Xiaomi Sends Media Invites for Smartphone Launch on June 7, Teases Camera

Xiaomi on Thursday sent media invites to announce a new smartphone launch in India on June 7, following a Twitter teaser from earlier this month. The official invite states that the Beijing-based company is hosting an event in New Delhi on June 7 to launch a new product. It also teases a camera with an image of a lens. As we mentioned at the time of the Twitter teaser, the company appears to be teasing the launch of the Redmi S2 in India, and the handset is expected to be rebranded to be launched in India as the Redmi Y2 - the successor to last year's Redmi Y1. The Twitter teaser featured the hashtags #FindYourSelfie and #RealYou, with highlighted alphabet "Y" to suggest the arrival of a new Redmi Y series model.

Without revealing any details about the model, the official invite features an image that shows a sketch of a human face on one side and a camera sensor on the other side. This hints at a selfie camera with AI-powered features.

Xiaomi already showcased its efforts towards enhanced selfies in the Redmi S2 that it claims as the "best Redmi selfie phone". The smartphone was launched in China earlier this month in two different variants and is expected to debut in India as the Redmi Y1 successor that arrived in November with an LED selfie-light. Moreover, it is likely to be called the Redmi Y2.

Price details about the new Xiaomi smartphone will certainly be announced at the June 7 event. However, if we consider it to be a Redmi S2 version for the Indian market, it could be another offering by the company under Rs. 15,000 price bracket.

Redmi S2 price

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage comes with a price tag of CNY 999 (approximately Rs. 10,600), while its 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant is priced at CNY 1,299 (around Rs. 13,700). Both variants are already on sale in China in Champagne Gold, Platinum Silver, and Rose Gold colour options.

Redmi S2 specifications

In terms of specifications, the dual-SIM (Nano) Redmi S2 runs Android-based MIUI 9 and features a 5.99-inch HD+ (720x1440 pixels) display. The handset is powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with up to 4GB of RAM, and has a dual rear camera setup with a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. Further, it has a 16-megapixel sensor on the front with features such as AI Portrait Mode, AI Smart Beauty, Front HDR, and Face Unlock. It also features a soft light flash module. There are two storage options - 32GB and 64GB - that both are expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB) via a dedicated slot. Importantly, the Redmi Y1 also has a dedicated microSD card slot to separately give users the space for two SIM cards. Besides, the Redmi S2 has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Micro-USB port and packs a 3080mAh battery.