Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 launched with Helio X10 chip and PDAF staring at $125

The rumours can now all stop! Xiaomi have just announced the launch of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2, and yes it is running the powerful Mediatek Helio X10 chipset.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is here and finally official in China. As I type this Xiaomi boss Lei Jun is still announcing all the details of his companies new budget phablet (so keep posted for updates) and so far we know the following about this new device.

First think is that we are super happy to see that Xiaomi and Mediatek are back together! Instead of stuffing a Snapdragon 615 in to the Redmi Note 2, Xiaomi have opted for the rather remarkable Mediatek Helio X10 chips (aka MT6795). We have seen the same processor in the LeTV Le1 and Meizu MX5 and been stunned by the performance of the processor. Also on the processing side of things the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 has 2GB RAM on board. We might have hoped for 3GB, but this is a budget phone and Xiaomi won’t want to cannibalise sales of the Mi Note range.

Three versions of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 will be available. The base model with a 2.0Ghz Helio X10 and 16GB internal memory for 799 Yuan, and 899 Yuan version offers the same hardware but full LTE support, and the top of the range Redmi Note with a 2.2Ghz Helio X1 and 32GB memory for 999 Yuan.

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Xiaomi took time to post Antutu scores of the Redmi Note 2 compared to those of rival phones. Xiaomi claim an Antutu score of 54,042 for the Redmi Note 2 in comparison to 47,032 on the Huawei P8 and 49,144 for the Meizu MX5.

Rumours about the display were true. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 has a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display which also features the same HDR sunlight technology as the Xiaomi Mi4i to improve viewing in direct sunlight.

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Camera specifications are impressive for the budget phone too. The rear camera being a 13 mega-pixel CMOS sensor from Samsung and the front a 5 mega-pixel OV model. What is really shocking though is the inclusion of PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) on the Redmi Note 2! This could be the most affordable phone with the super fast auto focus feature!

Xiaomi have also included an IR remote control use at home with your TV, air conditioner etc.

Xiaomi will be offering 5 colour options of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 which include white, blue, yellow, pink and mint green. Additional covers will be available on sale at just 9.9 Yuan in China. The Redmi Note 2’s dimensions are 152 x 76 x 8.25mm and it weight 160g.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 highlights:

16GB/32GB eMMC 5.0 internal storage
2GB LPDDR3 RAM
13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus
5-megapixel front camera with Beautify mode
Large 3060mAh removable battery
IR blaster
microSD card slot for memory expansion

MIUI 6 will come on the Redmi Note 2 out of the box but MIUI 7 will be available soon.

Sale of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 will start on the 16th of August in China, shop.gizchina.com will be offering the phone to international customers shortly after.

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

- Phase detection auto focus
- Bruce S
  August 13, 2015
  PDAF is phase detection auto focus. If you are interested in the “mechanics” of how this works – check out this article:
  https://photographylife.com/how-phase-detection-autofocus-works?v=8e3eb2c69a18
- ST Ammo
  August 13, 2015
  - PaulBV
    August 13, 2015
    - Norbi
      August 16, 2015
      They are making their phones only for china I guess. I read somewhere one of their privider has FDD network, without 800MHz I guess. Sad…
- realjjj
  August 13, 2015
PaulBV
August 13, 2015
Great specs and the price is fantastic (for China). Perhaps $50 more expensive for international buyers 🙁
- pr0l1f1k
  August 13, 2015
  - PaulBV
    August 13, 2015
    Well, $180 would be a great price for European buyers….But seeing the Mi4i at over $223 with lower specs 🙁 I am afraid that the sharks international resellers will ship the new Redmi Note 2 for more than that.
    - The Bastard Christ
      August 13, 2015
      It’s impossible they will price it more than the mi 4i, $200 will be max.
- Sam
  August 18, 2015
monkeytree
August 13, 2015
- SnowyCat
  August 13, 2015
  - yes it does have an SD card slot
  - Dante
    August 13, 2015
    Wow i thought you were dead
    (Sorry for the stupid response didnt see you for a long time on gizchina )

realjjj
August 13, 2015
Edit: Listed on their site now http://www.mi.com/note2/
the microSD might be just for dual SIM versions, Google Translate needs to get better…
This is the first great product from Xiaomi since the Redmi Note launched is April last year so quite a big deal. Now if their other models get better , it would be nice. Hope it really does have a microSD and the screen is not Pentile, it’s IPS so likely not Pentile but not 100% certain.
Wasn’t expecting much from Xiaomi anymore and bashed the hell out of them this year but if this doesn’t have any hidden problems it might be the best phone in the world right now -while factoring in the price ofc. Next year they need a compact SoC with 2xA72 + some A53s to bring the CPU perf to great levels and offer the same experience as high end phones- kinda mimicking Apple’s strategy but in a different context and at a much better price.
For MIUIU 7 liked that they are better addressing the needs of folks without perfect vision. They are doing more than just scaling fonts and that’s something most ignore even if a huge proportion of users don’t have perfect vision.
The sexist color themes were hilarious. They need to stop labeling pink as for women if they do business in the West.
The mini router is kinda cool, at 12$ why not.
- NightFelix
  August 13, 2015
  I can read Chinese, the Mi China site specifications stated can expand maximum of 32GB. But I find it very strange is, previously the grammar they wrote are different than this time they wrote. I mean compare to the redmi note 1 and note 2.
renky89
August 13, 2015
why is this only 125 dollars and the mi4i is 200 dollars without resellers markup? this is a far better smartphone then the mi4i and it will be like 180 dollars for international buyers….also it has a sligthly smaller battery and yet it is bigger then the mi4i.
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
  - renky89
    August 13, 2015
    I am well aware of that. Why is a 5 inch phone more expensive then a 5.5 inch phone? a bigger panel cost more, does it not? so why is the mi4i so expensive compared to the note2?
    - Jason45
      August 13, 2015
      You have to ask Xiaomi for that question. But screen costs depends on many factors. A larger screen may costs more, but other screen characteristics can add the costs (such as brightness level, color saturation).
- Mas Moe
  August 13, 2015
  - renky89
    August 13, 2015
    yes and that SOC is the only reason why nobody should buy the mi4i,otherwise it is the perfect phone in my opinion that is….
AciuX
August 13, 2015
The smartphone have dual sim support?
From the pictures of the display seems to be present only one sim
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
Jason45
August 13, 2015
It also has support for dual sim, battery can be changed and 2 microphones for noise reduction
- Dante
  August 13, 2015
Baba
August 13, 2015
Holy crap, a Helio x10 phone for 130$?! The LeTV is double the price, what does it offer more than this Xiaomi? The camera on the Xiaomi seems more promising with the PDAF, and it also brings expandable storage. The only thing I can think about for the LeTV… A metal frame? :p
- PaulBV
  August 13, 2015
  indeed…metal frame, heavy as a brick, with borderless screen with little protection that cracks easily when you drop it vertically (even inside a flip case and with a tempered glass screen on :(. No 800 Mhz 4G band for Europe. Almost 300 USD.This is LeTv One…. I should have waited for Redmi Note 2.
- ARUN SUBRAMANIAN
  August 13, 2015
  Correct me..but expandable storage?i understand that it has no microsd card…and thats my only nitpick with this otherwise super VFM phone!
- greg
  August 14, 2015
  We wish , but the official price I saw today is $169, I knew they couldnt keep that price with the Helio in it , great phone anyways for $169
  - Bob Loblaw
    August 14, 2015
    no its not an official price, you need to learn retail…130 is the chinese price converted to us….the phone isnt even released out of china so all the resellers do is ad shipping + profit + selling in us currency.
  - Bob Loblaw
    August 14, 2015
    no its not an official price, you need to learn retail…130 is the chinese price converted to us….the phone isnt even released out of china so all the resellers do is ad shipping + profit + selling in us currency.
  - Uradick Headsure
    August 15, 2015
- greg
  August 14, 2015
  We wish , but the official price I saw today is $169, I knew they couldnt keep that price with the Helio in it , great phone anyways for $169

lordsbm
August 13, 2015
Redmi note 5 is everything I would expect it to be 🙂 I’d been secretly hoping that they’ll use the same camera as the TCL ONO (Starts at 599RMB) as it seems to be the most advanced camera (refering to PDAF) in this budget price range. X’mas came early 🙂
- realjjj
  August 13, 2015
  PDAF is not such a big deal anymore, Just days ago for example Omnivision announced a new 13.2MP sensor for the mainstream with PDAF. The OV13853, with 4k 30FPS, 1080p at 60FPS video and it’s small too at 8.5 mm x 8.5 mm module with a z-height of less than 5 mm. So we should see some rather decent cams in midrange this year.
  Omnivision is being bought by a Chinese consortium and once that deal closes they might show up in a lot more China phones.
  - lordsbm
    August 13, 2015
    It is a big deal especially when it’s on a xiaomi phone 🙂 Xiaomi phones especially the value for money hit sellers sets a benchmark. PDAF will become more mainsteam in China phones under 799RMB. TCL used it first months ago but it didn’t catch on, cos it’s on TD-LTE and TCL doesn’t have a good influence on the Asian market. Xiaomi on the other hand has fans across Asia (Wonder why there’s no Band 20? Cause Xiaomi is not made for EU market). So when Xiaomi use PDAF on its budget device, it makes the whole Asia market targeting the budget user to have that. While other budget China phones pushing out budget processors with sunny/sonny/etc camera and marketing the fingerprint sensor, xiaomi choose to stick to the basic by giving us a powerful processor and an advanced camera (ISOCELL?). How good the camera actually works in real life is another story. But I’m hopeful as Xiaomi tends to take camera seriously when they do extra marketing on it. Like for Redmi 1s they emphasized it having 1.3um it turned out to be one of the better camera compared to redmi2 which they did not have much focus on the camera 🙂

