Just when we thought all bets were off and the rumoured Meizu Pro 5 mini had disappeared, the above leaked photo shows up and tells us its all still on!
Late last year Meizu rumours all centered around a new mini flagship phone that would have a smaller 4.7-inch display but retain a high-quality metal build and top of the range hardware. Since then other Meizu rumours about an new Ubuntu device and the MX6 have taken over headlines but the Pro 5 mini is back!
The image showed up earlier today and shows the Meizu Pro 5 in the hand of someone with the mini 4.7-inch phone sat on the desk next to it.
Gizchina News of the week
From the image we can see that the Meizu Pro 5 Mini is another all metal design and instead of laser focus the phone has dual LED flash beneath the rear camera (which we guess is a 20.7 mega-pixel camera).
The phone is much smaller than the Pro 5 and we can imagine that a lot of people will be interested in the device if it has similar high-end hardware to the flagship Meizu. The reports which accompanied the image suggest a Helio X20 chip, but we would prefer that Mediatek SoC’s remain in the MX range and the Pro range get Samsung or even Qualcomm chips.
As for pricing Li Nan suggest that the tiny flagship will go on sale in April with a price of around 2499 Yuan!
Agree, I hope other chinese makers will consider making a good 4,5-4,7 phone. Maybe new small iPhone will help 🙂
Redmi 3 sucks in camera department and it’s a 5 incher, so it doesn’t really need to be 0.3in smaller. If they went for SD650 – ok, but for me it’s the camera that makes difference. Give Redmi 3 camera from Mi4c and it will be my next phone. I doubt they will tho – example of Redmi 3 shows that they keep mounting poor cameras in Redmi range. Besides, better camera, or SoC, would make it too much of a competition to their own Mi4c.
I heard that Redmi 3 has a similar camera to the Redmi Note 3. So it also depends on software fixings that will arrive pretty soon. Redmi 3 is a brand new device so maybe with regular updates it will get better. I was planning to get the Redmi 3 but your comments changed my opinion. Is it a really bad phone? The SOC 616 is a good cpu or a bad one? I would have preferred a SOC 650 but I doubt that Xiaomi will release a Pro version with that cpu. Maybe they will release a 32gb rom and 3gb ram version keeping the SD616. Should I get the Redmi 3? And at what price cos the price is inflated by resellers, I think below 140$ it is still a great deal. Thanks.
616 does its job, it is a decent chip, better than mtk6735 imo, and its gpu is fine, works decent on 720p, the camera is great at all thats for sure, but shit the battery life is undrainable, the lowest i see the redmi 3 for is at merimobie for 155, overall the resellers have really bloated the price the phone itself is really 100$
Give it few months and it will get closer to that 100$ as it should. Just the way it was with Meizu M2 (Mini).
Calling the camera great is just too much for me, after seeing the samples. Especially in the lowlight conditions.
Thank you for your answer, well I am not a power user and this Redmi 3
offers a lot for the money. The fact that the bootloader is locked is an
issue for me too. I have seen a review where the guy says that the
Redmi 3 is not the easiest phone to upgrade.
I think the Redmi
Note 3 Pro is a lot better than the Redmi 3. The problem of the Note 3
Pro is for me the size of the phone. If it was a 5.1 or 5.2″ phone I
would have gone for it without any hesitation but it is not the case
unfortunately. There are a few options left, the Mi4c Prime is a great
phone but is still expensive. With DHL shipping and a few accessories I
reach 265€ and I think that for this price I could get the MX5 or the
Honor 7.
Redmi 3 Pro with SD650 and 3gb ram would been so perfect!!!!
I see my comment is removed already – I probably shouldn’t be mentioning other portal, but it was easier to remove just this sentence, not the whole comment, wasn’t it Andi?
@Nico – I understand you, I see the 5.5 inchers too big for myself too. Redmi 3 seems very interesting, but it just needs more time. If we get confirmation that other ROMs are available and it becomes easier to replace it, it will be a great phone.
Redmin 3 Note will be even more interesting if it gets the right price tag, but remains too big. Also, if it wasn’t for the size LeTV x600 would be my next buy, as it still remains a rival to new Redmi Note 3.
Because of the camera, it will not be a phone for me though. I’ll rather wait for some bigger Mi4i reductions – tho I hate the SoC in it, or I’ll just spend extra money on Mi4c, even though, neither of them is perfect for me.
