Xiaomi announces Redmi Note 3 with full metal body and fingerprint sensor

Xiaomi unveiled the third generation of its Redmi Note series, the Xiaomi Note 3, at an event in China on Tuesday. The new smartphone boasts design changes and more features that were expected over the last few weeks.

The company says the Note 3 is the first Xiaomi smartphone to feature a full metal body and fingerprint sensor. The smartphone touts a full aluminum unibody design with curved edges. The metal clad device come with120-point ultra-fine double sided sandblasting.

The phone features a 5.5-inch Full HD 1080p display with an innovative sunlight, night and reading mode. This means the display screen will automatically adjust its contrast and brightness to augment visibility in varying light conditions. The newly added fingerprint sensor will enable users to unlock the phone in just 0.3 seconds, says Xiaomi.

Powered by 64-bit octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor and 2 GB RAM or 3 GB of RAM with either 16 GB or 32 GB storage, the Xiaomi Note 3 also runs the latest MIUI 7 based on Android OS. The 13 MP camera unit sports dual-tone flash and phase detection ultra-fast focus. There is also a 5 MP front facing camera for the selfies.

The dual-SIM, 4G enabled device houses a gigantic 4,000 mAh battery. This is quite a big leap from the 3,020 mAh battery of the Redmi Note 2. The device also supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity.

In spite of housing such a massive battery, the smartphone is thin and light, weighing just 164 g. The phone is 8.65 mm at its thickest point. The fast charging feature can juice up the phone up to 50 percent in an hour.

It comes with a slightly higher price tag than its predecessor, reports Android Authority. The 2 GB model of the Redmi Note 3 with 16 GB of internal storage version will cost CNY 899 (AU$194 or US$140) and the 3 GB RAM variant will come with a price tag of CNY 1,099 (AU$237 or US$170). Xiaomi Note 3 will be available in three colour option,s including Silver, Gold and Dark Grey .

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