Jason45
August 13, 2015
- Lars
  August 13, 2015
  - Newarr
    August 13, 2015
    International version is to be launched on 16 August, B20 may be included.
  - Newarr
    August 13, 2015
    International version is to be launched on 16 August, B20 may be included.
tiktaktik
August 13, 2015
Wtf man!!! Insane xiaomi… They are definitely gonna rock(already they do) the chinese market with these mindblowing specs and insane pricing… The long wait is very very worthy…. Xiaomi rocks!!!!!

Stef
August 13, 2015
2GB is very little for this day and age. “Lesser” phones with 3GB of Ram are going to feel snappier merely because they would have more apps stored in Ram.
When will phone makers learn? Ram Amount matters a lot more than SoC’s power. Give me a “wimpy” SoC with plenty of Ram anyday … don’t give me wimpy ram…
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  - tiktaktik
    August 13, 2015
    Whats the use of a wimpy soc with high ram??? Snapdragon 210(“””wimpy””” soc) with 4 gb ram??? Woww. Thats an amazing combination…
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      - tiktaktik
        August 13, 2015
        Sorry… Thats the reply to the above comment. Him asking for more ram with bad soc
    - Dante
      August 13, 2015
  - Stef
    August 13, 2015
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      And the iOcean Rock has the 6752, this has a 6759. It’s also an iOcean and this is a Xiaomi, meaning this will have better support longer….
      - Stef
        August 13, 2015
        Didn’t you read what I wrote in my inital post? That’s exactly my point, they preferred to use MT6795 instead of upping the Ram, that’s a very silly move.
        Android is far snappier when there is plenty of ram than when there is plenty of horsepower. If everything is preloaded (in Ram) then there’s not much left to do for the processor, especially when one goes in and out different apps.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        It really depends on the user, the UI and the Processor involved. For most people 2GB is enough RAM and there is a noticeable difference between the X10 and the 6752, I have used both. Both are very good but the X10 is better overall.
        
        Stef
        August 13, 2015
        Android/Linux works differently than Windows or iOS. Never a set amount of RAM is “enough”. The more you’d have the faster the system will be. For example a Linux system with 8gigs of RAM *necessarily* would be faster than one with 4GB, even if the user does minimal things. Basically what happens is that the more ram there is the less the internal storage of the device is going to be used.
        It’s called disk caching. Here’s a childish site that explains it (kinda): http://www.linuxatemyram.com/
        If 2GB is enough for you, 3GB would still make your device faster, far more than adding 500 Mhz would do (MT6795T is 500 Mhz faster than MT6752; MT6795 is only 300 Mhz faster), even adding 1GHz would not be enough, disk caching wins.
        iOcean is faster in a level playing field. So sad seeing a big company like Xiaomi trying to trick the user…
        
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I know how it works….
        But for most people 2GB is enough for Android, not saying more wouldn’t be faster.
        Stef
        August 13, 2015
        Yeah but I’m discussing speed here, not “what is the base minimum of an acceptable performance in Android v5”. My initial argument was/is that an MT6752 + 3GB phone is faster than an MT6795 + 2GB phone under the same circumstances.
        So if this phone used MT6752 + 3GB would actually feel (and be) faster than now that they chose only 2GB + MT6795 …
  - Norbi
    August 16, 2015
    - balcobomber25
      August 16, 2015
      That has nothing to do with Xiaomi’s costs. Xiaomi doesn’t get any of that extra money. For them it is a $125 phone with mostly $125 specs, except for the SoC.
      - Norbi
        August 17, 2015
        Its true, but its definitely not a $125 phone for us. This is what only matters for me.
        
        balcobomber25
        August 17, 2015
        Okay but you shouldn’t expect it to have more than $125 specs no matter what you pay for it (not sure who “us” is, as some here can get it for that price).
- tiktaktik
  August 13, 2015
  - Stef
    August 13, 2015
    Yeah notthing preloaded. I was brwsing facebook in my fiancee’s ipad mini, go to check email and then back to FB, godamn I had to start all over again, it’s like living in 2011 where nothing was preloaded. The iProducts are exactly what I have in mind.

Christo
August 13, 2015
I always had faith that Xiaomi was going to have the MT6795 in this, even when other commentors here said that it won’t have the MT6795. I can’t believe the price, incredible. I’ll definitely be placing an order for one of these when the resellers have them.
Achilles
August 13, 2015
For the first time in my life I give huge respect to Xiaomi.
My first Xiaomi will be, great specs, super price.
Thank you!

monkeytree
August 13, 2015
Awesome phone, but no LTE Band 20. So this is were Xiaomi and I part ways. *sobs* ?
- - Technerd
    August 13, 2015
    Nothing is difficult it is only Software .One man told me you can add frequenzies with tools if the soc normanly provide this.
    - Jason45
      August 13, 2015
      It is most likely hardware related.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      That only works if the phone already has the required antennae to pick up those bands. For instance some companies like Samsung and Sony produce one variant that is sold in all countries but the bands not used in that country are software blocked. In that case you can unblock them.
      But phones like this don’t include the necessary antennae to pick up the other bands, so there is no way to add frequencies.

Guaire
August 13, 2015
Great value for the price. This is what I expected from Xiaomi for a long time.
sudione
August 13, 2015
Where is 3GB RAM and LTE band 20(800)?:(
- Technerd
  August 13, 2015
  That is the problem i would pay 35 box more foe rthis
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
  LTE band 20 is almost always the problem with Chinese phones. Xiaomi Note 2 phone is officially only released in China (not to Europe), so they don’t have to include full 4G bands. They only have to support bands that are supported in China.
  The luck we have is that one Chinese network provider has the same type of network as in Europe (3G WCDMA and 4G FDD), that’s why we can import all these Chinese phones.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  For $125 you can expect the world, maybe they will have pro version with 3GB RAM in the future. Band 20 won’t be included in many phones until they are officially sold in Europe, the same with the US bands.

thebestgr
August 13, 2015
“won’t want to cannibalise sales of the Mi Note range.” omg Andi, I so LOVE the way you write
😀
guest
August 13, 2015
i don’t see the sd card slot on the spec page
http://www.mi.com/note2/specs/
- realjjj
  August 13, 2015
  look at the the second SIM on the diagram, there is a 32GB something.
  Edit: actually that’s a Google Translate distortion.
  There is this”32GB maximum scalability” or in chinese 最大可扩展32GB that might be about the microSD but it’s annoyingly unclear. It would be hilarious if they ruined yet another phone by not including a slot.They would deserve a Darwin award.
  - a
    August 13, 2015
    I’m pretty sure Nexus has won that already
  - NightFelix
    August 13, 2015
    The grammar they use are different from last time redmi note, last time they wrote “storage expandable up to 32GB max”, now they wrote “expandable up to 32GB max”
    I mean I direct translate it based on what I can read the Chinese word.
- - Ionut Niculita
    August 13, 2015
    andy we need u to get this fast for an review when its gets for sale.
  - The Bastard Christ
    August 13, 2015
    Andi, can you confirm if sd card slot is available? I thought xiaomi said they will only have the sd card slot with the redmi series.
    - Dante
      August 13, 2015
      This is a Redmi Phone afterall -_-
      REDMI NOTE 2 <– Its REDMI
    - NightFelix
      August 13, 2015
- Simon
  August 13, 2015
oceanseamaster.ibuy
August 13, 2015
As long as there is a debloated OS available for this phone…(I mean vanilla 5.1) I’m onboard.
Until then, thanks but no thanks.
- Simon
  August 14, 2015

Ruby
August 13, 2015
This makes my ‘old’ ReMi Note (1.7 GHz) look like a dinosaur. Still love it though!
Wouldn’t it be cool it Xiaomi had a trade in program!
- Norbi
  August 14, 2015
  if you always want the newest phone and changing ot often, pay for that!
- Norbi
  August 14, 2015
  if you always want the newest phone and changing ot often, pay for that!

