micro/nano), Dual Standby
– Sony 13MP camera f/2.0, Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)
– 4MP front camera with large 2-micron pixels
– Hi-Fi audio system, 24-bit/192KHz lossless playback support
– 3000mAh 4.4V lithium-ion battery, Quick Charge 2.0
Mi Note Pro:
– 2560x1440p 2K Sharp/JDI screen, PPI 515
– 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 8-core processor, Adreno 430 GPU
– 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, faster than LPDDR3 by 1.7 times
– 64GB eMMC 5.0 ROM
– Supports LTE CAT 9 with download speed up to 450Mbps
