Xiaomi Mi3 prototype leaked, 3GB RAM and 5.5-inch 1080 display!

We have seen plenty of leaked photos of the Mi3, but this purported Xiaomi Mi3prototype nicely brings everything together!

This image of a leaked Xiaomi Mi3prototype has been doing the rounds this morning, and although I am excited to see the full phone for the first time I’m not all that surprised by the angular design as we have already seen it here.

Gizchina News of the week

Join GizChina on Telegram

What has shocked us though are the supposed specifications for the Xiaomi Mi3 which have changed quite a bit from what we have heard before. Sources who took this spy photo claim that the screen on the Mi3 isn’t a 5-inch unit but a much larger 5.5-inch1080 panel! That’s a huge upgrade from the current Mi2S which measure just 4.3-inch.

The next shocking updated is the amount of RAM the Mi3 is claimed to be using. 3GB is the new figure! The rest of the hardware details remain unchanged from previous reports including the 13 mega-pixel rear camera, 5 mega-pixel front, 3600mAh battery, built-in NFC and new HIFI quality stereo.

August 16th is the date we expect the Xiaomi Mi3 to launch, and you can be sure that as soon as the phone is on sale I’ll be picking one right up!

[ Source ]

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

About the author
Andi

July 9, 2013
K900 it is.
Also pass, 5″ is the limit for me. Guess I’ll see Jiayu S1 instead, hopefully it’s not going to be a long wait (ha yeah right).

July 9, 2013
3gb? Cool. I hope it’s LPDDR3, but anyway, I haven’t been able to see much difference in performance between it and 2 yet, although it’s clearly present in Antutu (compare i9500 and M7, most difference comes from RAM).
I guess it won’t cost anything below 450$ with shipping when it comes out. If it does, ‘big-name’ brands will suffocate and die.
- cpuzz
  July 11, 2013
  No way. I have an LG optimus G pro. And the screen is big and fantastic. The skinnier screen makes it much more weidly than a fat note 2

Alex
July 10, 2013
Why must the corners be so 90°? I would rather see the zero bezel screen size and more rounded corners. This phone seems like it could cut through cloth liners in jean pockets after a while lol. Also seems like a finger print magnet… Other then that the specs seem fine, though the price will probably suck… Ohh and a front flash would be interesting and pull away from the herd…
- July 10, 2013
  because curvy phones look like an ugly toy and like every other phone from Apple and Samsung. It’s good to see something different like HTC One, Xperia Z and this Xiaomi. Just my Opinion.
  - July 10, 2013
    I’ll take usability over “being different”
    Oh and I take that when everybody start using sharp corner you’ll look for curvy phone then?

liljohn
July 10, 2013
OMG!!! drooling drooling drooling!!!
honestly i also prefer the edges to be a bit curvy, but the desing in the pic is not that bad, it is like xperia z….
is the battery removable? microsd slot?
is the $320 price tag real???
- July 10, 2013
  Yes 320 dollars like their older phone , but it this should a also be taken with a bit of salt 🙂
  - liljohn
    July 10, 2013
    yes, but if ur not in china, you wont feel the magic! i have a felling resellers price will reach $550????

liljohn
July 10, 2013
Pete
July 10, 2013
5,5 inch, I am out. I was sceptical with 5 inch, but said “yeah it is a Xiaomi, they do always good stuff”. BUT now with 5.5 inch I have to look for other phones.
PLEASE don’t make this mistake, who needs such big phones. Bloody Samsung started this shit with the Notes
- July 10, 2013
  I agree. At 6.5″ might as well call it a tablet that could use phone network, at 5.5″ it’s simply not great at either.

July 10, 2013
I’m giving a high credit to this company. Why? Because of its secret marketing skills. As a management student, any company who can not protect its information is easily and always beaten down by competitor… And in this line, credit to xiaomi.
Guess no one here has been able to predict them, even Andi himself who tells us of his reliable source, yet xiaomi is still playing us around. Well that is very good for them.
About the image, it cool, but how on earth will xiaomi, from all our experience with this previous device design, make a flagship with 90° edge point. Even the xperia z has a little curve by the edge.
3gb of RAM sound cool… But let just wait and see. 16th August may take another turn… 🙂
- Robin Hood
  July 10, 2013

de heer kaseem
July 10, 2013
if it atlest 5inch this is it i buy on the 1ste day i like big screen smarphone itz shame only galaxy note is havin succes i was hopin xiaomi ever think about qhone like 5inch 5.5inch or even 6inch alot of people like huge 1080p screen
guau
July 10, 2013
saving 450$ for a 64gb version xD
leon
July 10, 2013
im okay with an angular design but they could have at least slightly rounded the corners as seen on the xperia z.edges are too pointy