Ryanze
August 13, 2015
Crazy pricing. How come xiaomi do this to other small brands?! This is not a healthy competition in China. But, great option for buyers.
I highly see big possibility of other small brands’ bankruptcy. So sad for them.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  Xiaomi can do this because they have buying power as one of the biggest brands in China, they get better deals on parts. Smaller brands will be fine though, the market is big enough for everybody to survive.
  - August 13, 2015
    Hope so. Because i don’t see why choose mt6752/53 phones from small brand like jiayu, umi, ulefone, etc even k3 note for 180usd over 160usd helio x10 32gb rom.
- realjjj
  August 13, 2015
  P10 will arrive soon and match clocks. Would have some lesser features but also better power consumption (it’s on a different process, TSMC’s HPC+) and has a better modem so it will be a valid option to effectively compete with this device.

bharat
August 13, 2015
bye bye OPO2
Sprime
August 13, 2015
someone will need to contain Muhammad Yasir’s erection, because the price on this is absolutely ridiculous
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  I nominate Sprime for that duty….
- Guaire
  August 13, 2015
  Why price is ridiculous, because of the Helio X10?
  Other parts is pretty much standard for the class. X10 is an upper mid-range chip, probably cheap as MT6752 when it was new.
  Sure price is great, but not ridiculously cheap.
  - Sprime
    August 13, 2015
    - Guaire
      August 13, 2015
      Also I know that unbeatable (for now) doesn’t mean ridiculous. It’s just an extension of natural progress within the class.
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    Point out another Helios X10 phone that retails for $125. I will sit back and wait. Even phones with this chip from the budget makers like Bluboo are retailing for over $200. That is why it is ridiculous to some people, they are getting a very good SoC in a budget phone.
    - Guaire
      August 13, 2015
      I’m not saying price isn’t great you know. I mean it isn’t unbelievable.
      - balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Meizu MX5 – $289
        HTC One M9+ – $649
        Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 – $125
        I would say that is pretty unbelievable.
        
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        HTC is already infamous with its prices.
        Meizu is a comparable brand and I guess MX5 sales will be affected from Redmi Note 2 in a bad way.
        Fingerprint scanner, extra RAM, metal body, main camera and AMOLED display make it more expensive, but these costs can’t explain the price gap. They just choose it releasing with more premium price tag. Now they can pay the price for that.
        Let’s look at Meizu M1 Note. It released 8 months ago with $160 price tag. It’s pretty much close to Redmi Note 2 spec wise. In time material costs gets lower.
        Regardless of what people think about X10, it’s an upper mid-range chip, more close to MT6752 and SD615 rather than SD810 and SD808.
        I know you will say price will depends on the customer, but for same customer (let’s say for Xiaomi) X10 will be cheaper a lot comparison to SD810 or SD808 even its price will be close to SD615.
        
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I have used the SD810, Helios X10 and 6752. The 6752 is a great chip but it is a midrange chip for a reason. If the SD810 didn’t throttle and overheat it would be a clear cut advantage over the X10, but with the throttling they are pretty evenly matched. Straight up the X10 is a lot closer to the SD808.
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        I meant cost wise closeness.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015

tiktaktik
August 13, 2015
Its very sad that this mobile will never reach indian market… Coz of fu*** ericson patent xiaomi phones with mediatek got banned in india… I hope them to get the patents and lift the ban and introduce this phone as soon as possible in india. But thats a dream that will never come true right? Or will it?
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  If they dont get the patent you guys will probably get a SD615 version, the Indian market is too large for them to ignore especially with a phone like this.
  - tiktaktik
    August 13, 2015
    - Dante
      August 13, 2015
      Maybe the SD 620 or if you are really lucky 8xx series OR you wont get it all
      - balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I can’t see them ignoring the Indian market with a Redmi phone. The market is much too big for that.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      Its a terrible SoC but there really is no other choice for a midrange SoC unless they use one from Kirin or Samsung.
      - Dante
        August 13, 2015
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        We all thought they wouldn’t go back to Mediatek either.
        Dante
        August 13, 2015
        Remember The Siemens patents wich almost lead to the banning of all Xiaomi phones in India…
balcobomber25
August 13, 2015
Just when I think another company has won me over (Meizu), Xiaomi does something like this to draw me back to the mothership. Helios X10 for $125? This means resellers will have it at the lowest for around $160-170, this a game changer for the budget/midrange market.
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
  I believe the cheapest model 799 yuan is basically only for people in China. The 899 yuan (about 144 USD) and 999 yuan model model includes international 3G and 4G frequences (WCDMA and FDD LTE). Still very cheap for these specs.
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    Most resellers will offer these for under $200 which is a hell of a deal for an X10 powered phone.
- Faux-News
  August 13, 2015
  In a month time, all the competitors will release phone with the exact same spec and price.
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    We shall see. Right now the only competitors releasing X10 phones cost a lot more than $125.
  - Guaire
    August 13, 2015
    Not from other big Chinese players such as Meizu, Huawei, Coolpad, ZTE and Lenovo.
    Meizu, Coolpad and ZTE released their budget phablets recently. Lenovo K3 Note is barely 5 months old. Huawei (even Honor) isn’t known for great prices anyway comparison to Xiaomi.
    Most probably it will enjoy to having best performer title in the class through months until Helio P10 phones appears. Best case by end of the year… Even then they will just catch up. So its competitors have to come up with clearly better offers than the Redmi Note 2.
    I guess we can see better camera options for example 16MP main camera or 13MP with OIS, 3GB RAM and maybe metal as build material (ZTE already did with V3).
    - Faux-News
      August 13, 2015
      These players release phones every two months and won’t be long. In fact they are forced to do if they want to even sell their phones.
      Don’t see any magic trick up Xiaomi sleeves that enables them to keep the price point. All the specs are pretty normal and last year spec, they just added the better chipset which being mediatek is not going to be a big cost factor.
      And since you are already demanding higher spec, then most likely that is what we will see, with a more “wow” specs offered with a price slightly higher than Xiaomi Redmi Note 2. Things like fingerprint sensors barely cost much.
      - Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        Well, I guess they can release new phones but I can’t see they discards their recently released phones so soon.
        Of course other players can do what Xiaomi did, but they caught with their pants down. It will take time to react. We can see some price cuts otherwise they will be in trouble to selling theirs.
        I guess same happened to the Redmi Note 2 and Xiaomi start over for this instead of releasing it considering how long it takes to releasing successor of the Redmi Note.
        Looking at that we can see that how much overpriced is Mi4i.
- Dante
  August 13, 2015
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    - Dante
      August 13, 2015
      Lol I am doing the exact opposite
    - Dante
      August 13, 2015
      Wouldnt you trade it even for a lambo?
      - balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Nope I am not into super cars. They offer me nothing more than my Volvo S60 and they are less practical. Plus the insurance for it would probably cost more than I paid for my Volvo.
        Dante
        August 13, 2015
        Im actually am in search for a Nice sedan (maserati ghibli is first on my list)
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I looked at the Ghibli when I was buying my S60. Price wasn’t too far off and it was beautiful on the inside. Just liked the way the S60 drove better.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I looked at the Ghibli when I was buying my S60. Price wasn’t too far off and it was beautiful on the inside. Just liked the way the S60 drove better.
- Yan
  August 13, 2015
  I was on the verge of buying meizu m2 note but i thought it is worth the wait for the redmi note 2 which really impressed me.
  - Norbi
    August 14, 2015
    meizu m2 note mtk soc is very weak. a lot weaker than the m1.
  - Norbi
    August 14, 2015
    meizu m2 note mtk soc is very weak. a lot weaker than the m1.

tiktaktik
August 13, 2015
Nowhere(no other sites) other than gizchina mention this phone has an sd card slot… I really wish all other sites to be wrong
- Srijan
  August 13, 2015
  ..yah… dats a bit concerning….. a sd expansion is very necessary….
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
  See this pic above for the back of this phone (you can see the microSD card slot next to the two simcards).
  Sorry, for the double posts of this pic, somehow I can’t delete one of the pics anymore after posting.
- NightFelix
  August 13, 2015
  I can read Chinese, the Mi China site specifications stated can expand maximum of 32GB.
- Aditya
  August 14, 2015
  It will have a micro SD expansion as XIAOMI says that micro SD expansion will be given in the REDMI series…
- Aditya
  August 14, 2015
  It will have a micro SD expansion as XIAOMI says that micro SD expansion will be given in the REDMI series…

Srijan
August 13, 2015
didnt see a microSd option in their website…. though google translate render pages in a awful manner……can anybody confirm about the microSD…???
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
  - Srijan
    August 13, 2015
    thaankss a TON….. this really worried me …as none of the popular websits, xcept fr gizchina, noted it…. anyways..thanks again…. and whr hav u gt d pic..?
    - Jason45
      August 13, 2015
  - a
    August 13, 2015
    Thanks!
    But do all 3 versions of this phone have a microSD or only the prime one?

