Xiaomi Redmi 3 ‘High’ released with fingerprint scanner at $138


xiaomi redmi 3 high

After announcing the name of their new Eco System and launching a rice cooker, Xiaomi have also announced the ‘high’ version of the Redmi 3 with fingerprint scanner.

Priced at 899 Yuan in China (which is roughly $138), the Xiaomi Redmi 3 is still a 5-inch 720p phone with all metal body, but has received a few choice upgrades.

As seen in the launch image above (and previous TENAA leaks) the new ‘high’ version of the Xiaomi Redmi 3 now has a touch fingerprint scanner on the rear of the body similar to the one on the Redmi Note 3.

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The new Redmi 3 also gets a boost in memory to 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, while retaining the ability to use SD cards of up to 128GB.

Continuing inside, the new phone has dual SIM support, a 4100mAh battery, and an 8 core Snapdragon 616 chipset with Adreno 405GPU. Cameras on the phone are 13 mega-pixel rear and 5 mega-pixel front, and that metal body can be chosen in either Gold, Fashion Dark Grey, White, or Classic Gold.

So far the phone is only available in China, but keep posted on reseller sites as it’s likely to be a hit elsewhere too.

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.

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100 Comments

  1. Steven Fox
    March 29, 2016

    Will be around 170$ when the resellers get a hold of it.

    • Simion Florin
      March 29, 2016

      I think will be much more, 164$ was the first one, resellers are so damn greedy!

      • Kresimir Jakic
        March 29, 2016

        No, it will be the same as ordinary Redmi 3 when it first hit, because it would influence the sales of Redmi Note 3’s 😉 resellers have a bunch of those for 200-230$. I expect ordinary Redmi 3 to be now 130$, this new one 170$

      • balcobomber25
        March 29, 2016

        Resellers aren’t greedy they are business that have to make money to operate, they are not a charity that can afford to give the phones away. Xiaomi doesn’t give discounts to second hand sellers like some brands do, so any reseller is paying retail prices for the phones.

        • Muhammad Yasir
          March 29, 2016

          understood.

    • Muhammad Yasir
      March 29, 2016

      this is so hard to digest :/

      • Steven Fox
        March 30, 2016

        It`s a shame they all keep marketing those phones with their China prices and then BOOM gearbest is cheapest with 20% on top of that price and you have to wait for months for them to actually deliver. That’s one of the main reasons people prefer to get a headset from their local carrier, although it might be more expensive, but you can actually inspect the phone in your hands and don`t have to wait for extended pre-sales periods.

        • Muhammad Yasir
          March 30, 2016

          hmm

  2. Kresimir Jakic
    March 29, 2016

    This is a wonderful (and my next) phone. A 5″ Redmi 3 High, with a huge battery and a fingerprint reader, from a reliable company, for ~170$

    The only downside is 720p, but that helps save some battery so… Xiaomi, thank you.

    A phone without a fingerprint reader is not a good buy in 2016., so it’s good they have upgraded it. Xiaomi Redmi 3 ‘High’ is the bestbuy phone to beat.

  3. Mr.Flying Zoom3rz
    March 29, 2016

    Still prefer a Redmi Note 3 Pro. Nothing can beat it in the <$250 price segment.

    • Assefa Hanson
      March 29, 2016

      you know 2016 has many months right?

      • Mr.Flying Zoom3rz
        March 29, 2016

        Of course, ok nothing for now. 😀

    • March 29, 2016

      now it’s 230$

      and the 16GB version is 190$

      I think the 16GB redmi note 3 pro is better than redmi 3 pro if they are close in pricing

      https://twitter.com/Qushery/status/714840062463242240

  4. Boyan
    March 29, 2016

    If this also has no option for 2 sim AND micro sd at the same time, still not good for me…

  5. Yusuf
    March 29, 2016

    Wow very nice upgrade but it is already advertised at $195 by Ibuygou Shop which is way too much in comparison with the retail price in China. Other resellers will sell it at the same price or around $200+. I would have gone for the Redmi 3 Pro if it had SD650 CPU inside instead of the SD616. At $195 there are better options like the Redmi Note 3 Pro which isn’t very compact in terms of size but still the very best value for the money paid. Even, the price of MI4C prime version is around $220 with 3gb ram and 32gb rom.

