Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, the anticipated successor to the popular Redmi Note 4, is expected to be launched in the country on Wednesday at an event in New Delhi. Alongside, recent teasers have also tipped that Xiaomi will finally launch its Mi TV series of televisions in India at the event - specifically, the Mi TV 4. So far, Xiaomi hasn't launched the Redmi Note 5 in any other region, including China, making the India launch the debut of the smartphone globally. The smartphone is expected to be exclusive to Flipkart, with availability also expected to encompass Mi.com and Mi Home stores. Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for all the details from the event, which kicks off at 12pm IST. You can also watch the live stream of the event right here.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 price in India will be officially announced at the launch event, but a leak has pegged the starting price at CNY 1,499 (roughly Rs. 15,400). As for the availability, we can expect the handset to become available for purchase next week via the flash sale model from both Mi.com and Flipkart. It may hit offline stores too at a later stage.
The Redmi Note 5 specifications leaked so far suggest the device will be a significant upgrade over its predecessor. With the new 18:9 aspect ratio and bezel-less design, the new model will likely feature a larger display panel in a body that is roughly the same as that of last year's model. We can expect a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixel) display, Android 8.0 Oreo-based MIUI 9 build, and Snapdragon 636 processor under the hood. The handset is expected to come in two variants, one with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, and the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
The Redmi Note 5 is also reported to come with a dual camera setup, featuring a 16-megapixel primary camera sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary camera sensor. Additionally, it could sport an 8-megapixel front camera sensor with 1080p video recording. The smartphone is also rumoured to include a 4100mAh battery. Lastly, some early renders showed a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device.
The Mi TV 4 was first unveiled at CES 2017, and comes in three screen sizes - 49, 55, and 65-inches. The 49-inch Mi TV 4 is priced at CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 33,000), 55-inch Mi TV 4 is priced at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 38,000), and 65-inch Mi TV 4 priced at CNY 9,999 (roughly Rs. 95,000). We can expect India pricing to be around the same. The TV is expected to be exclusive to Flipkart in India.
One of the biggest highlight of the Mi TV 4 is it measures just 4.9mm and is claimed to be 30 percent thinner than the iPhone 7. The Mi TV 4 range sports a frameless design, and comes with integrated Mi TV Bar with 10 speakers, 2 wireless rear satellite speakers, and a subwoofer. The models support Dolby Atmos audio technology with 2 up-firing speakers for what the company claims can offer "an immersive 3D sound experience."
The Mi TV 4 also comes with a modular TV design which means it can be upgraded in future. The new model features a single cable connection dubbed Mi Port which can connect Mi TV Bar to the display. Xiaomi's Mi TV 4 models also come with 'transparent' stand which makes Mi TV 4 look suspended in the air even without mounted on the wall.
Xiaomi has also added its AI (artificial intelligence) based recommendations UI called PatchWall to the Mi TV 4. The PatchWall, a UI layer on top of the Android OS, is based on deep learning AI technology.
All Mi TV 4 models feature Samsung or LG 4K display panels. It comes with Cortex-A53 quad-core CPU clocked at 1.8GHz coupled with Mali-T830 image processor.
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