tiktaktik
August 13, 2015
I hope this news on gizchina will have the most comments ever :-p
quodvadis
August 13, 2015
This phone basically kills any random Chinese company who tries to sell Helio X10 at $300. Even $200 is pushing it although can be justified with other spec. $300 will absolutely make any other phone DOA.
Edit: Oh wait, it potentially won’t have microSD slot? lol that’ll kill this one instead. Go on and try it Xiaomi, see how well that works out for Samsung.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  They already confirmed it does have SD slot.
  Other phones with X10 will be fine. Not everyone is a huge fan of Xiaomi (I am) but some people don’t like MIUI. Some don’t like Xiaomi. Some want a finerprint sensor or a better camera or a thinner phone. The market is big enough that all of them can and will survive.
  - quodvadis
    August 13, 2015
    I’m not a big fan of Xiaomi either. But I’ll give credit where it’s due, and this phone deserves it.
    MIUI is easy to take care of with custom rom and this phone will undoubtedly have healthy community of custom rom modders that it’s practically a non-issue.
    The other points are valid, but I don’t agree that they will survive regardless. That hasn’t been happening and won’t be. Lots of Chinese phone maker has come and gone, even Jiayu who was among the better one were in trouble.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      I am a huge fan of Xiaomi and I love MIUI, but I know several that don’t so it is a real issue.
      What I meant by that was the ones who are already established will be fine. Jiayu was it’s own worst enemy and all of their problems were caused by internal forces.
      - The Bastard Christ
        August 13, 2015
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        It gets hot like any other phone (or computer) does after extended use, but it has no heating issues like the SD810 phones do.
        
        The Bastard Christ
        August 13, 2015
        So like normal operating temp heat? Nothing thats uncomfortable?
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I never had to put the phone down because it was too hot. I have had to do that with a few SD810 phones. I have tried games on it for an hour and had nothing but normal heat.
        The Bastard Christ
        August 13, 2015
        Sweet! This deal is just looking better by the minute. Plus it’s MIUI, I just enjoy the experience and functionality of that rom. LOL.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Keep in mind though MIUI does run hotter than most ROM’s do, so the experience in the Redmi Note 2 could be completely different.
      - quodvadis
        August 13, 2015
        Their phones have been more successful than other random companies hope to accomplish. Regardless of their internal problem, they were also among the first that offered a phone like Jiayu S3 back then.
        If by established you mean Meizu etc. then yeah maybe, but my initial argument was never about them, but the ‘random’ ones. Please don’t change it to suit your narrative.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        My initial argument was about the other companies that have an X10 phone, which is Meizu, LeTV, HTC and a few others that are already established. Please don’t tell me what mine was.
      - Yeti hand
        August 13, 2015
    - Will there be custom roms for the Redmi Note 2 ?
    - Yeti hand
      August 13, 2015
      jiayu got there all by themselves, even newbies like mlais or siswoo have brought better support, better price and more choices in this generation!!! It’s a shame, I pity the guys who bought the jiayu s3
      - quodvadis
        August 13, 2015
        how do you know they get better support? better price is subjective, S3 still remains one of the most rounded phone available even today.
        
        Yeti hand
        August 14, 2015
        because I owned a mlais m7 and checked the s3 for like 3 months before finally buying a bluboo x550
        Bah quit joking the s3 still one of the most rounded phone? That overpriced phone that didn’t have playstore at launch and came with adware?
        The s3 was the first mtk6752 that WAS its ONLY advantage now it’s over (oukitel, siswoo, mlais and so on)
        
        quodvadis
        August 14, 2015
        So you didn’t have one and claim that it has worse support than the phone you currently have? Sounds legit.
        lol @ no play-store moaning though, thanks for the laugh, I now know your level.
        
        Yeti hand
        August 14, 2015
        I didn’t have one so I don’t know its value? I spent months looking at that phone, flaws, good features I know them all!! Did you ever own a ferrari?? I guess you can’t speak about its value then right??
        pfff I stop here
        Yeti hand
        August 14, 2015
        I didn’t have one so I don’t know its value? I spent months looking at that phone, flaws, good features I know them all!! Did you ever own a ferrari?? I guess you can’t speak about its value then right??
        pfff I stop here
      - quodvadis
        August 13, 2015
        how do you know they get better support? better price is subjective, S3 still remains one of the most rounded phone available even today.
  - ARUN SUBRAMANIAN
    August 13, 2015
    “They already confirmed it does have SD slot.”..i love it..for my satisfactionplease provide reference link
  - ARUN SUBRAMANIAN
    August 13, 2015
    gsmarena showing no card slot..is it confirmed..i know its stated above but dont want to be dissapointed later.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
  - Simon
    August 13, 2015
    I was thinking about going for the Mi3, shall I go for the Redmi Note 2 instead ?
    Also I’m a bit confused is it coming with MIUI v6 or v7 ?
- Rob
  August 13, 2015
  What about phones like the Gionee E8 @ $800 with the 2GHz version of this chip, makes it seen even more over priced (as if we didn’t already know it).
  - quodvadis
    August 13, 2015
    If Gionee wasn’t an offshoot of a bigger company (I forgot, was it BBK?) they would have died a long time ago.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      Gionee is it’s own company and one of the largest in China. IUNI is an offshoot of Gionee. Gionee is an OEM as well as a phone manufacturer, they build phones for some of the bigger brands in the world like HTC.
      BBK owns OnePlus, Oppo and Vivo.
      - Dante
        August 14, 2015
        BBK itself produces crappy consumer products like dvd players
        Speakers E-Tea Pots Tv’s etc.
        Kind of like a chinese LG
        balcobomber25
        August 14, 2015
        LG makes excellent consumer products….
        Dante
        August 15, 2015
        I know i said the types of products they make lol
        im a LG fanboy
        
        balcobomber25
        August 15, 2015
        Ahh thought you were saying LG made crappy products. I am an LG fanboy for everything except their phones (hate the designs they use). Every TV I own is pretty much LG.
        Dante
        August 15, 2015
        Rly The LG G4 is the best phone this year and the design choice is fantastic (by todays trend and standard) although they could use better materials
        
        balcobomber25
        August 16, 2015
        To me it is absolutely hideous especially the one with leather and it is way to thick for me.
        Dante
        August 16, 2015
        We all have preferences in every aspect of our life
        Dante
        August 15, 2015
        Rly The LG G4 is the best phone this year and the design choice is fantastic (by todays trend and standard) although they could use better materials
        balcobomber25
        August 15, 2015
        Ahh thought you were saying LG made crappy products. I am an LG fanboy for everything except their phones (hate the designs they use). Every TV I own is pretty much LG.
      - Dante
        August 14, 2015
        BBK itself produces crappy consumer products like dvd players
        Speakers E-Tea Pots Tv’s etc.
        Kind of like a chinese LG
    - Yeti hand
      August 14, 2015
      you don’t even know Gionee is a huge compagny and you want to bash me?
      You’re cute, go get some basic knowledges then maybe I will give you some attention.
      THanks for the laugh
    - Yeti hand
      August 14, 2015
      you don’t even know Gionee is a huge compagny and you want to bash me?
      You’re cute, go get some basic knowledges then maybe I will give you some attention.
      THanks for the laugh

Dante
August 13, 2015
I SUMMON THE GOD OF BARGAIN PHONES
Muhammad Yasir WHERE ARE YOU????
i really want to see your face when you read this article… :3
Ruby
August 13, 2015
Heard in the offices of Elephone and Meizu this morning: 我们现在正在性交！
(We’re f#@ked now!)
eliHd452
August 13, 2015
Is this phone better than original opo on the camera department?
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  Impossible to say until someone can test it out. You can’t judge based on the sensors alone.
Rob
August 13, 2015
This is rather annoying as I’ve just ordered the Jiayu S3 to see me though for the rest of the year. The first Xiaomi phone that I would actually buy, never thought it would happen! lol
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  - Rob
    August 13, 2015
    Agreed as i wouldn’t have bought it otherwise. Only consolation is this is more expensive and has less ram which makes me feel a little better, I just fancied trying out the X10 really!
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      I love it on the MX5. If you are not a heavy gamer it is an amazing SoC, handles everything with ease. Even the highest demanding games are still playable on normal settings, but if your the type who likes to max out the graphics on those games it will stutter a bit.