    • March 29, 2016

      you need to wait for it to release and after that few weeks for the price to settle , I think it’ll be at around 170$

      • Yusuf
        March 29, 2016

        I would say a few months before to see a price drop. Seriously, with a better SOC like the Snapdragon 625 I would have gone for the Redmi 3 Pro even at $195 price tag cos I like 5 inch size phones. I am tempted to get the redmi note 3 pro but am scared a bit by the size.

  6. balcobomber25
    March 29, 2016

    Xiaomi changing the game once again! Expect a whole new line of budget phones coming now from all the top brands to attempt to compete with this.

    • Yusuf
      March 29, 2016

      Yeah Balco, I agree with you but the Redmi 3 Pro is advertised at 195 US Dollars on Ibuygou website. Many resellers will follow that path too. It is not expensive but for $200 or $230 it is possible to get respectively the Redmi Note 3 Pro or the Xiaomi MI4C Advanced version. It is a shame that they didn’t upgraded the CPU. I am seriously thinking to get the Redmi Note 3 Pro, I know plenty phones will be released soon. Should I wait or get the RNPro 3?

      • March 29, 2016

        redmi note 3 pro is the best phone at the 230$ price point

        unlike the other Chinese brands Xiaomi have a good version of android with good support (MIUI) so I feel that Redmi note 3 pro will stay as the best phone at its price for the rest of 2016

        • dave bryson
          March 29, 2016

          who has the Redmi Note
          3 Pro Snapdragon chip for that price??

        • balcobomber25
          March 29, 2016

          There’s a few Chinese brands with good versions of Android.

          • March 29, 2016

            non with the combination of good version of android + good support .

            if we’re just talking about good version then sure they are other good versions , but support is a big issue and I think only MIUI have a proven good support

            now I’m not including CyanogenOS since it’s a US version of android , which is used by some chinese brands (and it does have good support)

            • balcobomber25
              March 29, 2016

              Meizu’s Flyme is a good version with good support.

            • March 29, 2016

              I respectfully disagree.

            • balcobomber25
              March 29, 2016

              I have had excellent support with the MX5.

            • March 30, 2016

              but it’s about the whole company history , all the Xiaomi device since they started in 2011 are still updated every other week , it’s an amazing record

              other chinese brands don’t have long term support especially for cheaper devices

            • balcobomber25
              March 30, 2016

              You dont have to tell me that I am one of Xiaomi’s biggest fans but I have been pleasantly surprised with Meizu.

            • March 30, 2016

              Ok

      • dave bryson
        March 29, 2016

        who has the Redmi Note
        3 Pro Snapdragon chip for that price??

        • Yusuf
          March 29, 2016

          Sold by Hong Kong Goldway at 219 US Dollars on Aliexpress 😀

    • Muhammad Yasir
      March 29, 2016

      does this mean something appropriate for my pricing tastes will grace the market soon ?

  7. Guaire
    March 29, 2016

    Phone has great value for sure, moreover it doesn’t have any direct competitor on the market. But its timing can make a lot of early Redmi 3 adopters angry IMO. After what they did with Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3 people will hesitate before purchasing next generation Redmi phones.

    • Shashank
      March 29, 2016

      it has though lenovo k5 plus

      • Guaire
        March 29, 2016

        Not exactly IMO. Redmi 3 Pro offers more RAM, more storage, considerably larger battery (also lower screen resolution will help the battery life) and fingerprint scanner. Of course it’s a bit more pricey.

    • Yusuf
      March 29, 2016

      Sold at $195 on Ibuygou website which is way too expensive comparing the original price in China. Now MI4C prime could be found around $230.

    • realjjj
      March 29, 2016

      It has plenty of competitors and a 30$ premium over the vanilla version is a lot. This device is not priced to sell at all.

      • balcobomber25
        March 29, 2016

        Who are all these competitors offering similar phones at $130? Or is this another one of the realjjj mythical Xiaomi pricing?

        • Danny H.
          March 29, 2016

          Well, realjjj always very bullish on technology and Chinese phones, he always demand the best for little money! Most of his demands are unrealistic! Manufacturers need too make money too!

          • balcobomber25
            March 29, 2016

            When it comes to Xiaomi his comments are always along the same lines “can get better phones for less”, but when someone calls him out on it he never responds.

      • Guaire
        March 29, 2016

        799 yuan could have kill the vanilla version along with the whole competition. Sure it was possible to make it with similar or even a tad more profit margin at 799 yuan. But as long as any company has offers great values they have every right to make some money IMO.

