September is going to be an exciting time for Chinese phone fans, and Android fans in general as the Xiaomi Mi3, MeizuMX3 and Oppo N! will launch. Keep reading to get full details, rumours and photos!
Xiaomi Mi3
The Xiaomi Mi3 is without doubt one of the most anticipated phones to come out of China this year. Xiaomi hit the nail right on the head with both the Xiaomi M1 and Mi2, and we have big expectations for the Mi3!
Although we have seen plenty of purported leaked photos of the Xiaomi Mi3, the leaks are often followed up by further photos which contradict the first!
We were pretty sure we had a good idea that the Mi3 would be a much blocker looking device when compared to current Xiaomi phones after seeing the above photos, but the most recent leaks suggest a less angular and much uglier design.
Xiaomi have been quite good at keeping their phones a secret right up until launch and we wouldn’t be all that surprised if we haven’t seen the final Mi3design yet!
Xiaomi Mi3 specifications
Speculation of what the phone might be packing seems to have settled down, and most tech sites and insiders are sure the Xiaomi Mi3 will have a 1920 x 1080 resolution FHD display measuring between 5-inch and 5.5-inch. Both the Snapdragon 800 and Nvida Tegra 4 quad-core processors have been shortlisted, but we believe the Qualcomm chip is the one we will see in the phone.
Insiders also suggest the Mi3 will have up to 3GB RAM, 5-mega-pixel front camera, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and 3400mAh battery.
We can also look at the Xiaomi Mi2A and recent accessory launches and MIUI updates for more clues. The Mi2A, the mid-range Xiaomi, has NFC and 5Ghz WIFI and we believe the flagship phone will get these feature also.
Xiaomi’s new headphone plus updates to the MIUI ROM to boost sound quality suggest the Mi3 could also pack a new stereo amplifier and may even come bundled with the ‘piston earbuds’.
Xiaomi Mi3 pricing and launch date
The last 2 flagship phones from Xiaomi both launched at an incredible 1999 Yuan ($320) for the base 16GB version, and with the price reductions to the Xiaomi Mi2S we think a price of around 1999 Yuan for the Mi3 won’t be to far from the mark, but we won’t be to shocked to see a slightly (very slightly) higher price.
The Mi3 will be available through China, Taiwan and HongKong (we might get another surprise at launch), but we don’t expect easy availability outside of China.
Xiaomi will launch the Mi3 at an event in Beijing on 5th September and we will be there to cover the show.
Meizu MX3
Meizu have had a hard time lately, and they are not enjoying playing second fiddle to the ever poplar Xiaomi. For the MeizuMX3 (which might not even be the phones name) Meizu are planing to shake things up a little.
Rather than launch an all new design, Meizu are sticking to their current design style but instead are looking to compete on price with the MX3, something Meizu have never attempted to do before! The most recent news is that at least 2 version of the MX3 will be available, an entry-level 16GB version with no NFC and a top-of-the-range model with up to 128GB memory.
It is also rumoured that the entry-level Meizu could cost as little as 1999 Yuan ($320) with the 32GB model being offered at 2498 Yuan ($408). That’s Xiaomi money! Couple those prices with Meizu’s very good build quality and it could very well be time to get excited about Meizu again!
Meizu MX3 Specifications
Gizchina News of the week
Meizu have been a lot less easier to read with the MX3, but that isn’t to say we haven’t got a few clues to what is going on under the MX3’s stylish exterior!
It looks like Meizu are sticking with their old chip manufacturer for the MX3, meaning that the new phone is going to be powered by a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa chipset, the same processor found in the Samsung Galaxy S4!
Other hardware details include 2GB RAM, 13 mega-pixel rear camera, NFC (except on the 16GB version), 5.1-inch 1080 x 1800 resolution display and the new Flyme 3.0 ROM based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Meizu MX3 launch
Meizu have already sent out the invitations for the MX3 launch and we will finally see the new Meizu phone on 2nd September at the Water Cube in Beijing!
The MX3 will be available in China and Hong Kong as well as Russia.
Oppo N1
We have known for months that the Meizu and Xiaomi next generation phones would launch around September time, but word that the new Oppo is going to be launched during the same month has come as quite a surprise!
Even with only a few weeks of leaks, tipsters and Oppo themselves have been providing us with tantalizing clues about the new Android device which Oppo hope will be a worthy successor to the Excellent Find 5!
The only details we have concerning the design of the phone are these alleged leaked photos which appeared today. The images show a narrow oblong phone (a design we hope the Xiaomi Mi3 will share).
We can see from Oppo’s own leaks that USB, headphone jack and speaker position on these spy photos match what Oppo is saying is part of the Oppo N1, so we are quite confident that this is the actual phone.
The current Oppo Find 5 is a 5-inch 1080 phone, and rumours say that the Oppo N1 will be a larger 5.5-inch model but (from Oppo again) we know the N1 will be easy to use one-handed.
Oppo N1 Specifications
If we look at the current top of the range Oppo Find 5, the China only China Mobile version which as a Snapdragon 600 processor, we can guess the N1 will have an updated Snapdragon 800 chip. We can also assume at least 2GB RAM (probably 3GB) and NFC, which seems to be popping up on every Chinese phone this year.
Oppo’s own teasers tell us that the N1 will have a rear touch panel which could help using the phone 1 handed, and we also expect the 12 mega-pixel Oppo N-lens to make an appearance on the phone.
The Oppo Color ROM is expected to, in fact we believe Oppo will offer the N1 with either an Original Oppo ROM, the Color ROM and even a stock Android ROM just as they have with the new Oppo R819.
Oppo N1 launch and pricing
We know the Oppo N1 will launch in September but we don’t know where the launch event will take place or when! We also don’t know how much the N1 is going to cost, but a price of around 2999 Yuan ($490) sounds about right and is also the price the Find 5 went on sale for.
Oppo will first launch the N1 in China, but it will be quickly made available internationally through the official Oppo store and country based distributors.
Which Phone are you waiting for?
If you had asked me which phone, Xiaomi Mi3, Oppo N1 or Meizu MX3, am I most excited to see last week I would have said the Xiaomi, but the news of Meizu’s change in marketing and the innovative features of the Oppo N1 make these phones just as tantalising!
I honestly can’t pick one of these phones over the others just now, but how about you guys? Which phone are you most excited to see? Which are you most likely to buy? Let us know in the comments section below!