Technology start-up firm Xiaomi, on 15 January, came up with a couple of devices - Mi Note and Note Pro - which may finally put the company in a league of its own.
Xiaomi, in its bid to shed the tag of 'Apple copycat', has launched the top-end Mi Note series phablets with state-of-art internal hardware, keeping the cost of the devices less than half of that of iPhone 6 Plus (unlocked models).
All through the presentation, company's CEO Lei Jun made a point to compare the new Mi Note and Note Pro with the Apple's flagship phablet.
[For more details and photos, check our live event coverage story: Xiaomi Flagship Product Launch Live Update: Mi Note, Note Pro Announced; to Take on Apple iPhone 6 Plus]
To provide clear perspective on the new Xiaomi Mi Note, Note Pro and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. We have done a quick rundown of the key features of these three devices, check it out here:
Display:
Apple iPhone 6 Plus features 5.5-inch LED-backlit IPS screen with Retina HD (aka full HD) and 1920x1080p resolution; and like all previous iPhones it flaunts premium metal chassis (on corners) and shell on the rear-side.
Xiaomi Mi Note sports a 5.7-inch full HD (1920x1080p) display manufactured by LG, the company which is known to be one of the screen supply partners of Apple iDevices.
On the other hand, the top-end Xiaomi Note Pro flaunts 5.7-inch 2K (2560x1440p) screen protected by 3D curved Gorilla Glass 3 on top and metal frame around the corners. The less expensive sibling of the model also features same metal based chassis.
Processor, RAM and Storage capacity:
Apple iPhone 6 Plus comes packed with advanced 20-nanometer class-based second generation 64-bit A8 chipset which is 25-percent faster (50-percent faster graphics too) than the A7 in iPhone 5S. It is supported by second generation, M8 motion co-processor 1GB RAM and 16GB/64GB/128GB memory.
Xiaomi Mi Note ships with 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU with Adreno 330 and is supported by sumptuous 3GB RAM and 16GB/64GB storage space.
Xiaomi's Pro model is more like a Mi Note on steroids. It is said to be the first smartphone in the industry to ship with the Qualcomm's new processor Snapdragon 810 SoC (System on Chip), which supports 4G-LTE Cat 9 network enabling download speed close to a staggering 450 mbps. It comes paired with new generation LPDDR 4 series 4GB RAM and 64GB inbuilt memory.
Camera:
Both Xiaomi Mi Note and Pro models house same camera specifications. They come with a 13.0-megapixel Sony main camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), 6 physical lens, f/2.0 aperture, Philips 2-Tone LED flash and pack a 4.0-megapixel camera with large 2-micron pixel lens on the front.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus features a 8-megapixel iSight camera with 1.5µ pixels, f/2.2 aperture, True-Tone flash, hybrid IR filter, five-element lens and 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera with f/2.2 aperture, auto-HDR and 720p HD video recording.
Xiaomi Mi Note and Note Pro Price & Availability details:
Xiaomi has confirmed that the normal Mi Note models - 16GB and 64GB models - cost ¥2299 Yuan (around $371/€315/₹22900) and ¥2799 Yuan (around $451/€384/₹27,900), respectively. They will go on sale in China on 27 January at Mi.com.
Meanwhile, the premium Mi Note Pro 64GB model is slated to hit stores a little later in the year, for ¥3299 Yuan (around $532/€452/₹32,900), as mass production of the device is expected to take-off in March.
Key specifications of Xiaomi Mi Note, Mi Note Pro and Apple iPhone 6 Plus:
Models | Xiaomi Mi Note | Xiaomi Mi Note Pro | Apple iPhone 6 Plus |
Display | 5.7-inch full HD (1920x1080p) NEGA Negative LCD Panel with Adaptive dynamic contrast(contrast ratio: 1400:1)Add-ons: 3D curved Gorilla Glass 3 with metal frame | 5.7-inch 2K (2560x1440p) screenAdd-ons: 3D curved Gorilla Glass 3 with metal framePixel density: close to 515 ppi (pixels per inch) | 5.5- inch LED-backlit IPS screen with Retina HD (aka full HD) with 1920x1080p resolutionPixel density: 401 ppi (pixels per inch)Add-ons:- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front- Dual-domain pixels for wider viewing angles |
OS | Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS with MIUI v6.0 | Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS with MIUI v6.0 | iOS v8.0.2 |
Processor | 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU with Adreno 330 | 64-bit class Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa-core CPU with Adreno 430 graphics engine | 20-nanometer class based second generation 64-bit A8 chipset which is 25-percent faster (50-percent faster graphics too) than the A7 in iPhone 5S.It is aptly supported by second generation, M8 motion co-processor |
RAM | 933MHz 3GB (LPDDR 3) | 4GB (LPDDR 4) | 1GB |
Storage capacity | 16GB and 64GB | 64GB eMMC 5.0 Flash | 16GB/64GB/128GB |
Camera |
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Battery | 3000 mAh (lithium-ion) with quick charge 2.0 technology | 3090 mAh (lithium-ion) with quick charge 2.0 technology | Talk time: up to 24 hours (3G)Standby time: close to 16 days (384 hours) |
Network | 4G-LTE (Cat 4 with 150/50 mbps: download/upload speed) | 4G-LTE Cat 9. which supports download speed close to a staggering 450 mbps | 3G & 4G-LTE (with new VoLTE technology for high quality voice-calling) |
Add-ons | Dual 4G dual card standby. Dual card support small card, a nano SIM card, a micro SIM card and others include Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi (802.11ac), GPS / Glonass / Compass, Hi-Fi audio system, 24-bit/192KHz lossless playback support | Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi (802.11ac), GPS / Glonass / Compass, Hi-Fi audio system, 24-bit/192KHz lossless playback support | Finger-print sensor (much better Tough-ID security feature), Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), Wi-Fi calling (in select markets), Bluetooth v4.0, NFC. GPS/GLONASS |
Price |
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¥3299 (around $532/€452/₹32,900) | In India (Unlocked)
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