        I can’t see a direct competitor. For 100 yuan less you can get a Qiku F4, but it lacks of large battery and metal back for example. K5 Plus lack of fingerprint scanner and large battery. Sure it has FHD display, but it would make battery last less.

        Yeah, it most probably has a better profit margin comparison to vanilla version, but it isn’t outrageous by any means and they have right to make more money.

        I would think differently if I can see better value phones from other brands though.

  8. alex
    March 29, 2016

    Hi, do you know guys, which vendor sells xiaomi phones on amazon usa? thanks

    • Millet Air Purifier (Mi-Fan)
      March 29, 2016

      there is none just buy it from one of the sites like dx or ali

    • Tajwar
      March 29, 2016

      flosmall.com is a good site

  9. Nick
    March 29, 2016

    Nice upgrade but if I were Xiaomi I would have upgraded the CPU also by replacing the old one by the new SD625. A price tag below $150 (in China) would have been amazing IMO.

    • Guaire
      March 29, 2016

      I wouldn’t expect the SD625 soon though.

      • Yusuf
        March 29, 2016

        I was expecting a Redmi 3 Pro with a SD650 around $150 in China so at least $195 for international buyers. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and I am a bit disappointed. It is still a very good budget phone but I guess Xiaomi didn’t want to release competitors to its new phones MI4C, MI4S and MI5. Ibuygou have listed the price at $195 without shipping costs which is way too much ($57 more than the china retail price). I do understand resellers have to make money but I think $30 margin is correct.

        • Ionut Johnny
          March 30, 2016

          I got mine with 190 $, now I think I’ve seen it with 185.

          • Yusuf
            March 30, 2016

            Hi, which phone? Redmi Note 3 Pro?

            • Ionut Johnny
              March 31, 2016

              Yes, 16 with 2gb, but I don’t need more, it works perfect.

            • Yusuf
              March 31, 2016

              I am waiting the best deal to get the 3/32 version from a trusted seller. Can’t wait anymore even if I was looking for something around 5.2 inches.

            • Ionut Johnny
              May 18, 2016

              Yes, now it’s 170

  10. Sayed
    March 29, 2016

    “After … launching a rice cooker…” k, I’m out, rip xiaomi the chosen one *flies away*

  11. dave bryson
    March 29, 2016

    who has the Redmi Note
    3 Pro Snapdragon chip for that price of around $230 ?

    • balcobomber25
      March 29, 2016

      Check Aliexpress I have seen them on there for anywhere from $215-230.

      • dave bryson
        March 29, 2016

        i see Hong Kong Goldway on Aliexpress has them at a good price,just not sure what the store is like,

        • Thang Cheong Pin
          March 29, 2016

          I’ve purchased most of my phones from Hong Kong Goldway in Aliexpress for the passed few years. They’re reliable. I’ve recently bought a Xiaomi Mi Note Pro from them at $299.

          • dave bryson
            March 30, 2016

            i wanted Redmi Note 3 Pro snapdragon with original rom but they open box and install international rom

            • Thang Cheong Pin
              March 30, 2016

              I’ve bought a Mi Note Pro from HK Goldway and I’ve flash it to the original ROM and installed Google services myself.

            • dave bryson
              March 30, 2016

              is that hard to do??

            • Thang Cheong Pin
              March 30, 2016

              It’s very easy. I’ve downloaded the ROM from miui forum and follow the instruction from the forum.
              http://en.miui.com/extra.php?mod=rom/download&r=273&mobile=no
              And I’ve installed Google services using the Google Installer.
              http://en.miui.com/thread-3998-1-1.html

            • dave bryson
              March 30, 2016

              so is global ROM different to International ROM,i read that i should ask for a sealed box with original ROM as ROM installed by some suppliers have lots of bloatware,i want to be able to get OTA updates as well,thanks for the info again Thang

    • Thang Cheong Pin
      March 29, 2016

      Xiaomi Singapore has announced the Redmi Note 3 with Snapdragon 650 3gb/32gb will be available from their Singapore website from April 6 price at SGD299.00 (about USD215).

      • dave bryson
        March 30, 2016

        unfortunately their 1 year warranty only applies to China,dont think it will apply in New Zealand where i live,ibuygou.com has 2 year warranty but only applies to EU.

        • Thang Cheong Pin
          March 30, 2016

          I’ve bought Redmi Note 2 for my wife from local Singapore Xiaomi and they provide 1 year local warranty.