Ruby
August 13, 2015
- August 13, 2015
  207$ USD at ibuygou
  - Ruby
    August 13, 2015
    Thanks, hopefully we’ll see prices drop even more as soon as all the hype is over.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  Oppomart is usually more expensive than the rest. Give it a week resellers will have it cheaper.
TheCatCharli
August 13, 2015
Will believe it, when see it on the market. Dont think it will be available internationally for less then 220$-230$.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
balcobomber25
August 13, 2015
Where are my favorite trolls who go on every Xiaomi story and claim they are raising their prices and offering less for more?
- Guaire
  August 13, 2015
  Are you trying to start a meaningless debate? Why?
  What they did with Redmi Note 2 is what expected from Xiaomi when criticized by people. All phones released by Xiaomi between Mi4 and Redmi Note 2 was either overpriced or underwhelming.
  If your imagined trolls doing really trolling why they can’t say same things for the Redmi Note 2?
  Now anybody can clearly see Mi4i was overpriced.
  They are back on the right track.
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    - Guaire
      August 13, 2015
      There is no need for feeling guilty. I’m on the same page for what I criticized.
      Are you immature or somewhat? You and me knowing each others’ points. We argued numerous times on that. And you called me troll once.
      - balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I called you a troll more than once, if you are going to call me out get your facts straight. But you actually weren’t the person I was referring to with that post.
        
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
- joe
  August 13, 2015
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
Sam Butler
August 13, 2015
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  Goodluck getting one, I see this being sold out in record time. You will have to try to find one in the markets and expect to pay a huge premium.
Animesh Kumar
August 13, 2015
This is totally unfair. All those big players advertised X10 with their might to do that. And just when this processor was famous while a potent market already setup, Xiaomi puts their foot in the market with such product and incredible pricing. They didn’t have to pay for advertising X10. It was already done by others though with an unreasonable pricing. No wonder Xiaomi, today can price the phone so low. I bet Xiaomi to introduce a product with flagship components, first in the market. Try to get an idea from why Mi Note Pro was out of the pricing range of Xiaomi. They banked on others to advertise SD810 with their flagships and when the time is ripe they can grab the market with their pricing. This never happened and ultimately Xiaomi had to put a premium pricing on Mi Note Pro. They do this with every product of theirs, atleast Mobiles.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  It has very little to do with advertising the SoC. Mediatek and Qualcomm advertise the SoC’s months before any phones are announced with them. The Mi Note Pro was designed from the start to be a premium product and was priced so high because of the components it has inside.
  - Animesh Kumar
    August 13, 2015
    You don’t seem to get my point. Advertising by the chip makers is totally different than the OEMs. They just do with a style of contract which puts them on course to launch a product as per the timeline of the OEMs. I am challenging the timeline of Xiaomi to launch the SD820 with such out of the world pricing before others do it.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      I don’t get your point at all. Xiaomi isnt using the SD820 they are using the Helios X10. But the reason they can sell it for so cheaper has little to do with advertising the SoC. Here are the main reasons they can:
      1. Your on the right track with advertising. Xiaomi doesn’t do traditional advertising like most companies. They use almost entirely social media. They launch their products and let the fans do the advertising for them.
      2. Xiaomi will sell more units of the Redmi Note 2 than all of Meizu’s phones combined. Mediatek will give the X10 to Xiaomi for a lot less than Meizu because Xiaomi will be buying 10X as many chips.
      3. Xiaomi usually sells their products for pretty close to cost. They hope to make up the price difference by selling their products over a longer period of time when component prices drop. A model that One Plus also uses. Most companies rely on those initial sales right at launch. Which is why they are always pushing new models every few months (see Elephone and Doogee).
      - Animesh Kumar
        August 13, 2015
        I never said Xiaomi is using SD820. They will eventually do that in future. Your first point is true but only partly.
        A) Hasn’t the processor capabilities already been advertised by Meizu, HTC and others? Xiaomi knows that consumers are fazed by their pricing. So today, when the price of component(X10) is already down and a big market already envisaged by the processor’s capability, they can launch it with this pricing.
        B) Mediatek and xiaomi will have a commercial transaction and it is not a part of discussion here.
        C) Xiaomi do sell their products at low price but these are partly adjusted by the accessories they sell. I want them to sell a product while being termed as first mover in the market. Xiaomi does that by being the last mover in most of the cases, be it S4, SD800, SD 801, etc. They couldn’t do the same with SD810 and that was the reason why Mi Note Pro was priced out of the Xiaomi’s inherent pricing model. You see they couldn’t even include SD805 in Mi Note (Not Pro), when SD801 was older in the language of technology and innovation. Trust me putting ELE and Doogee out of the discussion would be best.
        Now lets forget the word advertising which I feel has totally put you off the straits. All I am asking is that could you insinuate Xiaomi launching SD820 before other players do? Will it be called innovation when the like products are already there in the market? The only innovation from this company is their pricing model which doesn’t always fail in the technology market. Like for example cost of producing 50gms of artificial meat is thousands of dollars. To reduce the price the economics would suggest high demand. I only wished to deliberate on the model of Xiaomi which attracts anti-trust factors, if gone in details.
        
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        1. The capabilities of the processor are advertised by Mediatek and Qualcomm. They hold pressers like this:
        By the time the processor makes it into a phone, it’s capabilities are pretty much well known. The price of the X10 is probably the same today as it was 3 months ago, it is still a very new processor.
        2. The price they pay vs the price Meizu pays has everything to do with this convo. You are wondering how they sell it so low, that is one of the reasons.
        3. You are the one who mentioned the word advertising and you keep mentioning it….
        4. I don’t really care when Xiaomi launches it vs others. Those phones aren’t any more innovating because they launched first. Innovation involves a lot more than the SoC you use.
        
        Animesh Kumar
        August 13, 2015
        You know I would better try to advice Xiaomi on their patent issues rather then indulging in a discussion like this. Because that is where my interests lie. I will try to be clearer next time with you. Just not today.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Patent issues are something every brand faces.
        Animesh Kumar
        August 13, 2015
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Are you saying they don’t? The Patent wars are huge in this industry. When Lenovo acquired Moto from Google, there was a big fight between the two about Moto’s extensive patent portfolio. Lenovo ended up with 2000 patents, Google kept 15,000.

Michael De Giovanni
August 13, 2015
If GizChina’s shop keeps the price close to it’s original, I’m sold for sure!
monkeytree
August 13, 2015
Europeans unite! We should all petition Xiaomi for a LTE band 20 / 800MHz version!
??????????

MaxPower
August 13, 2015
in the last few months some people kept saying that Xiaomi is raising their prices and they make overpriced phones.
And they were always coming out with some brain gymnastic to prove it.
finally they will shut up once forever.
edit: i didn’t even read about the SD card slot.
i guess they can’t even say that it’s “useless”
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  Haha I made a similar post below. I notice some of those people are MIA….
  Let’s just hope though that they have more than white color for sale, if it’s another wait 6 months for another color I will not be buying one.
  - MaxPower
    August 13, 2015
    i don’t think I’m gonna buy one, i’m waiting for MI5 to see what kind of deal is going to be.
    but i have to admit that this one is,at least on paper, a good phone and for sure the best value.
    right now I’m leaning to the new Moto X Style.
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      I may buy one as my new work phone but it really depends what colors they offer initially and on Yash’s review of the Gionee S7. I trust his review more than anyone’s for Gionee phones.
      - MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Lol, you know how my love with them started? My first two or three Chinese phones were all pure and utter crap, two clones and some brand the human tongue can’t pronounce. And then I stumbled on a Gionee and my entire outlook changed on them.
        MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        sooner or later they will contact you.
        🙂
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        If they are reading this I will be your brand ambassador! Contact me.
        
        MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        i totally see you in a commercial “dos equis” style.
        you know whom I’m referring to?
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
  - - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      Yea but the availability of actual Xiaomi back covers might be a problem. The knockoffs will flood the market but I am always wary of those.
- Guaire
  August 13, 2015
  Mi4i is overpriced. If you and your pal deny that fact I will gladly humiliate both of you.
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    You mean you will embarrass yourself as usual? Don’t worry we are used to it by now 🙂
    - Guaire
      August 13, 2015
      Maybe in your dreams 🙂
      Or you can embarrass me right here right now with how I was wrong about that my opinion about Mi4i is overpriced for example.
      - balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        I was thought we agreed to disagree in certain points.
        BTW kudos for Redmi Note 2 again.
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        We did which is why my post wasn’t directed at you.
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        Then my mistake, sorry for inconvenience (both of you, if Max doesn’t mean me too.)
        
