Xiaomi has unveiled the Redmi Note 3, its first all-metallic smartphone. The phone is also the first from the Chinese vendor to offer a fingerprint scanner, which can be used to unlock the phone in just 0.3 seconds.
With a thickness of 8.5mm and a weight of 164g, the Redmi Note 3 largely retains the same dimensions as its predecessor, although the all-metal chassis is the major differentiator when it comes to design. Specs include a 5.5-inch Full HD display, MediaTek Helio X10 SoC, 13MP camera with phase detection autofocus, 5MP front camera, Wi-Fi ac, LTE connectivity, and a massive 4,000mAh battery with support for fast charging.
On the software front, the handset runs MIUI 7. The inclusion of the fingerprint sensor opens up a lot of possibilities, with Xiaomi stating that users will be able to use biometric authentication for payments through the Mi Wallet service.
Xiaomi will offer the Redmi Note 3 in two variants: a model with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage for 899 Yuan ($140), and a version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage for 1,099 Yuan ($172). The phone will be available in gold, silver and dark grey color variants.
Given that the handset is running MediaTek hardware, it is unlikely we’ll see it make its way to India anytime soon, as Xiaomi is involved in patent litigation with Ericsson.