          • dave bryson
            March 30, 2016

            yea it was on MI-Singapore site that warranty is only for in China so does that mean anybody out of CHINA doesnt get warranty

            • Thang Cheong Pin
              March 30, 2016

              If you buy from Mi-Singapore, the warranty apply only in Singapore. Mi-Malaysia will only apply to Malaysia. Mi-China will only apply to China. The different is buying Xiaomi phone from Mi-Singapore, the phone will come with global ROM with Google Services pre-installed. It’s the same that when I buy a Samsung phone in US, the warranty does not cover in Singapore.

            • dave bryson
              March 30, 2016

              so global ROM clean and safe??also will i still be able to get OTA updates??thanks for the info Thang

            • Thang Cheong Pin
              April 4, 2016

              Dave, my wife Redmi Note 2 bought from Xiaomi Singapore is able to get OTA updates.

            • dave bryson
              April 5, 2016

              ok thanks,i did email Mi Singapore website, they said they can only ship to Singapore address,never mind i sourced one,cant wait to try it out.

      • dave bryson
        March 31, 2016

        Thang,i just got a reply from Mi Singapore with this answer ”

        The products purchased from Mi Singapore website, only can ship to Singapore address.” so looks like i cant get it from them,damn…

    • Ionut Johnny
      March 30, 2016

      I got it with 190 $, now it is even cheaper.

      • dave bryson
        March 30, 2016

        where did you get it from for $179?

        • Ionut Johnny
          March 31, 2016

          Shenzen top one, from AliExpress with free shipping.

          • dave bryson
            March 31, 2016

            are they a reliable seller??have you a link to them?
            thanks

            • Ionut Johnny
              April 1, 2016

              From my experience, yes but they take long to respond back. 1 per day.

            • Ionut Johnny
              April 1, 2016

              Check out this recommended store on AliExpress. Find great products at low prices!
              http://s.aliexpress.com/MjeINjie
              (from AliExpress Android)

        • Ionut Johnny
          May 18, 2016

          Now it’s 170 on shenzen seller, aliexpress.

  12. Muhammad Yasir
    March 29, 2016

    good price. good hardware. good deal.

    Xiaomi coming to Pakistan. lets see how this pans out.

    • Guaire
      March 29, 2016

      Really?

      • Muhammad Yasir
        March 29, 2016

        problem ?

        • Guaire
          March 29, 2016

          Calm down brother. Just I didn’t heard that before. Can you share details?

          • Muhammad Yasir
            March 29, 2016

            lol i just asked.

            all im saying is that what Xiaomi are offering is probably the most attractive budget package designed to take 3rd world and most 2nd world markets by storm. for the sort of hardware they are offering at the aforementioned price , only a heretic would avoid being swayed by such an offer.

            Xiaomi are coming to Pakistan through a third party (cheezmall , which is also selling Zuk Z1 here for around $340 [steep , i know] ). im thinking of getting this if its priced sanely enough … in the case that redmi note 3 pro is priced exorbitantly.

        • Tajwar
          March 29, 2016

          Woh gotta chill bro hehe.

          • Muhammad Yasir
            March 29, 2016

            hiii ! long time no see …

            read what i wrote in reply. you guys got the wrong impression !!

            • Tajwar
              March 30, 2016

              Yea… I know just messing around.
              It’s been a while thou been busy with my studies and work.

            • Muhammad Yasir
              March 31, 2016

              same.

  13. Danny H.
    March 29, 2016

    This probably is the entry level killer! It’s got everything necessary for a great experience with a great price! Can’t ask for more than this!

  14. March 30, 2016

    I want it now 🙂

    • Anton Hilman
      March 30, 2016

      hahahaha sabar mas 🙂

    • Agie Prayoga Putra
      April 10, 2016

      sama gan, kebelet banget nih…

  15. VMortens
    March 30, 2016

    The price seems very good, it will however jump to 180$-ish from re-sellers. Still fair.

    • Karly Johnston
      April 16, 2016

      Not when Note 3 sells for the same.

  16. Millet Air Purifier (Mi-Fan)
    March 30, 2016

    Seems pretty good we can expext a price of 160-170$ in the coming months so thats a good deal. But they really should offer more languages in the MIUI Rom. esppecially since bootloader is locked now on new devices.

  17. sai bhagavan
    April 5, 2016

    My God…..