Alongside news that the Mi 5 has entered mass production, Xiaomi has also announced the Redmi 3, an update to its most popular budget handset.
Even though it costs just over $100, the Redmi 3 packs quite a few interesting features, starting with a new, gorgeous all-metal design featuring a plaid pattern on the back, which comes in silver, dark grey, or gold.
Inside the Redmi 3, a 4,100mAh battery keeps the device running for more than two days. It is one of the biggest batteries we’ve seen in a smartphone, surpassing the Moto X Play, Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and LG V10.
Unlike the three phones mentioned, the 4,100mAh battery on the Redmi 3 only needs to power a 5-inch 720p HD display, which consumes a lot less power than the 1080p or 2K display found on many premium smartphones.
That could push the Redmi 3 past two days of battery life, which would make it one of the best choices for customers who value battery life. We’ll have to wait for a detailed rundown before we can safely say it is the best choice.
Internally, the Redmi 3 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. While not beastly specs, they should be good enough for most customers, especially if you aren’t into mobile gaming.
The Redmi 3 features a 13-megapixel rear camera with “ultra-fast autofocus” and a 5-megapixel front camera. It has dual-SIM support, but NFC, 4G LTE, and Wi-Fi have not been mentioned in the announcement post.
Xiaomi will start selling the Redmi 3 in China to start, with Brazil, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Singapore all potential future destinations. Who knows, the Redmi 3 might arrive in the United States as well, if this is the year Xiaomi decides to enter the U.S. market.
Alongside the Redmi 3, Xiaomi also announced the Redmi 3 Note, and you can check out our rundown of that device here.