Update 1: 23 p.m. Feb. 22: Xiaomi confirmed the Redmi Note 3 will be launched in India next Thursday, March 3.
Original story
Xiaomi fans may have their eyes set on the much-awaited Mi 5 launch, but that's not all happening this month. The Chinese smartphone-maker will launch its premium budget smartphone Redmi Note 3 on Feb. 29 in India, an exclusive report from MakTechBlog revealed on Sunday.
Xiaomi revealed on its Facebook India page Sunday some exciting news regarding the Redmi Note 3 waits for Mi fans. The brief post on Facebook is cryptic and does not reveal whether the company is planning to announce the release date or launch the device itself. Fans' attempts to extract accurate information through comments failed as the company simply states more info will be shared Feb. 22.
"Calling all Mi Fans! Exciting news on the long awaited ‪#‎RedmiNote3 will be revealed tomorrow, (sic)" reads the Mi India's Facebook post on Sunday.
Xiaomi launched a contest for 100 lucky fans to explore the Redmi Note 3 and perform various fun tasks ahead of the launch. The so-called Redmi Note 3 Explorers participated in various tasks and also shared sample images taken from the device.
A recent report revealed Xiaomi would launch the Redmi Note 3 with 3GB RAM, ditching the 2GB RAM/16GB storage variant for India. The handset's specs are confirmed and it is features a 5.5-inch Full-HD display with 403ppi, a 13-megapixel primary camera with PDAF, dual-tone LED flash and a 5MP front-snapper.
Read: Lenovo K4 Note vs LeEco Le 1s vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: Which smartphone to buy?
The Redmi Note 3 is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 hexa-core processor, 3GB RAM and a 4,000mAh battery. Users will have 32GB onboard memory without microSD card support for additional storage.
On the performance front, leaked benchmark scores of the Redmi Note 3 revealed impressive scores, higher than the popular LeEco Le 1s. The upcoming phablet by Xiaomi competes against the likes of the Le 1s, Lenovo K4 Note, Huawei Honor 5X and Gionee Elife S6.
There is no word on the price of the Redmi Note 3, but it is expected to launch under Rs 15,000.