Jeremy
July 10, 2013
Slight curves, like on the Xperia Z are perfect. Overly curvy corners are ugly. Just look at the Galaxy S3/S4 – an embarrassment in public when using it next to the Xperia Z or the HTC One.
Function over form? Please, that depends on the individual. You may well not care about how the phone looks because you are more concerned about how it performs, but many people place a lot of importance on design and form factors – external appeal, so to speak. It’s a very individual thing, and I feel companies should place serious effort into designing really good looking phones – Samsung doesn’t cut it, too bland and curvy for my taste.
OTOH, almost everyone drools at the sight of the HTC One – I think this phone has set the standard when it comes to finish and form factor – It’s a head turner.
You couldn’t care, that’s understandable – you have no taste beyond admiring a plastic shell that just works – Others? They’d not buy such tasteless designs even if it had a 80 core processor. I’m one of them, excessively nit-picky about design, and I know there are many like me.
I hope the next Samsung phone (S4 successor) comes with a aluminium/metal finish and at least somewhat appealing looks – the current S4 and S3 are bashed by almost every blogger/user with even half a taste.
(And ripped jeans and clothes? Are you serious? What’s your attire made of? Ripped and leaking condom sheets? Ridiculousness at its best).

Simon
July 10, 2013
July 10, 2013
5.5 inch is maybe too big for me, 5 inch would be perfect for me.
I am also hoping they are using the Sanpdragon 800 processor and not the Tegra 4 processor. Maybe the costs of the Tegra 4 processor is cheaper than Snapdragon 800 and that’s why they are using this processor.
I also wish they have put a larger camera sensor size in the phone. The upcoming Sony flagship model Honami i1 seems to have a 20MP 2/3″ BSI Exmor R sensor. This sensor size can also be found in high-end compact camera’s.

hoang vung
July 10, 2013
@ Andy: I’m using xiaomi mi2. Could you give me an advice that should I replace the current 2000mAh with 3000mAh baterry?
liljohn
July 10, 2013
maybe its just a survey by xiaomi, they purposely leaked the pic, to collect fans opinion…..5″ is gut, 5,5″ is still acceptable, for me it looks exclusive like a sgnote

Simon
July 10, 2013
Hopefully the size will be limited to 5″ and not less than 4.7″. I want a phone not a phablet !!
Judah
July 10, 2013
Andi,
any idea where they possible will sell these?
Maybe I can buy it via Taobao or something?
It must be really really hard to get.
I also can’t find the No.1 S6 plus anywhere..
Only @ fastcardtech, but it is still out of stock.
- - Judah
    July 10, 2013
    I live in the Netherlands, it will be really hard to get, but any idea where to buy the No.1 S6 (it has 2gb ram and 32gb rom right)?

liljohn
July 10, 2013
July 10, 2013
K900 it is.
Also pass, 5″ is the limit for me. Guess I’ll see Jiayu S1 instead, hopefully it’s not going to be a long wait (ha yeah right).
Guest
July 10, 2013
LUMIA !

Guest
July 10, 2013
3gb? Cool. I hope it’s LPDDR3, but anyway, I haven’t been able to see much difference in performance between it and 2 yet, although it’s clearly present in Antutu (compare i9500 and M7, most difference comes from RAM).
I guess it won’t cost anything below 450$ with shipping when it comes out. If it does, ‘big-name’ brands will suffocate and die.
Guest
July 10, 2013
5.5”??? I was hoping for a 5″ max.
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  cheer up bro, it look expensive, just like samsoong note series! its not really that big, u can still hold it using one hand…
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  Do you know him personally? How do you judge people you only know from a line of words?
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
- i kne w rite maet
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  why so curious???
- Guest
  July 11, 2013
  No way. I have an LG optimus G pro. And the screen is big and fantastic. The skinnier screen makes it much more weidly than a fat note 2

Simon
July 10, 2013
If it is greater than 5″ may have to go for the Nubia Z5 Mini or even Jiayu S1 !
Guest
July 10, 2013
Why must the corners be so 90°? I would rather see the zero bezel screen size and more rounded corners. This phone seems like it could cut through cloth liners in jean pockets after a while lol. Also seems like a finger print magnet… Other then that the specs seem fine, though the price will probably suck… Ohh and a front flash would be interesting and pull away from the herd…
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  because curvy phones look like an ugly toy and like every other phone from Apple and Samsung. It’s good to see something different like HTC One, Xperia Z and this Xiaomi. Just my Opinion.
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  I’ll take usability over “being different”
  Oh and I take that when everybody start using sharp corner you’ll look for curvy phone then?
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  Nope, i’ll look for a flexible phone then

Simon
July 10, 2013
Thats a relief (then I can justify having both a Xiaomi smartphone & tablet).
Guest
July 10, 2013
OMG!!! drooling drooling drooling!!!
honestly i also prefer the edges to be a bit curvy, but the desing in the pic is not that bad, it is like xperia z….
is the battery removable? microsd slot?
is the $320 price tag real???
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  Yes 320 dollars like their older phone , but it this should a also be taken with a bit of salt 🙂
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  yes, but if ur not in china, you wont feel the magic! i have a felling resellers price will reach $550????

