Xiaomi launches Redmi Note 3 and Mi Pad 2

So for customers who are in the market for a very affordable Windows 10 tablet, the Mi Pad 2 could be worth checking out. For the Chinese OEM, it is its first smartphone to sport both a unibody metal design and a fingerprint scanner on the rear, a typical location for Chinese smartphones, it seems.

“The sensors, which are placed on the rear of the gadget, represent the most stunning option of the latest 5.5” phablet. While the sensor can be used to unlock the phone without a passcode, like those on devices from other companies, that’s just the start.

Today’s event did not feature the much-rumored Xiaomi laptop, but building a high-quality tablet that can run Windows is already more than halfway there. Yep, you guessed it: the Redmi Note 3. On the other hand, Xiaomi’s Mi4 smartphone which was released previous year may soon be released in the United States as it has just been recently certified by the country’s FCC.

The Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5-inch 1080p display (similar to the iPhone 6S Plus) and a 64-bit MediaTek Helio X10 processor.

A 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera will adorn the smartphone. Now, with the Redmi Note 3, Apple Pay-like mobile payments can be added to the roster.

Apart from that, the Redmi Note 3 also features fingerprint scanner on the back and a 4,000 mAh capacity of battery which promise extra juice to last for the day.

Priced at 899 yuan, which converts to $140, £95 and AU$195, the Note 3 is the third iteration in Xiaomi’s line of Redmi budget phablets, and looks to be the best one so far. At the same time, the device supports fast charging and the double-sided USB Type-C connector for a quick return to form after draining the battery. The new tablet is powered by an Intel Atom X5-Z8500 processor as opposed to the Nvidia in its predecessor. Not to mention the new metal build, which comes in gold, silver and dark grey. The 5-megapixel snapper can be found up front (wide-angle lens), and you do get 4G LTE connectivity here. From the plastic of the Mi Pad, the Mi Pad 2 not is fully clad in a plush metal finish.