Xiaomi Mocks iPhone 6 Plus With 5.5-Inch QHD, Snapdragon 810-Powered Mi Note
Apple was late to the phablet game with the launch of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014. Samsung arguably created the phablet category three years prior, when it introduced the original 5.3-inch Galaxy Note. But despite its late arrival to the party, manufacturers are painting a big red target on the iPhone 6 Plus, and Xiaomi is the latest to take aim.
The hard-charging Chinese OEM today announced its new Mi Note flagship smartphone that features a 5.7-inch 1080p display in its standard configuration. Other features include a Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), two-tone flash, and a 3000 mAh battery. The Mi Note even brings back a feature that was once prominent on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S: the use of glass for both the front display and back panel (in this case, curved glass for both sides).
If that isn’t enough for you, there’s also a Mi Note Pro that ups the ante with a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor featuring 4GB of RAM, a QHD (2560x1400) display, and LTE Category 9 (450Mbps) support.
Xiaomi founder Lei Jun made sure to pick on the iPhone 6 Plus during the introduction of the Mi Note, remarking how his company was able to cram high-end components into a device that is just 6.95mm thick. He even went so far as to mock the iPhone 6 Plus’ camera ring, which is a rather unsightly wart attached to its 7.1mm thick body.
The standard Mi Note will be available in both 32GB and 64GB versions for roughly $370 and $450 respectively. The Mi Note Pro, which is only available in a 64GB model, will be priced at around $540. The smartphones will launch January 27 in China, but there is no word on when the phone will land in other global markets.