Guest
July 10, 2013
Guest
July 10, 2013
Liljohn
July 10, 2013
Indeed! Why bother using a full hd resolution on a small screen??? Its pointless, imo, for phone under 5” 720p is enough
- Liljohn
  July 10, 2013

Guest
July 10, 2013
5,5 inch, I am out. I was sceptical with 5 inch, but said “yeah it is a Xiaomi, they do always good stuff”. BUT now with 5.5 inch I have to look for other phones.
PLEASE don’t make this mistake, who needs such big phones. Bloody Samsung started this shit with the Notes
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  I agree. At 6.5″ might as well call it a tablet that could use phone network, at 5.5″ it’s simply not great at either.
- Guest
  July 10, 2013

Guest
July 10, 2013
I’m giving a high credit to this company. Why? Because of its secret marketing skills. As a management student, any company who can not protect its information is easily and always beaten down by competitor… And in this line, credit to xiaomi.
Guess no one here has been able to predict them, even Andi himself who tells us of his reliable source, yet xiaomi is still playing us around. Well that is very good for them.
About the image, it cool, but how on earth will xiaomi, from all our experience with this previous device design, make a flagship with 90° edge point. Even the xperia z has a little curve by the edge.
3gb of RAM sound cool… But let just wait and see. 16th August may take another turn… 🙂
- Guest
  July 10, 2013

Guest
July 10, 2013
if it atlest 5inch this is it i buy on the 1ste day i like big screen smarphone itz shame only galaxy note is havin succes i was hopin xiaomi ever think about qhone like 5inch 5.5inch or even 6inch alot of people like huge 1080p screen
Guest
July 10, 2013
saving 450$ for a 64gb version xD
Guest
July 10, 2013
im okay with an angular design but they could have at least slightly rounded the corners as seen on the xperia z.edges are too pointy

Guest
July 10, 2013
Slight curves, like on the Xperia Z are perfect. Overly curvy corners are ugly. Just look at the Galaxy S3/S4 – an embarrassment in public when using it next to the Xperia Z or the HTC One.
Function over form? Please, that depends on the individual. You may well not care about how the phone looks because you are more concerned about how it performs, but many people place a lot of importance on design and form factors – external appeal, so to speak. It’s a very individual thing, and I feel companies should place serious effort into designing really good looking phones – Samsung doesn’t cut it, too bland and curvy for my taste.
OTOH, almost everyone drools at the sight of the HTC One – I think this phone has set the standard when it comes to finish and form factor – It’s a head turner.
You couldn’t care, that’s understandable – you have no taste beyond admiring a plastic shell that just works – Others? They’d not buy such tasteless designs even if it had a 80 core processor. I’m one of them, excessively nit-picky about design, and I know there are many like me.
I hope the next Samsung phone (S4 successor) comes with a aluminium/metal finish and at least somewhat appealing looks – the current S4 and S3 are bashed by almost every blogger/user with even half a taste.
(And ripped jeans and clothes? Are you serious? What’s your attire made of? Ripped and leaking condom sheets? Ridiculousness at its best).

Guest
July 10, 2013
If it’s 5.5″ that is a huge disappointment.
Guest
July 10, 2013
- Guest
  July 10, 2013

July 10, 2013
5.5 inch is maybe too big for me, 5 inch would be perfect for me.
I am also hoping they are using the Sanpdragon 800 processor and not the Tegra 4 processor. Maybe the costs of the Tegra 4 processor is cheaper than Snapdragon 800 and that’s why they are using this processor.
I also wish they have put a larger camera sensor size in the phone. The upcoming Sony flagship model Honami i1 seems to have a 20MP 2/3″ BSI Exmor R sensor. This sensor size can also be found in high-end compact camera’s.
Guest
July 10, 2013
@ Andy: I’m using xiaomi mi2. Could you give me an advice that should I replace the current 2000mAh with 3000mAh baterry?
- Guest
  July 10, 2013

Guest
July 10, 2013
maybe its just a survey by xiaomi, they purposely leaked the pic, to collect fans opinion…..5″ is gut, 5,5″ is still acceptable, for me it looks exclusive like a sgnote
Guest
July 10, 2013
Hopefully the size will be limited to 5″ and not less than 4.7″. I want a phone not a phablet !!