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        I think he does mean you lol.
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        In that case my apology only will be for you.
  - MaxPower
    August 13, 2015
    mi4i is expensive and in my opinion it doesn’t worth the money.
    but that’s only because the SD615 sucks.
    it’s not overpriced though:
    if we compare it to other phones with SD615 on it with the same build quality then it’s the cheapest.
    (look at Nubia)
    - balcobomber25
      August 13, 2015
      It is a horrible phone because of the 615 but it is priced same or cheaper than most 615 phones.
      - MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        exactly, plus he didn’t mention anything about his theory about xiaomi raising their prices that have actually been the same since they started this business.
        MI4i is a new line, a marketing choice that didn’t come out like they hope to.
        same about MI Note Pro.
        both phones failure has to be addressed to Qualcomm.
        if the SD615 came out as good as the Helio X10 and the SD810 as good as the Samsung 7420 then we wouldn’t even be here debating
    - Jason45
      August 13, 2015
      - MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        I’m sure the whole phone is better but that doesn’t change the meaning of my previous post about Xiaomi making overpriced phones (comparing to who?!?).
        you can’t deny that Xiaomi lowered the bar of the price of Chinese phones.
        and saying that they raised their price is also a lie since they always kept their original price since they are in business.
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        Comparing to Xiaomi. Now seems they recognized their mistakes and fixed it.
        
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        What mistakes? They have set prices for model brands (Mi, Redmi, Redmi Note) and they have never strayed from those prices too far. The Mi4i was a brand new product line and compared to other 615 equipped phones it was a regular price. Let’s compare it to other phones equipped with 615:
        Lenovo Vibe Shot – $279
        Nubia z9 Mini – $279
        Xiaomi Mi4i – $223
        Those are all the lowest prices listed on Kimovil. So again if it is priced lower than it’s main competition, it can not be called overpriced.
        
        Guaire
        August 14, 2015
        Let’s compare it to other phones with MT6752 (comparable but better than the SD615):
        Meizu M1 Note – $160 (at launch)
        Jiayu S3 – $160
        Xiaomi Mi4i – $200
        Do you remember that a month ago Mi4i switched to open sales? It’s still there. You were thinking it’s going to sell out in a couple of days.
        Airyl
        August 14, 2015
        Why are you comparing MT6752 devices with Snapdragon 615 devices?
        
        Guaire
        August 14, 2015
        On the paper MT6752 and SD615 are on par, furthermore cost wise they should be pretty much close.
        If that phones would have MT6752 instead to SD615 price wouldn’t dropped $40-50.
        Spec by spec they are comparable except their size.
        balcobomber25
        August 14, 2015
        Comparable, better and cheaper than a SD615 which is why you can’t compare them and can only make a valid comparison to phones with the same chipset. It’s like comparing a car with a Toyota V6 to a car with a Porsche V6, the Toyota might actually be better but it sells for a lot less.
        
        Guaire
        August 14, 2015
        Phones with different chips has been comparing all the time. It’s nothing new.
        balcobomber25
        August 14, 2015
        Sure you can compare them, but to say one for is overpriced compared to another is ridiculous when those phones have completely different hardware.
        Guaire
        August 14, 2015
        Different doesn’t mean incomparable. They are in the same class both performance wise and cost wise. Other specs are comparable too with those phones except their size.
        
        Guaire
        August 14, 2015
        Let’s compare it to other phones with MT6752 (comparable but better than the SD615):
        Meizu M1 Note – $160 (at launch)
        Jiayu S3 – $160
        Xiaomi Mi4i – $200
        Do you remember that a month ago Mi4i switched to open sales? It’s still there. You were thinking it’s going to sell out in a couple of days.
        
        just came to troll
        August 15, 2015
        still mi4i is overpriced even with sd 615 lets compare with other phones in india
        Yureka Plus – 8,999(cynaogen os)
        phicomm passion 660 -10,999(same specs except for dispay as mi uses sharp display)
        mi4i – 12,999(while the above two support micro SD mi 4i does not)
        balcobomber25
        August 15, 2015
        It’s more expensive than those two and less expensive than two others (Vibe Shot and Nubia Z9) meaning it is not overpriced, it is right in the middle. To be called overpriced it would have to be more than every other 615 phone and it is not.
        
        just came to troll
        August 15, 2015
        i would still say its expensive when iam getting infocus m810 with a SD 801 and micro SD support at the same price of it. and i can get many more phones with better specs than mi4i at much less price .The only reason people go for xiaomi is because of its value for money device(not for its miui or anything and we know how much time it takes for its update and still there is no lolipop device except for mi4i under its hood) and i hope xiaomi sells note 2 with X10 and not that crappy SD 615 in India
        The device u mentioned are camera centric phones and only those people buy who want a better camera where as the devices i mentioned fall in the same category as mi 4i (and they have same sony IMX 214 sensor) so its still overpriced
        
        balcobomber25
        August 15, 2015
        The Mi4i has a very good camera that is on par with the Nubia Z9 and Vibe Shot so there goes that theory.
        just came to troll
        August 15, 2015
        seriously man are you trolling urself?? yureka plus,passon 660 and mi 4i share same image sensor i.e sony IMX 214 so they have almost equal image quality except in some HDR like mode were very excess algorithms are used (but i have to say this one by far mi has the most excellent algo’s for HDR mode) and in no way its comparable to vibe or nubia z9 mini (IMX 234 Exmor RS,16mp,6plens)
        
        balcobomber25
        August 16, 2015
        You do realize two phones with the same sensor can have completely different quality? The sensor is only one part of picture quality. I can show you 10 phones with the IMX 214, some take horrible pics some take excellent and some are just average.
        just came to troll
        August 16, 2015
        ok man just say if u want a camera centric phone would you go for a mi 4i ?? and i know that sensor is only one part and optimization and algos comes as other but still it does not compare to camera centric phones where they perform above avg in all conditions and iam just saying that mi4i is overpriced with that soc and build . if u dont agree with me just say we both disagree at this point
        
        balcobomber25
        August 16, 2015
        The Nubia Z9 Mini isn’t a camera centric phone, it is a phone with a good camera there is a difference. The Vibe Shot is a camera centric phone, it’s a phone that was designed around the camera experience. The Mi4i has a horrible SoC, if it wasn’t for the 615 it would be one of the best mid range phones available and the camera in it is still excellent regardless. You may think it is expensive for what it offers but that is not the same as it being overpriced. The Nubia is overpriced because it has the same crap processor and costs almost $70 more than the Mi4i.
        
        balcobomber25
        August 15, 2015
        The Mi4i has a very good camera that is on par with the Nubia Z9 and Vibe Shot so there goes that theory.
        
        just came to troll
        August 15, 2015
        still mi4i is overpriced even with sd 615 lets compare with other phones in india
        Yureka Plus – 8,999(cynaogen os)
        phicomm passion 660 -10,999(same specs except for dispay as mi uses sharp display)
        mi4i – 12,999(while the above two support micro SD mi 4i does not)
        balcobomber25
        August 13, 2015
        What mistakes? They have set prices for model brands (Mi, Redmi, Redmi Note) and they have never strayed from those prices too far. The Mi4i was a brand new product line and compared to other 615 equipped phones it was a regular price. Let’s compare it to other phones equipped with 615:
        Lenovo Vibe Shot – $279
        Nubia z9 Mini – $279
        Xiaomi Mi4i – $223
        Those are all the lowest prices listed on Kimovil. So again if it is priced lower than it’s main competition, it can not be called overpriced.
      - Dante
        August 14, 2015
        Lol of course it is Its hard to say but the z9 mini/max/z9 borderless
        have the same camera module wich is one of the best on the market today
      - Dante
        August 14, 2015
        Lol of course it is Its hard to say but the z9 mini/max/z9 borderless
        have the same camera module wich is one of the best on the market today
    - Guaire
      August 13, 2015
      It isn’t expensive, just overpriced even if it would working like supposed to.
      It’s a big shame they presented it as a flagship. There is no excuse for that.
      Redmi Note 2 is a living proof for that.
      Their growth stopped in H1 2015 and most probably they are going to miss their 2015 target.
      - MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        you always omit to mention the whole story. which is the horrible year of Qualcomm.
        like i said, if the SD615 came as good as the MT6752 and the SD810 as good as the S 7420 then Xiaomi would have matched their projection easily.
        it’s like blaming the farmer for not providing the usual quota of tomatoes during a catastrophic year in which it snowed every day during summer.
        instead you are trying to say that if they didn’t match their projections is because they badly priced their products.
        
        Guaire
        August 13, 2015
        In your opinion…
        MT6752 phones was starting from $160 from early 2015 like Meizu M1 Note. Even if SD615 was working like the MT6752 it still would be overpriced.
        Mi Note Pro only released by end of the first half. It announced with $530 then have to cut its price even before it released. If it didn’t sell enough as they are hoped for they should blame theirselves.
        They did miss their target because of underwhelming Redmi 2, lack of Redmi Note 2, delayed launch of Mi Note Pro (which is also overpriced) and overpriced Mi4i and Mi Note. Also they were late to cut Mi4’s prices.
        Their sales should see spike up in sales at H2 thanks to Redmi Note 2 and maybe Mi5.

