Leaked Pic & Specs Xiaomi Mi-3; 5-Inch 1080P, Snapdragon 800, 3000 mAh Batt & More

[dgstorm]

It's amazing how different the markets in China are from other international markets and the United States. While folks in the US get $600-700 handsets with good specs, over in China, companies like Xiaomi are selling devices at wholesale prices with ridiculous specs. A new leaked pic and specs for the Xiamoi Mi-3 reveal this stark contrast. This newest Xiaomi flagship that will hit Chinese retail stores in the fall will only cost 1.999 CNY ($320 USD) unsubsidized, and offer insane specs. Here's a breakdown,

• 5” 1080p display
• Qualcomm series 800 2.3GHz CPU
• 13 megapixel camera
• 3000 mAh battery
• Android 5.0 with custom MIUI skin

It's also interesting to note that Xiaomi enjoys a similar "cult-like" following in China that Apple does in the US. The previous gen Mi-2 was a huge success in China, selling out completely within minutes of the first orders being placed.

Also, to be clear, these are not cheaply made devices either. They offer premium build materials. They are able to make this unusual business model work by selling the uber-high specced Android smartphones at cost on their own website. They eke out profits with their own custom MIUI skin which includes integrated e-commerce services, much like Amazon does with the Kindle Fire line of tablets. It makes you wonder if this business model could work in other areas of the world. Apparently Google thinks so, because it's the same concept they use with Nexus devices in the Google Play Store.

Who wishes these devices would come to other areas of the world?

Source: UnWiredView