Xiaomi Mi4 vs. Xiaomi Mi3 – Specifications, Features and Price Showdown

Xiaomi Mi3 was released in the last quarter of 2013, whereas the latest Xiaomi Mi4 has been launched this Tuesday. However, the handset will be released only in the third quarter of 2014. It is worth noting that Xiaomi Mi3 made headlines recently by selling the entire stock within 30 minutes from its release in India. The Xiaomi Mi4, meanwhile, has killer specifications that can give all the top-sellers a run for their money. Readers who are interested in the Xiaomi Mi3 or the latest Xiaomi Mi4 should check out this specifications, features and price comparison.

Display, Exterior and Size

Both Xiaomi Mi4 and Mi3 features the same 5.0-inch IPS LCD display bundled with 1,080 x 1,920 pixels screen resolution and 441 ppi pixel density.

When it comes to look, the Xiaomi Mi3 has earned the reputation for quality build of Mi series of phones, unlike many other handsets from China. Even though the exterior is made of plastic, the phone gives a premium look with its metal-like body accompanying the glass front. Also, attention to detail is what makes this handset stand out with its incredible construction lineament. Even the speaker holes blend with the device's body perfectly, according to CNet. However, there is no information available on the exterior of the latest Xiaomi Mi4 at this point.

The thickness and the weight of Xiaomi Mi4 are 0.35 inches and 149 g respectively, whereas the Xiaomi Mi3 is 0.32 inches thick and weighs 145 g. Therefore, the Mi3 is both lighter and thinner than the Mi4. Furthermore, the latest Xiaomi Mi4 comes with dust and water proof exterior (IP67 certified), while the Xiaomi Mi3 doesn't.

Hardware, Software and Memory

The 2013 Xiaomi Mi3 is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.3 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. Whereas the Xiaomi Mi4 is powered by a superior quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 801) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.5 GHz and a whopping 3 GB of RAM.

In addition, Mi3 runs on Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean, while the Mi4 runs on Android OS v4.4.3 KitKat. When it comes to memory, both the phones offer 16 GB and 64 GB of internal storage with no microSD card support.

Camera and Battery

The Xiaomi Mi3 handset sports 13 MP rear-facing camera with dual-LED flash and 2 MP front-facing shooter, whereas the Xiaomi Mi4 features the same 13 MP rear-facing camera unit with dual-LED flash and a whopping 8 MP front-facing shooter for selfies. Notably, the latest Mi4 supports 4K (3,840 x 2,160) recording capability, according to Phone Arena.

Furthermore, the Xiaomi Mi4 houses a solid Li-Ion 3080 mAh battery unit, whereas the Xiaomi Mi3 comes with a similar Li-Ion 3050 mAh battery unit. Both the batteries are not user-replaceable. The Mi3 can provide up to 25 hours of talk-time and 500 hours of standby-time, whereas the Mi4's battery capacity details are not available at this point.

Connectivity, SIM and Colour

Both the phones come equipped with Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11, and Wi-Fi hotspot. Besides, both the phones support NFC. While the Mi3 comes with mini-sim support, the Mi4 supports micro-sim. In addition, the Xiaomi Mi3 comes in black, and white, whereas the Xiaomi Mi4 is expected to come with many vivid colours other than the standard black and white.

Price

The Xiaomi Mi3 16 GB can be purchased at AU$299.95, while the Xiaomi Mi4 variant will be priced at US$399 (roughly translates to AU$424) at this point.

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