Mi4i was one of the phone I really wanted to buy but its SOC is a huge downside (you already know about it). Now MI4C Prime version is around 233€, the MI4 is sold around 220€ (all without shipping costs). Apparently 2 days ago JD.COM made a flash sale on the Honor 7 at 150$, if it is true I am really sad I missed that opportunity. MX5 is a 5.5″ phone but has a compact design when compared to the Note 3 Pro. The 32gb version is sold above 250€.
I have seen some comments from users of the Redmi 3 and most of the comments are positive. Speaking about the pictures quality, maybe with updates and fixings camera will get better and better. That being said, I have seen some samples and it is pretty decent for the price paid for the phone.
A link for pictures samples: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/wp9c9j4cuuebb/xiaomi_redmi_3_camera_samples
I was on tim on JD to buy Honor 7, yet I didn’t. Can’t tell you why…
Redmi 3 can maybe improve the pictures quality a bit, with software updates, but it will not be a game changer. It copes badly with low-light, and doubt it will get the level of Redmi Note 3 now (which still isn’t great too).
I guess, you can live with the software being a bit “too Chinese” now, but if you cannot, try reading a bit and make sure you will be able to get through changing the ROM on your own. Also, some people wait for Xiaomi to send them email with bootlader unlock instructions for even a month.
Other than that it seems like an excellent phone for the price.
Mi4 has 16GB and no uFlash slot. Ones with 64GB are still bit too expensive. LTE versions are more expensive too – cheaper ones usually don’t support it.
Mi4i – SoC is poor, but I’m no heavy user, so I doubt it will be overheating in my hands. Poor power managment is a different story. Phone looks good, has v.good camera and can ge bought quite cheap on ocassions.
Mi4c – 32GB is priced reasonably, but it remains bit more than I planned to spend. Excellent camera, but it has the Type-C connector which I dislike.
After my experience with 5.5 big Gionee E7 (which is quite compact for the screen size, too), I know that 5.5 is just too big for my pocket. Will never make this mistake again.
Yeah, I offered a Redmi 2 Prime to my nephew last month. It is a 4.7″ phone and thought that it would be a very small phone which is the case but I expected it to be very compact device. I mean that you really feel it in your hands. That’s the reason why I do not want to go for 5.5″ phones like the Redmi Note 3 Pro even if I am really tempted. That’s the reason why, I like the Redmi 3 and if you check the samples in the link I shared above you will see that the pictures are not perfect but very good for a budget phone. The lowest price I have been able to find is 126€. I am only scared about the bootloader issue. Frankly, I am tired to wait for phones annoucements and releases. I need a phone and Redmi 3 will be fine for me, I don’t want to spend a lot of money even if I do have the budget for a flagship device.
If I were you, I would have gone for the Honor 7 on JD website. Damn getting the Honor 7 at the price of the Redmi 3 is just insane. I am going to read MIUI forums about bootloader and ROMs for the Redmi 3.
Yeah, it’s just my not very reasonable expectations regarding the camera, that shouldn’t be the case in here, as we are indeed talking bout a budget device. I’m pretty sure it will cope well in daylight, which is ok in most situations. Most Chinese phones do already do that. Fact remains, I will never buy this phone only because of the camera lacking the quality. Otherwise, it would be good enough for me.
That Honor 7 situation – I just cannot find the explanation for that. For some reason I was like: ok v.good price, but I have time to think of it … and then it was gone next time I refreshed in 30 minutes.
Honestly, if the MI4C Advanced was sold below 200€ I would have gone for it. The smartphone market is evolving really fast and am sure that during the MWC lots of phones will be announced with amazing specs and attractive prices. The only concern is that will you resist waiting for new devices to be released in the market. In my case, I am done waiting as I need a phone for a long time now. Redmi 3 has downsides but I think it offers a lot for the price paid. And even if you go for a flagship phone you are not sure to have a killer camera. It depends most of the time on the system.
5.2″ screen size is the limit for me, above that it is way too big.
I do agree that it is difficult to make the right choice. Supply is high enough but finding the right phone in terms of personal experience/price ratio is not that easy.
What do you mean by not easy to upgrade? Xiaomi upgrades all of their devices weekly and continues to support them for a few years after release.
Do you mean not easy to switch ROMs?
Most flagship phones take terrible lowlight photos, nevermind phones under $200.
The Redmi series is a lot more popular than Meizu’s M series. Redmi doesn’t see as many price discounts. Even today the Redmi 2 Pro is still selling for around $125 on many resellers. You won’t find the Redmi 3 under $100 for at least a year.