Partha Dutta
August 13, 2015
Xiaomi could have done a bit more by providing with an external memory card of 64gb and Corning Gorilla Glass by adding some 100 Yuans more. It would have then sold like hot cakes.
- eliHd452
  August 13, 2015
  I thought it’d comes with SD card expansion is it not??
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  It has an SD card slot for less than 100 yuan you can expand the storage.
  - Muhammad Yasir
    August 13, 2015
- Guaire
  August 13, 2015
  I’m pretty much sure it has a protecting glass either from Corning or another manufacturer like Asahi.
  Phone vendors pays for the actual glass, but if they wants to advertising it, they have to pay more.
- Airyl
  August 14, 2015
  Implying that it’s not going to still sell like hot cakes.
Greenhill
August 13, 2015
One of my greatest worry is build quality for the body. I just sold my redmi note enhanced (3G) to a friend. It’s a good phone, but when I went from asus zenfone 6 to redmi note the first thing I noticed is the huge drop in terms of build quality. Everyone who has redmi note will agree how cheap plasticky this thing is, looks like it is made from rejected recycled plastic materials. Please, don’t do this again, I missed miui and wanted to go xiaomi again.
- balcobomber25
  August 13, 2015
  I never had the original Note, but every other Xiaomi I owned (Mi3, Redmi 2, Mi4) had excellent build quality. I remember all the reviews of the Note and build quality was always listed as a pro but with no glass protection it could scratch easily.
- lordsbm
  August 13, 2015
  Likely the build of Note 2 will be majority plastic. To solve this for the original note, I bought a ultra-thin aluminium bumper + ultra-thin temper glass screen protector. It’ll make the whole phone feels more solid 🙂
- Jason45
  August 13, 2015
  A Chinese tech website has already mentioned that the build quality of the Note 2 is decent, but the reviewer has said that you could quite feel the difference compared to Meizu Note 2 (in a positive way for Meizu Note 2). Meizu Note 2 seems to have used a better type of plastic material and Meizu Note 2 has a magnesium allow frame

