Xiaomi Redmi 3 metal clad smartphone arrives with Snapdragon 616, 4100 mAh Battery

Xiaomi Redmi 3 is finally official. The newest budget smartphone from the company was announced in China today with a full-metal body running on the new Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable storage. MIUI 7 takes care of most of the inner workings which is still based on Android Lollipop.

The Redmi 3 has a larger 5-inch HD IPS display, but that's not all about the upgrades. You now have a 13MP rear camera with Phase Detection Auto-focus (PDAF) similar to DSLR's alongwith a 5MP front-facing camera, both capable of capturing 1080p videos.

Xiaomi has packed a massive 4100 mAh battery which would be non-removable, inside a pretty thin 8.5mm metal shell weighing in at 144 grams. The back of the phone has an intricate diamond pattern which Xiaomi says is "made up of 4166 stars woven together." It looks neat and may help with grip as well.

The Redmi 3 is a dual-SIM 4G LTE capable device, but it has a hybrid second slot to expand storage. Although most manufacturers are going this route nowadays, that's something consumers really don't prefer. Other connectivity options remain similar with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with GLONASS and FM Radio in some regions.

The Xiaomi Redmi 3 will come in Dark Grey, Silver, Gold and Classic Gold colors priced at CNY 699 (about $106 or Rs. 7200.) It will be available in China starting January 12th, at present there is no word on a global roll-out.

Source: Xiaomi