Well I have been able to find the Redmi 3 sold at 126€ on aliexpress by a seller named Hong Kong Goldway. Apparently, JD website offered the Honor 7 at 150$ during a flash sale. I am so sad that I missed that opportunity.
Regarding your question below for the updates, I understood that if I go for the Redmi 3 that I will have suscribe to a MI account in order to request a code to unlock my phone. According the MIUI forum, then I will have to install a software called fastboost in order to unlock the phone and upgrade the ROM (if I have understood well ofc). This is a budget phone but has outstanding battery life according some reviews.
Do you think aliexpress with free shipping is the way to go? No paypal on aliexpress. Ibuygou sell the Redmi 3 at 170$ which is too much in my opinion.
MWC is coming and for sure there will be many annoucements for new phones but will we see really good budget phones pretty close to the Redmi 3? I doubt about that.
I usually avoid Aliexpress, I have had too many bad experiences (with trusted sellers) and I don’t trust anyone who won’t accept Paypal. But others here do use it and have no issues. The only thing I really use them for now is accessories and cases.
We will see a wide variety of phones at MWC from budget to flagship. There is a very good chance we will see a budget phone that matches or beats the Redmi 3 (and I am a huge Xiaomi fan). Personally I am excited to see the Helios P10 phones that are announced
Thanks Balco, definitely more phones will be announced the coming days at MWC. I do not trust Aliexpress too that’s why I am hesitating a lot. That being said, the Redmi 3 at 126€ is unbeatable right now. Generally, other resellers make a huge margin like 50€ which is way too much in my opinion.
I guess that only MI5 will be available for sale just after the announcement by Xiaomi. The problem is that even if at MWC, more phones will be announced we will have to wait for a couple of weeks or months to see an availability in the market.
It is a shame that MX5 do not have SD card slot, the 16gb is sold at 200€. The 32gb version is around 260€. If Honor 8 is already planned by Huawei, maybe the Honor 7 will have a price cut.
I have been able to find it at 133$ on aliexpress sold by hong kong goldway shop. I will think about it a few days more and then decide, I am tired to wait for the right phone to be released in the market. Moreover each device has pros and cons, maybe with ROMs updates the camera of the Redmi 3 will get better with time. MI5 will be released soon but its price will be pretty close to 400€ without shipping costs which a way above my budget. Peace.
Redmi 3 battery, screen size and resolution look just perfect, as for a midrange.
It looks like 616 is nothing else like just underclocked version of 615. Therefore, I have no idea how does it cope with memory managment, as in 615 it wasn’t impressive at all. It shows no overheating issues, like predecessor and has enough computing power (IMHO) for this product range. It’s stronger (if it’s important to you) than mtk6735, but not only computing power matters here. As far as I rmember from a test I watched, internal memory transfer rates are rather poor. So – this phone will not be behaving as shockingly fast as the flagships do. No chance you can see as shockingly fast UI, as some flagship reviews show.
There’s one more thing, not many people mention: locked bootloader. It’s a default option in new Xiaomi, Meizu and supposedly Huawei products now.
For the moment Redmi 3 software is stuffed with Chinese apps and additions, that are not easy to get rid of. No multilanguage option available yet and even when released. If you want a good English based soft, you probably need to wait for
some INT, or Indian soft – phone is meant to be big on Indian market.
You still need Xiaomi to co-op with you, in order to unlock the bootloader to ba able replace the software. Xiaomi can be really slow with sending it back to their customers internet forums claim …
Imho – it’s a bit too early to recommend this phone just yet.
That’s it indded. I just want it to be something more than it is, even if I had to pay more for that… Your point stays, tho.
Herein lies the problem, if they make it more than it is they will have to charge more for it. Right now the price in China is a little over $105, the reseller price is averaging around $160. If they made it a little better or even released a “Pro” version you would see the official price jump to about $125, the reseller price would now be around $200, for $20 more you could just get a Mi4c.
Dear Balco, what is your thought regarding the redmi 3? Is it a great phone? Do you think a pro version will released soon? Thanks.
I think it’s a good budget phone, as for a pro version I doubt it.
Thanks balco, now I have to dig around the bootloader issue. I do not speak chinese so I wonder if there is an english website to request the code to unlock the device.
Head to the MIUI forums.
Thanks Balco, I really don’t know what to choose between MI4C and Redmi 3. Each phone have pros and cons. Peace!
0.3 inch is 7.62 mm, it is quite significant if you are looking at hand and finger lengths. I want to be able to use a phone with one hand.