The Bastard Christ
August 13, 2015
- Muhammad Yasir
  August 13, 2015
  - Yeti hand
    August 13, 2015
    maybe you just found the phone you were waiting for!
    Don’t miss it or you will regret it… Forever
    - Muhammad Yasir
      August 13, 2015
      - Dante
        August 14, 2015
        Yo go to mcdonalds to make some greenies
      - Dante
        August 14, 2015
        Yo go to mcdonalds to make some greenies
        Muhammad Yasir
        August 14, 2015
        yeah … thats not the way it works here… :/
        Muhammad Yasir
        August 14, 2015
        yeah … thats not the way it works here… :/
- arsalan
  August 15, 2015
  Hi
  Did anybody find if it has gorilla glass as it is a deal breaker for me. I don’t use any covers for my phones. Thanks.
Ruby
August 13, 2015
How will Chinese resellers justify the ~$225 USD price of the Xiaomi Mi4i?
Comparing the two phones, it looks like the ne RedMi Note 2 has the Mi4i beat in every category (unless someone must have a 5″ display).
- MaxPower
  August 13, 2015
  some people would not even consider a phone bigger than 5″.
  actually I’ve heard many demanding for a 4.7″ one and unfortunately (for them) there’s no much choice out there.
  - Mustafa
    August 13, 2015
    Indeed it is damn hard to find a phone with decent specs with a screen size between 4,7 and 5,2 inch at a competitive price. There is only the MI4 white wcdma version sold around 233$ on aliexpress without shipping costs. I was really motivated to get the Mi4i but its cpu isn’t really optimized for casual gaming or even multitasking because of MIUI. I was hoping that Xiaomi will reveal a Redmi 2S or Redmi 3 with boosted specs like MTK6572 replacing the Snapdragon 410 and a 2500 mAh battery but its is not the case. I am right now hesitating between the Redmi 2 Pro and the Meizu M2. Shame that the Redmi 2 Note isn’t a 5,2 inch phone I would have bought 2 copies of it LOL. 76 mm width is too much for my small hands.
    - Mustafa
      August 13, 2015
      I forgot to say that I don’t like the white color version of the Mi4.
      - MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        neither do I.
        but when i bought mine there was only the white version available.
        i still hate it
      - MaxPower
        August 13, 2015
        neither do I.
        but when i bought mine there was only the white version available.
        i still hate it
    - Charlles Costa
      August 17, 2015
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    Gionee S7 is only 5.2 inches and it’s dimensions are almost identical to some 4.7 and 5 inch phones from a few years ago…..
    - MaxPower
      August 14, 2015
      to Rosalia and Dolores….
      watch and learn!
      😀
    - MaxPower
      August 14, 2015
      to Rosalia and Dolores….
      watch and learn!
      😀
  - balcobomber25
    August 13, 2015
    Gionee S7 is only 5.2 inches and it’s dimensions are almost identical to some 4.7 and 5 inch phones from a few years ago…..
- Guaire
  August 13, 2015
Muhammad Yasir
August 13, 2015
Any idea how expensive will the INTERNATIONAL EDITION be ?
this could be it …. MAYBE 😛
- The Bastard Christ
  August 13, 2015
  - - Im really Dissapoint in you son
    - Dante
      August 14, 2015
      Im really Dissapoint in you son
    - James
      August 14, 2015
      compared to what? I can’t think of a phone with those specs for less than that!
      - Muhammad Yasir
        August 14, 2015
        except for the Helio x10 , everything is at par with a good $180 phone …
        $200 is a buzzkill for a phone that AIMS to go more than one better than all the other phones !
      - Muhammad Yasir
        August 14, 2015
        except for the Helio x10 , everything is at par with a good $180 phone …
        $200 is a buzzkill for a phone that AIMS to go more than one better than all the other phones !
    - James
      August 14, 2015
      compared to what? I can’t think of a phone with those specs for less than that!
- Uradick Headsure
  August 13, 2015
  189 dolar for FDD-LTE 16 gb, 239 dollar for FDD-LTE 32 gb on oppomart, oppomart always overpriced than other resellers, so it will be around 179 dollar for 16 gb and 219 dollar for 32 gb i think.
  - Uradick Headsure
    August 14, 2015
    Here is good news. Oppomart reduced prices. 179 dollars for FDD-LTE 16 GB, 209 dollars for FDD-LTE 32 gb. It’s fucking great.
  - Uradick Headsure
    August 14, 2015
    Here is good news. Oppomart reduced prices. 179 dollars for FDD-LTE 16 GB, 209 dollars for FDD-LTE 32 gb. It’s fucking great.
- Uradick Headsure
  August 15, 2015
  New lowest price 168.85$ for 16 gb, 206.85$ for 32 gb on geekbuying. Hot as hell 🙂
- Uradick Headsure
  August 15, 2015
  New lowest price 168.85$ for 16 gb, 206.85$ for 32 gb on geekbuying. Hot as hell 🙂
QwE43
August 13, 2015
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Prime first look miui 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SfLD9WMIHI
Yeti hand
August 13, 2015
- August 13, 2015
  Yes it does
Gorilla glass or not ?
Sorin Balan
August 13, 2015
I was about to get the k3 note for 150$ but now I’m puzzled… ?
Do you think the note 2 will be better for music, taking photos,gps and SOT?
LastoftheBrunnen_G
August 13, 2015
This phone just made the OnePlus 2 irrelevant.
Arnold
August 14, 2015
It does have a card slot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otLP7iEkzT8
Arnold
August 14, 2015
It does have a card slot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otLP7iEkzT8
Aditya
August 14, 2015
I am upset that this awesome chipset MEDIATEK HELIO X10 is used in REDMI NOTE 2… No, no…I am not a SNAPDRAGON fanboy..It’s just that because we won’t be able to buy it in INDIA….
Because any XIAOMI phone using other than SNAPDRAGON processor is banned in INDIA by the courts of INDIA…
And it doesn’t have any SNAPDRAGON varient too…
I wanted it too badly…
Please XIAOMI do something…
I bet that if it comes to INDIA it’s flash sales will be over in the time as fast as XIAOMI claims there AUTO FOCUS in REDMI NOTE 2 to be…that is 0.1 sec…
It has everything Indian market needs….
An Mid Range price tag, Expandable memory, awesome camera and awesome performance…
It looks like I have to import it from CHINA otherwise…
Do something Xiaomi…
- aston
  August 14, 2015
  - Aditya
    August 18, 2015
    Yaa bro..now will do that as xiaomi is saying they won’t launch in INDIA as of now…
    And if they manage to launch they will launch with a degraded chipset of SD..
- aston
  August 14, 2015
  just buy from other places.
- balcobomber25
  August 14, 2015
  Most resellers will ship it to India still, the ban only applied to Xiaomi directly selling in India.
  - Aditya
    August 18, 2015
    Yes, balco I know that but the thing is I have to pay 25-30% more for buying it from CHINA….
    And if I have any problem in the phone I have to send it back to CHINA as we also don’t have any service centres of xiaomi in my city…
    And I don’t know if I send it for service in even Indian service centres they may not accept it as I have bought it from CHINA…
    Please tell me all the procedures for buying it from CHINA…
    - balcobomber25
      August 18, 2015
      It really depends who you buy it from and your closest Xiaomi service center. I would check with them and ask them if they will repair devices bought online, some actually will.
      - Aditya
        August 18, 2015
        Ok, but how I can pay in dollars through my credit or debit card…?
        When every penny in my bank account is in rupee….
        Any idea about that bro…?
        balcobomber25
        August 18, 2015
        Aditya
        August 19, 2015
        Thanks for the information brother,
        Balco, one more thing that gearbest is showing no micro SD expansion for the international version… and the same is also shown by gsmarena…
        So international version will have micro SD expansion…?
        balcobomber25
        August 19, 2015
        That I do not know, I usually dont trust reseller specs cause they usually get something wrong. Let me check with a few sources and get back to you.
        Aditya
        August 19, 2015
        Ok, but I think it has a micro SD just a bit hesitating before buying…
        So,205 dollars is good for the 32 gb prime version…? Or I can get it in a cheaper price…? if yes then tell me where…
        And also tell which is better to buy a 16 gb fdd -lte in 178 dollars or a 32 gb fdd -lte version in 205 dollor..
        please suggest…
        balcobomber25
        August 20, 2015
        205 is about the average I have seen. You could always get the 16GB version and pick up a cheap micro SD card on Amazon for like 400 rupees.
        Aditya
        August 20, 2015
        So,I can’t buy it from official XIAOMI site…?
        It will save my cost and also it will be more reliable and also good for service aspect…
        I visited the xiaomi site only lower version with tdd – lte is available…
        And can I get the prime or the fdd 16 gb version from XIAOMI site…?
        Does XIAOMI ships to international buyers…?
        balcobomber25
        August 20, 2015
        Usually the Xiaomi site will only ship to that country (So Singapore site will only ship to Singapore etc). Don’t know if that has changed.
        Aditya
        August 20, 2015
        Ok, so tell me which site is offering the best price for redmi note 2 prime(international availability)…
        Thanks…
        Aditya
        August 23, 2015
        Okay balco, so can you tell me where I can get the best deal for XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 2 please tell the site….
        And one more thing, does USB type C support fast charging or not….?
        balcobomber25
        August 23, 2015
        Take a look at the below site, it gathers all the prices from all the sites and updates daily. It appears Geekbuying is the cheapest right now but there’s is a presale.
        Aditya
        August 27, 2015
        Ya I saw, but it is wrong the price shown for the 32gb version was of 16gb fdd version on geekbuying which was 170$ and gearbest is also selling at 169$….
        32 on geekbuying is of 207$ and at gearbest it is at 206$….
        So is it necessary to buy insurance for the shipment….?,and buying the prime version worth paying 206$ compared to 169$….?
        balcobomber25
        August 28, 2015
        Insurance isn’t necessary if you use paypal, they will refund your money if something goes wrong. Personally I don’t see the point in the prime especially since SD cards are so cheap you can get that extra space for a lot less.
        Aditya
        August 28, 2015
        So there’s no difference in the performance of 6795t 2.2GHz as compared to 6795 2.0 GHz…?
        And will the prime version will be available for immediate shipping or I have to wait…?
        balcobomber25
        August 28, 2015
        Any difference between the two will be very negligible. 99% of the time you would never be able to tell the difference of that .2 extra GHz. As for shipping I couldn’t tell you, you would have to check with whoever your buying it from.
        Aditya
        August 28, 2015
        Ok thanks…
        Does USB TYPE C support fast charging….?
        balcobomber25
        August 29, 2015
        It’s up to the phone itself to support it doesn’t matter if its type C or not and I dont know if this one does.
Aditya
August 14, 2015
I am upset that this awesome chipset MEDIATEK HELIO X10 is used in REDMI NOTE 2… No, no…I am not a SNAPDRAGON fanboy..It’s just that because we won’t be able to buy it in INDIA….
Because any XIAOMI phone using other than SNAPDRAGON processor is banned in INDIA by the courts of INDIA…
And it doesn’t have any SNAPDRAGON varient too…
I wanted it too badly…
Please XIAOMI do something…
I bet that if it comes to INDIA it’s flash sales will be over in the time as fast as XIAOMI claims there AUTO FOCUS in REDMI NOTE 2 to be…that is 0.1 sec…
It has everything Indian market needs….
An Mid Range price tag, Expandable memory, awesome camera and awesome performance…
It looks like I have to import it from CHINA otherwise…
Do something Xiaomi…
Uradick Headsure
August 14, 2015
highwind
August 14, 2015
If this retails for 150-160usd internationally it might be the first Xiaomi phone worth considering (at least as long as you can swap the ROM at least)
Xalis
August 14, 2015
Fuck I’m selling the Meizu M2 Note as soon as I get it.
greg
August 14, 2015
No place to found it at $125 ,thats for sure , not even the 16Gb version. Official price is at $169 ,as far as I know
- The Bastard Christ
  August 16, 2015
greg
August 14, 2015
No place to found it at $125 ,thats for sure , not even the 16Gb version. Official price is at $169 ,as far as I know
Zeca_BR
August 14, 2015
- The Bastard Christ
  August 16, 2015
Sere83
August 14, 2015
Like most xiaomi phones I’d expect basically beta firmware, huge ram use and a buggy rom at launch. After using my mi note and mi4i for a while i’m sorry but MIUI 6 and i presume miui 7 is just bloated and not that well optimized. Sad but true
Ruby
August 15, 2015
I wish GizChina would stop advertising the price of phones in China or explicitly note – *In China* as nowhere in the world other than China can these phones be bought at the prices stated. It would be like running a post in a popular car site “96 Octane Gasoline – Now only 2 cents per Liter!” …only to discover in the article that the 2 cents per liter price applies only if you live in Venezuela!
- The Bastard Christ
  August 16, 2015
  - Ruby
    August 16, 2015
    - The Bastard Christ
      August 17, 2015
      doesn’t change the fact that is called GIZCHINA. tech news coming out of main land china. they can’t quote reseller prices as these vary. get over it.
      - Ruby
        August 17, 2015
    - Hiwyx
      August 17, 2015
      I am one of them. Not only Chinese live in China.
      And I agree that you can’t quote based on a retailer who’s price will probably vary from one day to another.
      I believe they could highlight the *price in China only* but any regular reader know this anyway.
arsalan
August 15, 2015
Hi all,
Can anybody reply to my query? Does it have gorilla glass or not as it is deal breaker for me as I don’t use cover for my phones. Thanks in advance.
- MaxPower
  August 16, 2015
  - arsalan
    August 17, 2015
    - MaxPower
      August 17, 2015
      that’s what i use too.
      my MI4 doesn’t have Gorilla glass so i doubt this one has it.
      it probably has the Concore glass made by Corning like the MI4.
      the tempered glass protects the screen without adding extra bulk.
      my phone fell the other day and the glass shattered while the display stayed intact.
      i totally recommend it.
      it’s easy to install, no bubbles like cheap screen protectors and i also installed to my wife’s phones which has gorilla glass.
      - arsalan
        August 19, 2015
Xiaomi Redmi Note
August 15, 2015
4 out of 5 Xiaomi Redmi Note phones, that I’ve come across, had a ridiculously low quality displays – yellow spots at the border and hundreds of dead pixels allover the screen just within 6 months of usage. So no wonder the price is that low…
- The Bastard Christ
  August 16, 2015
  - Xiaomi Redmi Note
    August 17, 2015
    Hmm, only one of them was mine, LoL, but nevertheless the problem has been widely discussed on a few well known forums…
Xiaomi Redmi Note
August 15, 2015
4 out of 5 Xiaomi Redmi Note phones, that I’ve come across, had a ridiculously low quality displays – yellow spots at the border and hundreds of dead pixels allover the screen just within 6 months of usage. So no wonder the price is that low…
sandertrots
August 15, 2015
no 3gb and still the same small battery. i hope there will be a PRO version
sandertrots
August 15, 2015
no 3gb and still the same small battery. i hope there will be a PRO version
sai bhagavan
August 16, 2015
always jealous and proud of xiaomi that the company which i use currently cannot make this type of phones at this price
bettie fox
August 16, 2015
i want to buy this phone but is not for 125$
- The Bastard Christ
  August 16, 2015
  Go live in china
- eliHd452
  August 16, 2015
  The company itself is selling it at $125 you won’t get it lower unless you wait in a few month or a year when it goes down in price.
Ruby
August 16, 2015
Jack Wong’s (Meizu CEO) last words:
“Why didn’t any of you see this coming? You’re all fired!”
Bailey
August 16, 2015
Just read that they sold 800,000 Redmi note 2 in 12 hours. Seems that China really wants this phone. I really hope there will be an international version.
Angry Mobile Nerd
August 16, 2015

Andi

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