Guest
July 10, 2013
Andi,
any idea where they possible will sell these?
Maybe I can buy it via Taobao or something?
It must be really really hard to get.
I also can’t find the No.1 S6 plus anywhere..
Only @ fastcardtech, but it is still out of stock.
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  Wait until it launches
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
  I live in the Netherlands, it will be really hard to get, but any idea where to buy the No.1 S6 (it has 2gb ram and 32gb rom right)?
Guest
July 10, 2013
how about 5,3″???
Guest
July 10, 2013
If it is greater than 5″ may have to go for the Nubia Z5 Mini or even Jiayu S1 !
- Guest
  July 10, 2013

Guest
July 10, 2013
Thats a relief (then I can justify having both a Xiaomi smartphone & tablet).
shoe
July 10, 2013
I think the phone here and the one from: (https://www.gizchina.com/2013/07/10/xiaomi-mi3-appears-again-this-time-from-the-rear-and-it-isnt-5-5-inch/) are different phones. This one has sharp corners and the white one has smoothed corners.
Possibility of 2 different models?..
- July 10, 2013
  I think Xiaomi are just being clever and keeping everyone off the scent. Last year was the same, no one knew what the Mi2 would look like until the day it launched as there were so many false ‘leaked’ and ‘spy’ photos.

Guest
July 10, 2013
Indeed! Why bother using a full hd resolution on a small screen??? Its pointless, imo, for phone under 5” 720p is enough
- Guest
  July 10, 2013
Johnny W
July 10, 2013
If the Xiaomi is a 5″ then im definitely gonna go for it. Too bad i dont live in China:(

Guest
July 11, 2013
I think the phone here and the one from: (http://www.gizchina.com/2013/07/10/xiaomi-mi3-appears-again-this-time-from-the-rear-and-it-isnt-5-5-inch/) are different phones. This one has sharp corners and the white one has smoothed corners.
Possibility of 2 different models?..
- Guest
  July 11, 2013
  I think Xiaomi are just being clever and keeping everyone off the scent. Last year was the same, no one knew what the Mi2 would look like until the day it launched as there were so many false ‘leaked’ and ‘spy’ photos.
- Guest
  July 11, 2013
  Were there any that actually got it right?
Guest
July 11, 2013
If the Xiaomi is a 5″ then im definitely gonna go for it. Too bad i dont live in China:(

Waris
July 11, 2013
looks like a step backwards from xiaomi to me.
Rectangular design is not good for balance of the phone in the hand, its edges will not make the phone feel good in the hand. The rectangular design will also deny users hand positions and this is especially important when the screen is 5+ inches large. This xiaomi mi3 will not have good handling and IMO should follow samsung gs4 design.
MiUI has as positive in terms of being very good for 1 handed use. A 5″ large screen is not really compatible with the xiaomi philosophy.
Lastly, this phone is rumoured to run a tegra 4 processor, when a much better processor called the snapdragon 800 is out there. Yes the tegra 4 has very good gpu power, but at the cost of battery life. Gpu power is not important even if you are playing android games which are not demanding.
Also 1080p screen is very good but also i have doubts that the MiUI themes will support 1080p resolution. If the themes are made with a size of 720p for older Mi devices then having a 1080p screens won’t be any useful apart from for looking at blank colours.

Guest
July 11, 2013
looks like a step backwards from xiaomi to me.
Rectangular design is not good for balance of the phone in the hand, its edges will not make the phone feel good in the hand. The rectangular design will also deny users hand positions and this is especially important when the screen is 5+ inches large. This xiaomi mi3 will not have good handling and IMO should follow samsung gs4 design.
MiUI has as positive in terms of being very good for 1 handed use. A 5″ large screen is not really compatible with the xiaomi philosophy.
Lastly, this phone is rumoured to run a tegra 4 processor, when a much better processor called the snapdragon 800 is out there. Yes the tegra 4 has very good gpu power, but at the cost of battery life. Gpu power is not important even if you are playing android games which are not demanding.
Also 1080p screen is very good but also i have doubts that the MiUI themes will support 1080p resolution. If the themes are made with a size of 720p for older Mi devices then having a 1080p screens won’t be any useful apart from for looking at blank colours.

Jose Amarildo
July 11, 2013
I believe that Xiaomi is doing bullshit. 5.5 inches is too big. 5 polegas is the limit for me.
Guest
July 12, 2013
I believe that Xiaomi is doing bullshit. 5.5 inches is too big. 5 polegas is the limit for me.

Gizchina News of the week

Andi

Today in Home