Xiaomi has unveiled its Mi Max 3 smartphone at an event in China today. As numerous reports and rumours suggested, in-line with the company’s previous offerings, the display and battery capacity are the highlight of the new Mi Max 3. In terms of design, the handset is similar to the Redmi Note 5 as it features an 18:9 display aspect ratio and a vertically stacked dual-rear camera setup. The 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant of the Mi Max 3 will go on sale in China this week for CNY 1699 (Rs 17,400), while its 6GB RAM/128GB storage model will be priced at CNY 1999 (Rs 20,400).
Mi Max 3 specs are akin to the Redmi Note 5 Pro (review). It ships with the same 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with Adreno 509 GPU. The 6.9-inch display is obviously larger than the 6-inch screen on the Redmi Note 5 Pro, but it’s still the same IPS LCD panel with a 2160×1080p resolution. The Mi Max 3 features dual-rear cameras where one is a 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor with f/1.9 aperture, 1.4µm pixel size, and the other is a 5MP depth-sensing unit. On the front is a single f/2.0 8MP sensor with 1.12µm pixel size and an LED flash.
The smartphone is powered by a larger 5500mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0. The hybrid dual-SIM device sports a USB Type-C port and also comes with the 3.5mm headphone jack. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI on top, sports a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and supports face unlock as well. As the Mi Max and the Mi Max 2 made their way to India, Xiaomi is expected to launch the Mi Max 3 here as well. However, there is no word on its India launch date or pricing yet.
In India, the Mi Max 2 was officially launched in July 2017. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM and features a 6.44-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1080×1920 with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The phone is equipped with a 12MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and comes with a 5MP front-facing sensor. A 5300mAh battery powers the entire package. The device was launched running on MIUI 8.0, which is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. In our review verdict of the Mi Max 2, we said, “The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 fails to improve on existing weaknesses from the Mi Max, and is not an upgrade. That said, it is a good buy for those who do not already have a Mi Max.” You can read our review of the Mi Max 2 here.