Apple knockoff maker Xiaomi, which according to IDC is now the world’s third largest smartphone maker, has launched a new phablet-class handset. The Mi Note takes on the iPhone 6 Plus with powerful hardware features while undercutting it on price. The inexpensive phone sports a 5.7-inch screen and a flatter camera than Apple’s handset.

Mi Note sports 5.7-inch full HD display, and is wrapped in Gorilla Glass 3 at the front and back with curved design, with a metal frame around the edge. The curved glass edge appears to be quite similar to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Mi Note is powered by a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB RAM, and comes with a 5.7-inch 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with OIS and f/2.0 aperture, a 4-megapixel front-facing camera, and 4G LTE with dual SIM (micro/nano). It also comes with 24-bit/192KHz lossless audio support thanks to the ESS ES9018K2M audio decoder.

Here are the specifications of Xiaomi’s Mi Note:

  • 5.7-inch 1080p Full HD Display from JDI
  • 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 16GB or 64GB of storage
  • 3000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0
  • 4G LTE with dual SIM (micro/nano)
  • 13MP camera with OIS and f/2.0 aperture, 4MP front-facing camera
  • ESS ES9018K2M audio decoder
  • 6.95mm thickness
  • Weighs just 161 grams

Founder, Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, unveiled the Mi Note at Thursday’s launch event in Beijing, drawing multiple comparisons to Apple’s handset (“The Mi Note is shorter, thinner and lighter than the iPhone,” he said) and confirming that his company is also developing an ecosystem of home appliances that will work seamlessly with its phones.

The basic version boasting a Sharp-made 5.7-inch 1080p screen, a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM, 3,000 mAh battery, 16 or 64 gigabytes of storage, a 13-megapixel camera out the back and a four-megapixel selfie camera out the front.

The Pro edition of the Mi Note has a denser Quad HD screen with a whopping 2,560-by-1,440 pixel resolution. It will include a faster 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a slightly bigger 3,090 mAh battery.

The basic Mi Note model launches on January 27 in China at 2,299 yuan unlocked, or approximately $370, which is about two-thirds less than the iPhone 6 Plus. The Pro edition will launch in March across Asia, priced at 3,299 yuan unlocked, which works out to approximately $520.

Xiaomi

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